ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Dakotas that carried the first heroes of D-Day to fly again for momentous 75th anniversary celebrations
THE Dakotas that carried the first heroes of D-Day to France are set to fly again to mark the 75th anniversary of the monumental invasion.
More than 30 vintage Douglas DC-3 and C-47 Skytrains - known as Dakotas - will take to the skies once more tomorrow and soar across the English Channel in formation.
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About 250 parachutists, in full Allied uniforms, will be dropped into Sannerville, near Caen, where thousands of British paratroopers landed under cover of darkness in June 6, 1944.
The 24,000 soldiers that touched down 75 years ago paved the way for the largest seaborne invasion in history and the heroic efforts to liberate German-occupied France, and Europe, from the Nazi grip.
The enormous operation involving almost 160,000 troops kick-started the Allied victory on the Western Front, which led to the end of World War II.
It is that which is being commemorated by various events throughout the country and the world this week.
Two D-Day veterans -Harry Read, 95, and John Hutton, 94 - will make tandem jumps from Dakotas tomorrow.
Great-great-grandfather Mr Read said the forthcoming descent - after which he will visit fallen comrades in cemeteries - will be tinged with sadness.
Former Royal Signaller Harry, of Bournemouth, said: “In my heart I’ll be thinking of my mates.
"I have lived one of the most fulfilled lives that it's possible for a person to live and they haven't."
Read more from D-Day veterans who remember the invasion:
- Veterans share their heartbreaking tales from the D-Day Landings
- D-Day veteran remembers being told: ‘You’re the assault wave, you won’t be coming back’
- D-Day veteran remembers not caring about the German loss of life but how seeing the horses being killed really stuck with him
HISTORY OF THE DAKOTAS
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, or Dakota, is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner.
It was used heavily by the Allies during World War II and is still key for front-line service.
A newly-added cargo door meant it was hugely useful for tranporting troops, cargo and the wounded.
These planes were instrumental in carrying thousands of paratroopers over enemy lines in France as the D-Day landings began on June 6, 1944.
The Royal Air Force has dubbed this plane "one of the most successful aircraft designs in history".
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The popular TV series Band of Brothers featured a US unit who were dropped into France from Dakotas.
The 439th Troop Carrier Group carried members of the 506th PIR into Normandy, the story of which was retold in a powerful episode of the miniseries.
Taking off from Duxford airfield, near Cambridge, the sky will be full of planes that have come from all over Europe, Canada, the US and Australia, to be part of the poignant tribute.
The impressive and emotional display is set to be the largest gathering of Dakotas since World War II.
It will mimic the Operation Neptune landings that took place more than seven decades ago and allowed the success of soldiers attempting to take back France by sea.
The thousands of paratroopers that landed on enemy targets in Normandy in 1944 protected the men on the beaches from German counter-attacks.
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And within five days 326,547 troops and 104,428 tons of supplies had managed to land on the beaches.
The landings were followed by the 76-day Battle of Normandy, with a total of 210,000 Allied casualties including American, British and Canadian.
Allied forces consisted primarily of American, British and Canadian troops but also included Australian, Belgian, Czech, Dutch, French, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian and Polish naval, air or ground support.
D-DAY EVENTS IN ENGLAND
TODAY
10am-onwards, Duxford Airfield, Cambs: Number of aircraft on display. Take-off for the Dakota Formation Flight at 10.30am. The Dakota Formation Demo will be followed by a parachute jump freefall team, involving 11 aircraft and roughly 220 paratroopers from around the world.
Noon-2pm, Poole, Dorset: The Royal British Legion ship MV Boudicca carrying D-Day veterans to Normandy will be in the harbour while Royal Marines demonstrate modern landing craft and assault weapons.
TOMORROW
8am, Portsmouth Port: Royal British Legion MV Boudicca ship arrives.
11am, Southsea Common, Ports-mouth: National Commemorative Event attended by the Queen, Prince Charles, President Trump, President Macron and Chancellor Merkel.
The programme will include actor David Haig as Churchill plus Sheridan Smith performing music from the time. Actress Celia Imrie and Broadchurch’s Jonathan Bailey will also star. The Queen will thank the veterans on behalf of the 15 Allied nations.
1pm, Southsea Common, Ports-mouth: Flypast of 25 current and historic aircraft, including the Red Arrows, two Typhoons, a Spitfire and a Hurricane.
1.40pm-2.05pm: Formation Flight of Dakotas assembled from all over the globe will take off from Duxford airfield and head over Essex towards Eastbourne. They are expected to fly over Colchester at 2.21pm and reach Southend at 2.29pm.
They will then fly past Maidstone in Kent at 2.37pm, reaching Eastbourne at 2.50pm.
The aircraft will then continue to Le Havre in France and to the historic UK Drop Zone at Sannerville, Normandy.
4pm, Southsea Common Ports-mouth: Second Red Arrows display.
6.25pm, Portsmouth Port: Royal British Legion ship MV Boudicca to depart.
7pm-8pm: Royal Navy ships will sail past the veterans on board MV Boudicca, see below. This is not expected to be visible from land but will be broadcast on TV.
THURSDAY
10.15am, The National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs: Prince William will attend a special D-Day Remembrance Service.
SATURDAY
9.15am, Portsmouth Port: Royal British Legion ship returns.
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D-Day veteran Harry Read SKYDIVES aged 94 more than 74 years since he last parachuted during invasion of Europe
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