Like the other Western Allies, New Zealand’s relationship with the communist Soviet Union – their wartime ally – deteriorated toward the end of the Second World War. Relations between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies worsened from 1946 as both sides jostled for power across Europe. Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union set up communist satellite states in Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Albania. The United States countered by supporting the Greek government against a communist insurgency and using economic aid – the Marshall Plan – to reduce communist influence in Italy and France.
New Zealand’s response
By 1948 Cold War divisions had been cemented. Two blocs, led by the United States and the Soviet Union, faced each other across Europe. With the threat of a third world war looming, New Zealand threw its support behind the Western powers. It provided aircrews for the Berlin airlift (1948–49) and pledged to send military forces to help defend British interests in the Middle East in the event of open war with the Soviet Union.
Berlin Airlift
At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. Also divided into occupation zones, Berlin was located far inside Soviet-controlled eastern Germany. The United States, United Kingdom, and France controlled western portions of the city, while Soviet troops controlled the eastern sector. As the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union ended and friendly relations turned hostile, the question of whether the western occupation zones in Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War. The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The Allies responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied airbases in western Germany, with 473 sorties made by RNZAF aircrew. By the time the blockade was lifted in September 1949, more than 2.3 million tons of supplies had been airlifted to the city.
The table below is the names of New Zealanders I have managed to find that were involved in the Berlin Airlift. I started with G. Bentley’s “RNZAF-A Short History” and then had a good troll through NZ Papers Past to see what other names I could find. I am sure there are names I have missed. Any errors or omissions in the roll are purely mine. Please let me know if I have made any errors or missed any names as would like to try and get this as correct as I can.
| 59125 | Flight Lieutenant | William Reginald | Birdling | DFC, Pilot, Whangarei | |
| 70503 | Flight Sergeant | Shirley Raymond | Britton | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Engineer (IIA), Rotherham |
| 70474 | Engineer, IIA | Alfred Leeson | Chapman | 24 Sqn, RAF | Engineer, Wellington |
| 7005 | Group Captain | Ronald Joseph | Cohen | 46 Group, RAF | AFC, Planning Staff |
| 70129 | Flight Lieutenant | Frank Edward | Cooper | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Wireless Operator; Engineer (IIA), Auckland |
| 59756 | Flying Officer | Ian Ronald | Donaldson(1) | 38 Group, RAF | MID, Pilot |
| 70584 | Engineer IIA | Jack | Dunthorne | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Engineer, Lower Hutt |
| 70170 | Flying Officer | Robert May | Dwerryhouse | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | DFC, Navigator, Helensville |
| 413392(2) | Flying Officer | Gordon Kenneth | Easter | Pilot | |
| 59653 | Flight Lieutenant | Edward Francis | Edwards | 511 Sqn, RAF | Pilot, Whangarei |
| 402175 | Wing Commander | Maechel Anthony | Ensor | 206 Sqn, RAF | DSO*,DFC*,AFC |
| 70683 | Flight Sergeant | Norman Campbell | Fitzgerald | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Wireless Operator, Auckland |
| 70100 | Flight Lieutenant | Colin James | Fraser | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Kings Comm for Valuable Service in Air, Pilot, Dunedin |
| Warrant Officer | W. | Green(3) | |||
| 70120 | Flight Lieutenant | Geoffrey Vivien | Groves | 24 Sqn, RAF | Signaller, Henderson |
| 70139 | Flight Lieutenant | Harold James | Hammond | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | DFC, Navigator, Christchurch |
| 70169 | Flight Lieutenant | Gordon Murray | Haslop | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Pilot, Te Aroha- served as second pilot Trans-Antartic Expedition with Dr Fuch |
| 70175 | Flying Officer | Joshua Raymond | Hicks | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Wireless Operator; Engineer (I), Gore |
| 70130 | Flight Lieutenant | Leonard Arnold Ross | Hill | 24 Sqn, RAF | Navigator, Te Kuiti |
| 70744 | Flying Officer | Douglas Owen | Holloway | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | AFC, Pilot, |
| 70156 | Flying Officer | Raymond John | Howell | 24 Sqn, RAF | Signaller, Auckland |
| 70123 | Flight Lieutenant | Alan Frederick | Jacobsen | 24 Sqn, RAF | AFC,Navigator, Palmerston North |
| 73652 | Flight Lieutenant | George Melville | King | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Navigator, Wellington |
