Berlin 1949 color - Berlin Airlift pilot filming - Luftbrücke - Airports - Wiesbaden

Private Filmaufnahmen aus West-Berlin aus dem Jahr 1949, gedreht von dem Piloten Capt. John Gill. / Private film footage from West Berlin from 1949, shot by the pilot Capt. John Gill. (english description below)

Der Kameramann gehörte zu einer Gruppe von zivilen Piloten und zivilen Airlines der US Luftfahrt, die als zivile Verteidigungsreserve auch bei der Berliner Luftbrücke eingesetzt wurden. So flogen Gill und seine Kollegen zwischen Sommer 1948 und Frühjahr 1949 ca 2.500 Missionen nach Berlin. Gill kaufte sich eine 16mm Bolex Kamera zu kaufen. Seine Aufnahmen sind nicht perfekt, oft etwas unscharf, doch er hinterlässt er uns eine Viefzahl an einmaligen Aufnahmen. Fahrten in die von Trümmern bestimmte Stadt, vorbei an Funkturm, Fahrt bis Siegessäule, Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor, Sowjet. Ehrenmal, Gedächtniskirche, OlympiaStadion, Unterbringung in Villa am Wannsee.

Die Original Filmrolle mit 16fps wurde nach der Digitalisierung mit digitalen Werkzeugen restauriert und in der Geschwindigkeit angeglichen.

Dazu Szenen von den Flughäfen Gatow, Tegel und Tempelhof, Starts, Landungen, Bildern vom Flugfeld, Beladen, Kabine, Flugpläne, Tempelhof, Abflug nach Wiesbaden, einer der Drehscheiben der Luftbrücke im Westen Deutschlands. Aufnahmen aus der Stadt Wiesbaden. Frankfurt Airport, Abflug Kevlavik/Island.

Capt. John Francis Gill, US Luftfahrtpionier, Pilot mit der frühen US-Flugscheinnr. 217., Postflieger, Transportflieger und Experte für Flugsicherheit, geboren 1901, Alabama, bis 1964 für die Eastern Airlines als Chief Pilot im Dienst.

Private film footage from West Berlin from 1949, shot by the pilot Capt. John Gill. The cameraman belonged to a group of civilian pilots and civilian airlines from US aviation who were also deployed as a civil defense reserve during the Berlin Airlift. Between summer 1948 and spring 1949, Gill and his colleagues flew around 2,500 missions to Berlin. Gill bought a 16mm Bolex camera. His shots aren't perfect, often a bit blurry, but he leaves us a number of unique recordings. Journeys into the city marked by rubble, past a radio tower, journey to the Victory Column, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Soviet. Cenotaph, Memorial Church, Olympic Stadium, accommodation in the villa at Lake Wannsee.

The original film was shot in 16fps. After the film had been scanned, the footage had been restored with digital tools and speed corrected.

There are also scenes from Gatow, Tegel and Tempelhof airports, take-offs, landings, pictures of the airfield, loading, cabin, flight plans, Tempelhof, departure to Wiesbaden, one of the airlift hubs in western Germany. Photos from the city of Wiesbaden. Frankfurt Airport, departure Kevlavik/Island

Capt. John Francis Gill, US aviation pioneer, pilot with early US license number. 217th, mail pilot, transport pilot and aviation safety expert, born in 1901, Alabama, served as chief pilot for Eastern Airlines until 1964.

Here is another source on the participation of civil aviation during Berlin Airlift. /Hier noch eine Quelle zur Beteiligung der zivilen Luftfahrt an der Berliner Luftbrücke

(...)
The British and Americans responded on June 26, with an airlift designed to overcome the blockade. Under orders from Gen. Lucius D. Clay, the American commander in Germany, the Air Force in Europe organized its fleet of C–47s into a make-shift airlift to resupply the American troops stationed in the city. When it became clear that the operation would have to be expanded to include necessary food, medicine, fuel, and clothing for all 2,250,000 West Berliners, Maj. Gen. William H. Tunner, an airlift expert, was sent from Washington, where he had been deputy commander of MATS, to head the multinational Combined Airlift Task Force called "Operation Vittles." ... By the end of the operation in October 1949, the task force had flown 279,114 sorties and had carried 2,324,257 tons of cargo to the beleaguered city. Still the U.S. civilian air transport industry did play a role in supporting the airlift. Just three days after the airlift had begun, civilian carriers were called upon to lift spare engines and parts from the United States to Frankfurt, Germany, where they were needed to keep the military airlift aircraft flying. At least three U.S. airlines also made flights along the American air corridor into Berlin. American Overseas Airlines, which wasthen operating several scheduled flights daily to Berlin, actually increased the pace of its operations, flying a total of 2,186 missions to Berlin from June 1948 through May 1949, and 61carrying over 7,250 tons of cargo and more than 29,000 passengers. Also, in September and October 1948, Seaboard and Western made a number of flights into Berlin—a hundred or more it would seem—under contract to American Overseas Airlines. In all, the airline flights into Berlin may have numbered close to 2,500.

