Daks - A Year On, Part One
A year on from the incredible journey that so many undertook to be involved in it, we reflect on the significance, the scale, and the sacrifice that the D-Day75 events represented for so many.
One of the biggest events of 2019, the commemorations of the 75th Anniversary of Operation Overlord, or D-Day as it was known, will live long in the memory of those who were lucky enough to witness, or indeed, take part in the Daks Over Normandy events. Bringing together Aircraft and crews from across the globe, as well as parachute jump teams, veterans, and large crowds of enthusiasts to Duxford and Caen Carpiquet Airport, the week long commemorations were a memorable experience for all. During Operation Overlord, 150,000+ soldiers, airmen and Naval crews (American, Australia, Belgian, British, Canadian, Czech, Dutch, French, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian and Polish), plus hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment, from guns, to land vehicles, ships, gliders, landing craft and indeed, perhaps the most recognisable sight of D-Day; the Douglas C-47 Skytrains, stormed Normandy airspace and beaches, Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. 76 years later, the C-47s are the most iconic symbol from that moment in history, and now represent the soldiers who lost their lives to free a occupied Europe - and this summed up the Daks Over Normandy ethos, and why so many wanted to be part of it, or just see the aircraft at these special events.
A year on from the incredible journey that so many undertook to be involved in it, we reflect on the significance, the scale, and the sacrifice that the D-Day75 events represented for so many. With looks back at the events at Duxford, Shuttleworth and Beachy Head in this unique perspective from the ground and the air - Air Displays UK team Matt Silvaire and Martin Stitchener, along with Andy Maag from the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing, and Andy O'Dell who was part of the ground crew team at Duxford, recall our respective memories from the series of historic event in this special two-part special feature.
The total 23 aircraft had made the journey from both Europe and America to be part of this occasion, an occasion which is unlikely to ever occur again on such a scale as this. One of the big draws were some of the famous and historical airframes due to be part of this event, including C-47A N88874 “That's All, Brother” - owned and flown by the Commemorate Air Force Central Texas Wing. This relatively recent restoration was one of the big highlights of the aircraft activities during the event. "That's All, Brother" was the lead Aircraft in Operation Overlord in 1944, flying at the front of the formation as the Allies launched into Normandy from Air and Sea - to see possibly the most famous C-47 airframe in the flesh was an absolute treat for all. The endeavour that was undertaken to get this airframe airworthy again was a big one though; Andy Maag, crew-member on “That’s All, Brother”, from the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing explains where the journey begun, and the work involved to bring her back to Europe:
“The team at Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh, WI did a marvellous job on the restoration. It took the restoration team at Basler nearly three years to get the plane to an airworthy state. L3 Technologies in Waco, TX repainted the airplane in her D-Day livery, and a team of volunteers led by Jim Dagg in Tulsa, OK completed the historical interior restoration. All told, it took over 30,000 person-hours to restore the plane (from the scrapyard) to what is seen now. Along the way, there were many challenges. Early on, finding the balance between historical accuracy and modern realities took quite a bit of back-and-forth.”
Before the events in the UK and beyond took place, many thousands watched social media as the aircraft and crews were prepared to begin their flights from their respective homes on both sides of the Atlantic. Starting in Texas, where the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing were preparing to begin their historic journey across to the United Kingdom, the crew were to set off from their base, join up with 14 other aircraft from across the United States, before beginning the crossing to Europe – this route including a memorable overfly of New York, before commencing towards Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and then heading for Scotland. Andy Maag explains what it was like to fly in infamous “That’s All, Brother” across the Atlantic to Europe:
“We were very fortunate to be crossing the Atlantic with 15 DC-3 variants as part of the D-Day Squadron. Nobody on our flight crew in "That's All, Brother" had ever flown a piston-powered airplane over the Atlantic. Some of the other D-Day Squadron members, including Eric Zipkin from "Placid Lassie", had flown over for the 70th anniversary, and we were grateful for all of their advice. The crossing itself went quite smoothly for us, and we were extremely fortunate with weather, which is the big wild card while flying the Blue Spruce routes. The airplanes planning to leave the day after we departed from Goose Bay had to deal with much more difficult weather conditions, including high winds in Narsarsuaq, Greenland. Being able to participate in the Atlantic crossing and then return to Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day is one of the most memorable things all of us crew members have done. The stark beauty of Greenland, the wonderful country of Iceland, and miles and miles of ocean stand out on the crossing.”
