The Taxi Charity recently escorted a group of nonagenarian RAF veterans to Berlin for the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Berlin Airlift.
The veterans arrived in Berlin on 10 May and were met at the airport by four London taxis, to take them to a reception at the British Embassy, hosted by UK Air Attaché, Group Captain Mark Heffron.
The following day, the taxis took the veterans to visit the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, followed by a reception at the Allied Museum hosted by the German Defence Minister, Dr Ursula von der Leyen.
On 12 May, the veterans attended a commemoration service at the Airlift Memorial at Tempelhof, followed by a reception with the Mayor of Berlin and other VIP guests from the six nations who supported the Berlin Airlift.
The Taxi Charity would like to thank the RAF Benevolent Fund for the grant of £5,000 to help towards the cost of the trip.
About the Berlin Airlift
In 1948, Stalin ordered highways, railroads, and canals with access to Berlin from the west to be closed. He believed the Western powers would give up and abandon Berlin to Soviet control.
Instead, Britain, the United States and France, supported by other nations, began airlifting supplies into the beleaguered section of Berlin.
Known as the "Berlin Airlift" more than 2.3 million tonnes of goods were dropped to supply West Berlin.