The Airlift

The film on SAT-1 was followed by a discussion and newsreel. In the newsreel Ernst Reuter calls upon the people of "America, England, Italy, France" - in the film "England" is omitted from Reuter's Address outside the burned-out Reichstag building. Why is the contribution of the RAF and the fact that a British passenger aircraft was shot down by the Russians ignored ? Further, I thought the character played by Heino Ferch was called Lieut-Gen William H. Tunner not Turner as in the film.

I did not understand why no RAF planes were shown, no Canadian or Australian or South African pilots. I had not realised that the Airlift was simply a US effort and the French took part but the British had nothing to do with it - considering 50% British GDP in 1947 was Marshall Aid it was a sacrifice for British people to have bread rationed to feed Berlin. Short Sunderland flying boats carried salt since they did not corrode.

Just watched Part 2 and I wonder how a German doctor returning after years in a Soviet Gulag was so aware of the latest US drug Streptomycin first mentioned in a scientific paper 1944. It was also strange that distribution of the drug was handled by his schoolboy son - seemingly Berlin was a family business in 1948.

What is clear is that in trying to seize Germany Stalin precipitated The Cold War - cold in Berlin, hot in Korea.

There was a non-fraternisation policy - would a General really have breached it ?