A Glastonbury woman has helped bring her grandfather's wartime story to the public for the first time, after uncovering a long-forgotten interview he gave about the Berlin Airlift.

Kate Arscott, 42, was contacted earlier this year by the Legasee Educational Trust, a military history charity that had interviewed her grandfather Dick Arscott in 2013. The footage, which had sat in the charity's archive for over a decade, captured his vivid memories of flying RAF Dakota aircraft into West Berlin during the Soviet blockade in 1948 and 1949.

Dick died in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. With funeral restrictions in place, only close family were able to attend. Kate said the discovery of the interview had been both emotional and healing.

"It was hard not being able to say goodbye properly to someone we all loved so much," she said. "Hearing his story shared with the world has helped bring comfort. It feels like a way to truly honour him."

The podcast series, The Veterans' Voice: Berlin Airlift, uses original recordings of Dick and other veterans to tell the story of the Allied effort to keep West Berlin supplied after Soviet forces cut off access to the city. Over two million residents depended on food, fuel and medicine flown in under intense pressure and threat.

Dick, an RAF pilot at the time, spoke about flying in freezing conditions, facing Soviet harassment, and the sense of camaraderie among crews. Kate said she had never heard him talk about his service in such depth before.

"When I first saw the interview, it was like discovering a different side to the person I knew," she said. "He talked about the risks, the exhaustion, the pride they shared. It made me even prouder of who he was."

To his family, Dick was simply "Grandpa" – a kind man devoted to his wife Janet, five children, twelve grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Kate recalled stories he did share, including being reprimanded for flying a Meteor jet under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and borrowing aircraft to visit Janet on weekends.

The podcast was produced by Legasee with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. Legasee founder Martin Bisiker said it was vital to share these stories while they are still available.

"Dick was part of one of the greatest logistical efforts in modern history," he said. "By sharing their memories now, we're not just preserving history, we're showing the courage and humanity that defined these missions."

The podcast and accompanying archive of more than 700 veteran interviews are available through Legasee's website and all major podcast platforms.