Erinnerungsstätte Luftbrücke Berlin

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Im Alter von 83 Jahren verstarb vor kurzem der 1. Vorsitzende der British Berlin Airlift Association, Squadron Leader (ret.) (Major außer Dienst) Frank Stillwell.

Foto: Hicks

Foto: Hicks

Frank Stillwell bei seiner Rede zum 55-jährigen Ende der Luftbrücke am Faßberger Gedenkstein am 27. August 2004


In Anerkennung und Würdigung seiner Verdienste um die Luftbrücke Berlin in den Jahren 1948 / 1949 bedanken sich die Technische Schule der Luftwaffe 3 und der Förderverein für die Erinnerungsstätte Luftbrücke Berlin e.V. bei Frank Stillwell für sein uneigennütziges und vorbildliches Engagement.

Frank Stillwell war als Navigator des Transport Kommandos der Royal Airforce aktiv an der Luftbrücke Berlin beteiligt und hat mit unterschiedlichen Geschwadern insbesondere von Faßberg aus die eingeschlossene Bevölkerung im blockierten Berlin mit seinen Versorgungsflügen unterstützt.

Sein damaliges Flugzeug, eine Dakota DC-3 mit der Kennung KN442, fliegt noch heute als Nostalgie-Rosinenbomber bei Air-Service-Berlin und lässt erahnen, unter welchen schwierigen Bedingungen die Piloten die Hilfsflüge durchführen mussten.



englische Übersetzung:

FRANK STILLWELL

On January 1st 2008 the Chairman of the British Berlin Airlift Association, Squandron Leader (retired) Frank Stillwell passed away. At the time of his death Frank Stillwell was 83 years old.
Frank joined the Royal Air Force in the latter stages of the 1939/45 War and eventually qualified as a Navigator after training in the Isle-of-Man and Canada.
He joined RAF Transport Command flying supplies to British Bases in Europe, the Middle and Far East.
At the time when the Berlin Airlift started he was based at RAF Oakington, near Cambridge with No 30 Squadron flying Douglas Dakota aircraft. However, the Squadron was on a training schedule in Northern Germany with a British Airborne Parachute Brigade when news of the Airlift came through.
The Squadron was moved at short notice to RAF Wunstorf near Hannover to join with Nos 53 and 77 Squadrons, who were already there and they immediately started flying supplies into RAF Gatow in Berlin.
On the 29th July 1948 the Dakota Squadrons were moved to RAF Fassberg, where once again they started flying supplies to Berlin. They continued flying into Berlin from Fassberg until the American Air Force with their Douglas C54 Skymasters arrived.
The British Dakota Squadrons then moved to Lübeck on the 21st August 1948 where they continued flying into Berlin until the end of the Airlift.
Frank was with 30 Squadron all the time, but one interesting item about him is that a Dakota he flew with many times on the Berlin Airlift is still flying in Berlin. In its RAF days it was designated KN442, but today it flies on pleasure trips around Berlin from Tempelhof Airport with Air-Service Berlin and is known as the ‘Rosinenbomber’.
Frank also was one of the first British aircrew to fly into the newly built Tegel Airport in when it opened in November 1948.
Frank presented to the Airlift Museum in Fassberg a few years ago copies of his flying log-book of his time on the Berlin Airlift. You may find some useful information in there.