Remembering D-Day with a fly past

June 15 

Remembering D-Day with a fly past 

Members of the Vintage Piper Aircraft Club, the pilots are taking part in a 75th anniversary commemorative flight to France on June 5th with some 75 other planes, returning to land at Saunton Sands on June 15th, the beach used by the Allies to practice for the events of 1944. 

West Devon resident Richard Horner, who owns a restored Piper Cub dating from 1943, is one of those taking part in the flypast to honour the memories of US servicemen based in Devon during the war. He is hoping five or six vintage aircraft will be joining him for the trip, planned to leave Eggesford at 5.15pm on Saturday, June 15th, flying over Hatherleigh and passing Okehampton at approximately 5.30pm before heading for South Zeal, Gidleigh, Moretonhampstead and North Tawton back to Eggesford.. Timings are subject to weather conditions and departure from the beach at Saunton. 

In the lead-up to D-Day, Devon became a focal point for practice, training and eventually embarkation to the beaches of Normandy. Dartmoor and its surrounding villages would have been awash with Allied, mainly American troops preparing themselves for what at the time was a secret operation. Places like Folly Gate, Okehampton, Hatherleigh, Moretonhampstead, Chagford and Saunton Sands, to name but a few, would have witnessed an increase in volumes of troops and equipment being moved into the area, ready for their deployment to the south coast ports of Devon and Cornwall before commencing the sea crossing to Normandy, France. 

The American 1941 design Piper Cub L4 Liaison aircraft was the workhorse of the US army, used for many different assignments. It was light, sturdy and easy to assemble and move on the ground in the combat zone. Because of its short take-off and landing capabilities, it could be launched with its two-crew members from small, sometimes muddy, fields and roads. Its primary job was for field gun observations from above the firing line, where it was used to direct artillery on to the enemy. The white/black lines painted on the aircraft were for identification during the D-Day mission.