Aircraft of the Berlin Airlift: the York and the Halifax

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 In June 1948 at the start of the Berlin Airlift, the RAF was roughly one-fifth the size of the USAF. Furthermore, its fleet was far more diverse than the USAF one. Britain did not have the luxury of a homogeneous fleet -- but it quickly made a virtue out of necessity by exploiting the diversity of its fleet to meet special needs.

 

In addition to the Dakotas, the RAF deployed their entire fleet of Avro Yorks and committed several Sunderland flying boats to the Airlift. The British civilian component deployed a total of nine different aircraft types. These were the Dakota, Halifax/Halton, Tudor, Lancastrian, Lincoln, Bristol Freighter, Bristol Wayfarer, Liberator and Viking. The last five aircraft types were used only in ones and two, the Lancastrians and Tudors were primarily tankers and the Sunderland flying boat is in a class by itself, so this post will focus on the Yorks and Halifaxes that together carried most of the dry freight handled by the British.

The York: The York was conceived of as a civilian transport plane from its inception, although design development started in the midst of war, in 1940. The first prototype flew in June 1942 and immediately impressed the RAF. Further prototypes were developed to test various modifications, and production started in 1943, albeit at very low levels due to wartime demands for Lancasters which dominated Avro's production facilities. With the establishment of RAF Transport Command, however, the demand for transport aircraft took off and the RAF placed orders for a total of 300 Yorks of which 258 were built. Some of these were diverted to BOAC even during the war, leaving the RAF with a total of 208 Yorks most of which were produced in 1944. (Below a BOAC York)

 
Notably, all the original prototypes were converted and furnished as a VIP transport for such personages as the king and the prime minister. Originally, the passenger accommodations (but not the crew space) was to be pressurized to avoid the need for oxygen, but this innovation was never actually installed. Still, the the VIP carrier had a conference table, a telephone, a bar and was designed to allow smoking -- something strictly prohibited for RAF crews. In addition to serving Churchill as his personal carrier, York prototypes became the personal aircraft of the Governor General of Australia, and served the Viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten. The fourth prototype crashed in the Alps carrying Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory to his new post as C-in-C Allied Air Operations in the Pacific on 14 November 1944.

Although the York shared many design elements with the Avro Lancaster, it had a distinctly different appearance. It had raised wings to maximize space in the fuselage. The body was square rather than round for better stowage. It had three, instead of two, tail fins,  and, of course, no turrents or bomb aimer's bubble in the nose. It could carry 10 tens -- more than three times the cargo capacity of the Dakota -- or 60 passengers. It had a range of 3,000 miles and a maximum speed of just under 300 mph. It was capable of carrying small vehicles, something facilitated by its low-to-the-ground loading door.

At the start of the Berlin Blockade, RAF Transport Command had seven York squadrons, all of which contributed to the Airlift. The first Yorks deployed just four days after the start of the Airlift on 1 July 1948. Altogether RAF Yorks flew 58,000 Airlift sorties delivering roughly 2.3 million tons of supplies or carrying roughly 50% of Britain's overall contribution. 
 
Because the Yorks had been designed for long flights, the frequent take-offs and landings associated with work on the Airlift combined with the higher cargo loads resulted in exceptional wear-and-tear on the aircraft. In consequence, component parts, particularly landing gear and breaks, broke down and required replacement at an exceptional rate. Accidents averaged once a month, mostly on the ground. Only one RAF and one civilian York crash resulted in the loss of life.  Below, Yorks at Gatow during the Airlift
 

 

The Hadley Page Halifax/Halton unlike the York was not designed as a freighter but derived from the famous Halifax bomber of WWII. This four-engine, heavy bomber went into service with the RAF in 1940. The early versions of the Halifax revealed significant design weaknesses that caused the aircraft to experience higher casualty rates than the rival Lancaster. This made them unpopular with crews and led "Bomber" Harris to complain about them bitterly. However, by 1943 with the introduction of the Mark III powered by Bristol Hercules engines,  the Halifax had become an outstanding heavy bomber, fully equal (and in some respects superior) to the Lancaster. The crews and Harris changed their opinion of them as well. In addition to bombing, the Halifax laid mines, conducted reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare with Coastal Command and towed gliders. In total, eight different versions were developed in the course of the war, the Mark VIII being an unarmed transport aircraft intended for carrying paratroops or four tons of equipment/cargo in panniers loaded into the bomb bay. By the end of the war when production stopped a total of 6,178 had been built and 1,833 had been lost. Below a Halifax bomber:

As bomber squadrons were demobilized, the surplus Halifax were transferred to Transport command, which modified the former bombers to carry freight in panniers as in the Mark VIII. Some were sold off to BOAC that converted them into luxury passenger liners for long distance flights, using the designation "Halton" (probably to reassure passengers that they weren't going to be treated like RAF aircrew to great discomfort while flying!) Below a Halifax freighter.

 


At the start of the Berlin Airlift, although RAF Transport Command still had many Halifax in service, those that flew on the Airlift were all operated by civilian contractors. They could purchase the surplus Halifaxes from the RAF's depot at Hawarden, Cheshire for as little as GBP 200, and some had as little as 12 hours flying time! A total of 41 Halifax flew on the Airlift, making 4,653 sorties with freight and 3,509 with liquid fuel.  Nine Halifax were lost during the course of the Airlift. 

The Berlin Airlift is the subject of Bridge to Tomorrow, a trilogy of novels starting with Cold Peace and followed by Cold War and Cold Victory.


Standing up to dictators isn’t easy — but sometimes it’s necessary.

Berlin 1948. The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry. Next on the menu is Berlin. Here war heroes and war’s victims are struggling to come to terms with a world where unemployment is widespread and the wartime Allies are at each other’s throats. When a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, and the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The defenders of freedom must work together to save Berlin from Soviet tyranny. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series.

Cold Peace is the winner of WINNER of an Independent Press Award 2025 in the category: Political Thriller, Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 from the Historical Fiction Company,  GOLD (1st Place) in the category Historical Fiction from the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2024, GOLD (1st Place) in the category Wartime Fiction from the Historical Fiction Company Book Awards 2023, SILVER (2nd Place) in the category Political Thriller from Readers' Favorites Book Awards 2023, a MAINCREST MEDIA Award and a BRAG Medallion. 

Buy Now!

Stopping Russian Aggression with milk, coal and candy bars….

Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians must be supplied by air or surrender to Stalin’s oppression.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing. 

WINNER OF BRONZE for 20th Century Historical Fiction from the Global Book Awards 2024 

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You know you’re winning when the enemy turns to dirty tricks ….

With the Airlift gaining momentum, the Russians turn to more devious tactics to thwart the forces of democracy. Key players — or their loved ones — are targeted in unscrupulous attacks. Simultaneously, the policy of “collective guilt” has been replaced by “collective amnesty,” enabling former Nazis to worm their way back into positions of power. Yet throughout this dangerous dance with the henchmen of dictators, women are steadily rebuilding Berlin and Germany.

Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader takes the reader away from the limelight and into the shadow side of the Berlin Airlift to explore the social, psychological and long-term impact of this seminal event.

Based on historical events, Cold Victory reminds readers that standing up to tyrants isn’t easy — but sometimes it is necessary.

Buy Now!

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