| 70125 | Flight Lieutenant | Robert William | MacAdam | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Kings Comm for Valuable Service in Air, Signaller, Nelson |
| 70576 | Sergeant | Sidney George | McDonald | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Engineer (IIA), Mt Eden |
| 70113 | Flight Lieutenant | Lancelot James | McLean | 24 Sqn, RAF | Pilot, Garston |
| 70535 | Engineer IIA | Douglas Clifford | Morris | 24 Sqn, RAF | Engineer, Christchurch |
| Flight Lieutenant | John | Murphy | RAF | AFC, Pilot | |
| 70137 | Flight Lieutenant | Donald John | Phillips | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | DFC, Pilot, Christchurch |
| 70142 | Flight Lieutenant | Alfred George Edward | Pugh | 24 Sqn, RAF | Signaller, Auckland |
| 405577 | Flying Officer | Dornford Winstan | Robertson(4) | Flight Refuelling Ltd | Radio Officer, Dunedin |
| 70888 | Flight Sergeant | Edmund George | Saker | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | AFM, Navigator, Cambridge |
| 70127 | Flight Lieutenant | Harold William | Shilton | 24 Sqn, RAF | DFC, Navigator, Rangiora |
| 70105 | Flight Lieutenant | Cyril Laurence | Siegert | 41 sqn, RNZAF | DFC, Pilot, Fairlie |
| 70126 | Flight Lieutenant | Keith Bishop | Smith | 24 Sqn, RAF | Pilot, Otaki |
| 70188 | Flying Officer | Albert Lemcke | Tauwhare | 24 Sqn, RAF | Navigator, Masterton |
| Flight Lieutenant | E H | Taylor(5) | 24 Sqn, RAF | ||
| 70082 | Flight Lieutenant | Ronald Wilson | Walker | 24 Sqn, RAF | Navigator, Auckland |
| 70117 | Flight Lieutenant | Stanley Herbert | Ward | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Wireless Operator ; Engineer (IIA), Henderson |
| 70772 | Flight Sergeant | Leslie Gordon | Woods(6) | 41 Sqn, RNZAF | Kings Comm for Valuable Service in Air, Engineer, Wanganui |
Notes
In 2015, the United Kingdom Government instituted the ‘Berlin Airlift’ clasp for the General Service Medal (1918-62). The “Berlin Airlift” clasp is awarded to members of the RNZAF for service as part of the New Zealand contribution to Operation Plainfare (Berlin Airlift) in West Germany 1 Sep 1948 -11 Aug 1949. All the above names would be eligible for the award of either the medal and clasp or just the clasp if the GSM has already been awarded.
Ranks and gallantry awards are at the time of service in the Berlin airlift.
RNZAF aircrew can be identified, as their service number begins with a “7”.
1.) Ex RNZAF, Ian Ronald Donaldson Pilot of Handley Page Hastings C1 TG611 died when aircraft crashed near Tegel airport 16 July 1949. All crew and 1 passenger died.
2.) Ex RNZAF service number and rank. Is possible his RAF service number is- 59652 (LG, 2/01/1951).
3.) Possibly 4016202 Wallace Wilmot Green, AFM (LG, 9/06/1949), RAF.
4.) Ex RNZAF, Donford Winstan Robertson Radio Operator, died 23 November 1948, when Lancastrian G-AHJW crashed on the Wilshire-Hampshire border. Three crew and four supernumerary crew died. There was one survivor. The aircraft, which belonged to Flight Refuelling Ltd, was returning from Wunstorf, Germany to base for routine maintenance. Was a Lancaster that had been converted into a tanker, it had completed 40 petrol sorties to Berlin.
5.) Possibly 59405 Errol Henry Taylor, RAF. Later awarded AFC (1950) and Queens Commendation for Valuable service in the Air (1954).
6.) F/S Leslie Woods was awarded the Kings/Queens Valuable Service in the Air three times (1948, 1952 &1955). Colin Hanson notes that “The award of three such Commendations to the one individual is unique in the history of the RNZAF”.
Stats
Total New Zealanders found with service during Berlin airlift – Forty names (31 who were RNZAF at time of service).
Seventeen with 41 Squadron, RNZAF; fourteen with 24(Commonwealth) Squadron; five with RAF; three unidentified; one civilian.
Thirty seven names with recorded WW2 service (3 remaining might also have service un-identified as yet with research).
Thirty six names recorded with a date of death (Earliest 1948, latest 2015).
Eighteen GSM’s awarded (17 GSM-Malaya and 1 GSM-Palestine).
Sixteen awarded gallantry medals at the time of the airlift.
Nine awarded the NZ Operational Service Medal (rough 31 possible).
References
RNZAF – A short History, Geoffrey Bentley(Chap 21)
Papers past(paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers) – various
RNZAF, Record Card (form 543) – various –NZDF, PAM
A Record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Service since 1915 -For your tomorrow, Vol Two, Errol W Martyn
By Such Deeds – Honours and Awards in the RNZAF 1923-1999, C.M. Hanson
NZ Birth, Death & Marriages (bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search)
The Berlin Airlift-Seventy years on (https://airforcemuseum.co.nz)
The Berlin Airlift – Wings over New Zealand –thread berlin-airlift (https://rnzaf.proboards.com)
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/berlin-airlift
Sent from Outlook
kiwisoldier 