The last airlift flight from "Wunstorf Air Base"

RAF Wunstorf was one of seven British airfields in West Germany. From here, Operation Plainfare initially began with 48 British Dakotas, 43 Avro Yorks, and 123 crews. However, just a few weeks after the start of the airlift, the distribution of tasks was restructured. Starting on 15 July 1948, only four-engine aircraft like the York and the Lancaster landed and took off from Wunstorf, and the airfield became the Allied hub for transporting food and fuel. The extent of the operations here was underscored by the number of individuals involved. The British contingent alone comprised more than 2000 personnel of diverse ranks. Additionally, there were more than 1.400 German support personnel ensuring the operations ran smoothly.

The success was demonstrated not only by the continuous and extensive expansion of the facilities but also by the enormous volumes of supplies transported to Gatow and Berlin from here. Despite all the success stories, there were also downsides. During the airlift period, ten people lost their lives at RAF Wunstorf.