1948 – Responding to increasing Soviet pressure on western Berlin, U.S. and British planes airlift a record amount of supplies into sections of the city under American and British control.
The massive resupply effort, carried out in weather so bad that some pilots referred to it as “Black Friday,” signaled that the British and Americans would not let the Soviet blockade of western Berlin work. On this day terrible weather, crowded airspace, and exhausted aircrews added to the difficulty of the mission. Nevertheless, over 700 British and American planes landed in western Berlin, bringing in nearly 5,000 tons of supplies. Although it would be surpassed latter, this was the highest tonnage of supplies landed to date. The success of the airlift demonstrated to the world that the United States and Britain were heroes and the Soviet Union was cruel in their treatment of the people of Berlin.
Rochester’s own Mary Clark, the first female Army Major General was assigned to the Berlin Brigade during this time. Stop by the Society and see our display of her artifacts.