As the waves of aircraft crossed the Atlantic (watched extremely closely on Flightradar24!), the hallowed grounds of Duxford became ever busier with crews, visitors, as well as the obvious increased air activity. From the ground at Duxford, the atmosphere was a snowball effect of excitement as the aircraft would complete their respective journeys to the UK. Those of us at home waiting for the June 4th and 5th dates we could venture into Duxford watched with baited breath as the social media feeds from across the world went live day after day as the various crews recorded their travels towards the ultimate goal of Normandy. Working as ground crew at Duxford for the Daks Over Normandy, Andy O’Dell recalls what it was like during the build-up:
“Working during Daks was quiet the surreal experience because for the week they were on the airfield, it became almost like a mini America watching each day (as) a different C-47/DC-3/C-53 turned up from the USA, or (later) Europe. The days leading up to the event were busy, as everyone wanted to come and see the Daks having their scheduled maintenance, before disappearing off to Old Warden or down to the South Coast. I will always remember crewing a Spitfire on the day they went off for their photo shoot, Duxford came to a standstill.”
Whilst the official public events weren't to begin for a couple more days, on the Friday prior there was an air-to-air photo shoot with the American contingent (the now well-known D-Day Squadron), which saw the aircraft journey from Duxford to the South Coast, at Beachy Head in East Sussex; Air Display UK’s Matt Silvaire recalls seeing the aircraft overhead:
“Being a local to the area meant I got the incredibly special treat of seeing these Aircraft in formation over my house very low. Sitting outside and hearing the rumble of the radials over the sea was a thrilling moment, and one which, along with much of the events to come, was something which would stick in my mind. Occasionally they'd fly directly over my house, the shimmer of the sun catching the bare metal of “Miss Montana”, flanked by a further two airframes, whilst in the distance another trio would arrive in the most stately manner for their moment under the photographer's eye. Like a well-oiled machine, the groups of Daks arrived, were snapped, and departed from a sunny south coast England. Within the hour, the crews were finished, the photographers had their snaps, and it went quiet once again. Magic. Being an avid “Avgeek”, you live for the small moments that the truly unexpected happens like this, that have you feeling like a kid at Christmas!”
For the general public in the UK, the first moment to get up close to the aircraft occurred on Sunday June 2nd at Shuttleworth, when thousands of enthusiasts descended on the small Bedfordshire airfield to witness seven of the transatlantic visitors land at Old Warden to be part of the airshow being held there prior to the main event at Duxford. The American contingent (“Placcid Lassie”, “Flabob Express”, “Pan Am Airways”, “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber”, N8336C, “Rendezvous With Destiny” and “That’s All, Brother”) made the short hop from Duxford to Old Warden, before allowing the public access to the beautifully restored and kept airframes. The addition of these aircraft was a rather late addition and caused quite the stir, with everyone vying to see these rarities up close.
This was a historic moment for Old Warden too as there had never been so many C-47s/DC-3s land at Old Warden before, and only a month earlier had the first attempted it during the Season Premiere Show in May - the fact these were all very rare UK visitors as well made this moment a coup for the show and airfield.
Meanwhile at Duxford, more of these wonderful aircraft continued to arrive following their lengthy travels across Europe, the flow of aircraft continued for several days prior to the Daks event beginning, with some taking in other airports around the United Kingdom like Prestwick, Coventry and Shoreham. Duxford was prepared for the arrival of visitors from not only the United States, but the UK based C-47 (C-47 Mayfly), as well as Aircraft from France (DC-3 "Chalair"), Hungary (Lisunov Li-2 "Karman Todor"), Sweden (DC-3 "Daisy"), Switzerland (C-47 "Rendevous With Destiny" and DC-3 N431HM), Norway (C-53 "LN-WND"), Denmark (C-47 "Gamie Dame"), and Finland (DC-3 OH-LCD). Whilst not all the billed aircraft partook, the staggering 23 airframes filled up Duxford nicely.