[MarkESBuckmaster]

My father was a navigator with the RAF and participated in the Berlin Airlift in 1949. If you scroll to 10:11 minutes, you will see a plane with the number TG 530 and another with the number TG 531. My father was the navigator in both planes. TG 531 on 13th May, 14th May and 20th May 1949 and TG 530 on 23rd May 1949. The planes are Handley Page Hastings. If you get a chance to visit The Imperial War Museum at Duxford in England, you will find TG 528, which my father was the navigator on and flew to Tegel on 10th May 1949.

[MrJimgillnm]

Hermann is a WIZARD !
I had this Old 16mm footage that my Dad (John F. Gill) (RIP) shot in Germany. My Dad was a Pilot for EASTERN AIRLINES and flew in the Berlin Airlift :)
Hermann at FILMSCHATZARCHIV found my listing on ebay. This Old Kodachrome footage was about to combust !
From almost gone to This ! :)
Well Done Sir !
I am so thankful that this footage is in Good Hands.
Sincerely,
Jim Gill
Santa Fe / Taos, New Mexico USA

[geodes]

I went to Berlin in 1972 as part of my West Point training. I worked out of McNair Barracks which was in the Zahlendorf section of Berlin. It was a bustling city but if you knew what you were looking for you could still see many remnants of the WWII bombing and fighting. The city was divided then and sections of the original wall which was made of building fronts with bricked off windows were still parts of the wall. Was able to spend a whole day over in East Berlin going through Checkpoint Charlie. Also toured Freedom Bridge and Spandau Prison where Rudolph Hess was still being held. Was an unforgettable experience for a 21 year old!

[cmartin_ok]

As someone born after the war who's recently visited Berlin a few times, this is incredible and a fantastic historical record

[emausderratsuchende]

Tolle die Qualität ist beeindruckend...man spürt geradezu die Aufbruchstimmung trotz aller
Die DM gab es gerade mal ein Jahr und der Regierende Bürgermeister Ernst Reuter hielt auf dem Tempelhof seine berühmte Rede " Völker dieser Erde, schaut auf diese Stadt...."😊

[roconnor]

Great film. My uncle flew much-needed supplies into Tempelhof in a C-47, in 1948.

[brianmarak]

The footage is truly amazing. Absolutely historical.

[volkerleiste]

Kodachrome in 16mm und die Bolex war immer eine gute Kombination!
Danke für die Aufnahmen, die in einem wundervollen Zustand sind

[dr.fumanshu]

Toller Film. Da wurde alles in die Luft gebracht was Flügel hatte. Die Briten zB. setzten auch Short Sunderland Flugboote ein, die sind dann glaube ich auf dem Wannsee gelandet.

[kimloklokop]

Really interesting footage! Love the jazzy tunes too! Nice job.😊

[peterrollinson-lorimer]

Very unique and interesting look into that time and place. Enjoyed the music choise in particular, most appropriate.

[dfirth]

Very nice. One of the few color films of this time.

[JusticeSR]

South African pilots (South African Air Force - SAAF) also participated in the airlift

[МаратОразбаев-шт]

Вроде 49 год а дороги лучше чем сейчас у нас

[airstation]

He got a pretty good shot of the operations board with the information for the radio operators logbook to include the Splash or Bacons direction, finding control units and the frequencies talk to them on as well as the transmit and receive frequencies for the control towers

[RobertoLopez-zrdk]

Good footage. A good historical record of the time. It's interesting to note that USAF airmen are still seen wearing US ARMY AIR FORCES uniforms 2 years after the USAF inception (18-09-1947).

[josemariaparedesgalindo]

Magnífico documental de la época....acompañado de una gran musica..😊

[renesagahon]

Great film footage … I shouldn’t be surprised four years after the war there was still significant bomb damage not yet repaired

[Mark-yypy]

Spent some time in Tempelhof Central Airport (TCA) back in the 1980s. Great place to be assigned! Was last there in 1988, one year before the wall came crashing down.

[franciscodelbarrio]

la bella Berlin quedo destruida y nunca mas volverá su esplendor 😢