Lead D-Day aircraft flies over France again 80 years on
As the world gathered to celebrate the sacrifice and success of D-Day on its 80th anniversary, a unique aerial glimpse of two C-47s, popularly known as Dakotas, passing…
June 13, 2024
As the world gathered to celebrate the sacrifice and success of D-Day on its 80th anniversary, a unique aerial glimpse of two C-47s, popularly known as Dakotas, passing over Normandy’s Omaha Beach in France remains a poignant reminder of a mission that came at such cost.
Media coordinator Ben Griffiths was on board Placid Lassie, the 1943 Douglas C-47 Skytrain operated by the Tunison Foundation, which made the Channel crossing on June 6th, 1944, as part of last week’s commemoration of the event.
He filmed this footage of That’s All Brother which was following in formation and was the actual aircraft that led the US Airborne Division into Normandy.
“With Omaha beach and the American war cemetery passing under the wing, it was spine tingling to look down on the memorial site to 9,387 dead and 1,557 missing US soldiers, sailors and airmen,” said Griffiths.
He added the efforts the D-Day Squadron, Aero Legends and units of the United States Air Force have put into the anniversary commemorations as “incredible”.
The event was commemorating 6 June, 1944, when thousands of Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in a bold amphibious assault as part of Operation Overlord; strategically targeting five landing areas intended to break the German stronghold.
Omaha Beach, the second location from the west, was assaulted by units of the US 29th and 1st infantry divisions who, despite their bravery, sustained significant casualties during the harrowing mission.
As well as representing the largest seaborne invasion to date, D-Day also included over 11,590 Allied aircraft of all types, including the Douglas C-47 Skytrain; the military transport aircraft derived from the civilian DC-3 airliner.
More than 50,000 paratroopers were dropped by C-47s during the first few days of the D-Day campaign, a jump many parachutists recreated during the anniversary celebrations.
Having taken off from RAF Greenham Common (the Berkshire base of the US Army Air Forces during the second world war), That’s All Brother guided more than 800 C-47s to drop over 13,000 paratroopers into battle.
About 80 years ago, the aircraft was captained by Lieutenant Colonel John Donaldson, although these days it flies on in the hands of the Commemorative Air Force; having been restored to its 1944 condition including an iconic paint scheme and a thorough interior restoration.
