Germans praise plans to mark Berlin Airlift anniversary
GUESTS from Germany visited Stamford to reveal a programme of events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
Husband and wife Horst and Baerbal Simon, who are curators of the Cold War Museum in Berlin, spoke to war veterans from Stamford and the Deepings on Monday about their plans to mark the anniversary.
The Cresset Theatre in Peterborough will host a concert in June to commemorate the start of the airlift. There will also be a veterans' day at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
During the airlift, the Soviets closed all road access to West Berlin in a bid to force the Allies to withdraw. RAF personnel were heavily involved in taking provisions to two and a half million civilians who were in danger of dying from starvation.
Thirty-nine British and Commonwealth servicemen died in the operation.
Baerbal said: "We will honour the true heroes, who aren't in the history books. They did a wonderful job during the airlift."
Bernard Howard, a haulier and farmer from King's Cliffe, who is sponsorship co-ordinator for the British Berlin Airlift Association, said: "There has been a big injustice – no medals were given out and I feel that the RAF should be recognised.
"There are a lot of airfields in this area and Stamford is an RAF town."
Horst and Baerbal also visited the Berlin airlift memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and the Royal Air Force museum in Cosford to see the National Cold War Exhibition.
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Weather for Stamford
Monday 06 February 2012
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Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
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