“It was a hive of activity on the airside, with the Harvards arriving as well, making a plethora of Radials! While waiting for each one to arrive we tracked them down the country on Flightradar24.” – Andy O’Dell.
As the American aircraft departed back to their temporary base at Duxford from Shuttleworth, and the European participants arrived, the main event was looming large, and for many, it was becoming a serious contender for being highlight of the year – from the social media coverage, to the mainstream media coverage, it was everywhere. As the first of the two-day events at Duxford began, Air Displays UK, like many thousands of others arrived to soak in the event.
“The moment I went beyond the gates, and entered Duxford, the airfield opens up as anyone who has been to Duxford will know, and this normally vast airfield was littered with Daks. Their distinctive shapes, every single one different, but equally as impressive. The most obvious were the five airframes parked on the apron close to the Air and Space hangar. I was there to review the event, but really, this was the most exciting show all year. It was an event which felt truly international, and not just because of where all these aircraft had come from, but because people had bought a ticket and come from the farthest corners of the globe to see this once-in-a-lifetime commemoration.” - Matt Silvaire.
Elsewhere on the flightline, for those with deeper pockets, they could fly alongside some of the aircraft in the back of T-6 Texans, taking photos or just experiencing this unique spectacle from the air. Flying in formations for training or photo opportunities, some of the Daks took off followed by a number of the smaller T-6’s to catch them up. Whilst not something many of us were able to do, we were allowed onto the apron to get up close to the five parked up aircraft, which, in a diversion from a typical airshow flight line walk, allowed access inside the aircraft as well. Unsurprisingly there were long queues, and a bustle of activity around all of the aircraft, and indeed, the crews! Being able to go inside the aircraft though was a special moment, as each one carried a unique history. Unfortunately for us all, the weather didn’t play ball on either day, and intermittent rainfall did put a literal dampener on some of the aspects of the show.
“The actual days of the show, we were busy loading the T-6 (Texans) so they could go and catch the formations out doing training, (and) get their photos. With some fairly nasty weather, there was also a bit of downtime while the showers passed through.” – Andy O’Dell.
“Whilst the event had promised a lot of prospects, there was an absence of a real schedule. This was mostly around when things would fly, what would fly, and the formations, jumps and what would we see to fill out the day – besides the rain. There were some fantastic formation flights, as well as the aforementioned photo flights, including some actual aerial displays from warbirds based in the UK (P-51s, Spitfires, P-47, Wildcat, Auster’s etc.). Besides this, there was the museum itself, as well as all the facilities which Duxford boasts – something which was extremely popular given the downpours – even with the visiting crews! The day was at times a little slow, but really, the event itself carried an air of something bigger than just flying displays, than aircraft or the people – it was a true historic moment.” – Matt Silvaire.
The day showcased some flying displays from Ace’s High C-47 "Mayfly", which was the only UK participant at Duxford, following the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight dodging the show and the bad weather, and heading straight for France. “That’s All, Brother” and “Placcid Lassie” joined “Mayfly” for a formation display later in the day and following that some UK based warbirds got airborne for some special displays. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt “NellieB”, with a couple of North American P-51D Mustang’s “The Shark” and “Miss Helen”, as well as the Fighter Collection’s Grumman FM-2 Wildcat were particular highlights in a new formation for a UK air display. Rain did curtail some solo displays from this quartet; however the second day did see more action from the warbirds, and more participants, plus the mass launch!
“Duxford (was) an exceptional venue - if only the weather would have cooperated! Everywhere along our journey, we were struck by the number of people who shared our desire to connect with history and give thanks to those who fought on the side of freedom 76 years ago.” – Andy Maag.
Stay Tuned for Part Two with looks back at Day Two, the Launch and the departure over Beachy Head.
