Nissenhut Faßberg (1)

This part of the exhibition refers to the activities in and around Fassberg Airbase. Fassberg was the so called “coal base”. In total 539.113 tonnes of coal were flown into the blockade city of Berlin from Fassberg. At first, the Royal Airforce flew from Fassberg to Berlin, before the U.S. Airforce took over the Airbase in September 1948. From there on, it was the job of U.S. Airforce to fly coal and other supplies to Berlin. The Royal Airforce then deployed to Wunstorf. About 65 Skymaster Aircrafts were stationed at Fassberg. The last flight left the base on August 27, 1949. Up to 5,000 soldiers of the British Army and U.S. Air Force, and 5,000 German workers of the German Civil Labour Organisation (GCLO) were working on the base. The final parade commemorating the end of the Berlin Airlift on July 29, 1949 indicates the significance of Fassberg Airbase. In addition to that, the exhibition also gives credit to the U.S.-led Operation ‘Santa Claus’, in which American pilots flew Christmas presents for about 10,000 children from Fassberg to Berlin. Around all this, the.