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RAAF hand painted souvenir plate from the Berlin Airlift

dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
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Presented to Warrant Officer Henry 'Larry' Blackman by members of the Australian detachment to the Berlin Airlift. Blackman joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 13 December 1937. After the Second World War, Blackman, a member of 86 Transport Wing Detachment, co-piloted Dakota aircraft as part of 'Operation Plainfare' in the airlift. The detachment participated from September 1948 to August 1949 and flew over 6000 hours, transporting 7264 tons of supplies and 8000 passengers. Blackman left Germany earlier then the rest of the Detachment as he was one of nine crew required to deliver Bristol freighter aircraft to Australia. He later served in Malaya and was discharged from the RAAF on 17 September 1951. He became a commercial airline pilot with Trans Australia Airlines and Air Niugini. He died in 1981. The signatures on the back of the plate are members of 84 Transport Wing Detachment.
 
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