D-Day 80th Anniversary Group Commemorations
21 Group D-Day 80th Commemorations
Following an approach to Bunker owner Paul Miller, 21 Group were kindly given permission to again site the Beacon on the roof of our old bunker at Langley Lane, Goosnargh. The lighting ceremonies took place on Thursday 6th June, 2024
48 people turned up and were taken in groups for guided tours of the bunker at 7:45pm, while Mike Norris carried the propane cylinder up all the steps to the Bunker roof, set up the Beacon, connected the propane and charged the lighter wand with fuel. Elaine took all the food and drink up to the roof ready for when the tour groups returned. At 8:45pm we served drinks of Prosecco or orange juice and handed round nibbles and crisps and mini cakes.
Then it was 9:15pm and our President John Gedge kindly agreed to light our Beacon, on its 3rd outing since the late Queen’s Diamond jubilee in 2012. He climbed the last 3 feet and Mike Norris switched on the gas, John used the wand to ignite the flame which was quite impressive. He kindly took ‘direction’ to adopt the Elizabeth Beacon Lighter pose while we all took photographs.
Mike Smalley was our official photographer and managed to corral the group into place in front of the Beacon. John had also brought our ROC flag, an old one bearing the King’s crown, which we unfurled and held across the crowd, ready for more photos. We then invited all the guests to take turns by the beacon for their own photos.
On the way up the steps to the Bunker roof we passed our 4 hawthorn trees which we planted in 2022 as part of HM Queen’s Green Canopy, still small but looking reasonably healthy.
Mike and I filled the glasses with Prosecco and handed them out to everyone, when we were all assembled Trish kindly did the honours and proposed the toast – The King – Duke of Lancaster. The visitors all said they had enjoyed the evening and the children would have a great story to tell their friends when they returned to school, about playing and running along the roof of a bunker.
By now it was 10pm and a number of guests had departed, we decided to enjoy the spectacle for another 15 minutes, we packed up and headed home. A successful, lovely evening.
Submitted by Elaine Norris Chairman 21 Group ROCA
[Click on images for full size]
48 people turned up and were taken in groups for guided tours of the bunker at 7:45pm, while Mike Norris carried the propane cylinder up all the steps to the Bunker roof, set up the Beacon, connected the propane and charged the lighter wand with fuel. Elaine took all the food and drink up to the roof ready for when the tour groups returned. At 8:45pm we served drinks of Prosecco or orange juice and handed round nibbles and crisps and mini cakes.
Then it was 9:15pm and our President John Gedge kindly agreed to light our Beacon, on its 3rd outing since the late Queen’s Diamond jubilee in 2012. He climbed the last 3 feet and Mike Norris switched on the gas, John used the wand to ignite the flame which was quite impressive. He kindly took ‘direction’ to adopt the Elizabeth Beacon Lighter pose while we all took photographs.
Mike Smalley was our official photographer and managed to corral the group into place in front of the Beacon. John had also brought our ROC flag, an old one bearing the King’s crown, which we unfurled and held across the crowd, ready for more photos. We then invited all the guests to take turns by the beacon for their own photos.
On the way up the steps to the Bunker roof we passed our 4 hawthorn trees which we planted in 2022 as part of HM Queen’s Green Canopy, still small but looking reasonably healthy.
Mike and I filled the glasses with Prosecco and handed them out to everyone, when we were all assembled Trish kindly did the honours and proposed the toast – The King – Duke of Lancaster. The visitors all said they had enjoyed the evening and the children would have a great story to tell their friends when they returned to school, about playing and running along the roof of a bunker.
By now it was 10pm and a number of guests had departed, we decided to enjoy the spectacle for another 15 minutes, we packed up and headed home. A successful, lovely evening.
Submitted by Elaine Norris Chairman 21 Group ROCA
[Click on images for full size]
Tony Topliss overflies the Beaches
My wife Margaret and our son Duncan and his family had clubbed together to get me a very early 80th birthday present (not due until September) of a flight in a Dakota over the Normandy beaches for June 7th.
Duncan and I set off on the morning of Thursday 6th at 6.00am for Dover – caught the ferry for Calais then drove 230 miles for Caen. We arrived in Caen at 7.30pm and after a walk around and a meal settled for the night in an apartment. Next morning up early then after breakfast off to the Caen Carpiquet airport some 15 minutes away. We met with the organisers and at about 11.30am we went for a briefing with the pilot. I was wearing my ROC blazer and beret and explained to all the crew and other travellers the reason that I was representing the ROCA and the ROC Seaborne members involvement in D-Day. The aircraft was used on June 5th 1944 to drop parachutists but sustained battle damage during the flight and was under repair on the 6th, the damage was caused by a shell entering the underside of the aircraft and exiting through the astrodome. After repair the aircraft was used continually for the rest of the conflict.
The pilot, Tom van Hoorn and co-pilot Marco, explained the flight path and that we would be flying at a height of 1,000 to 1,250 feet and a speed of 125 knots over all the beaches, Mulberry harbour and Pegasus bridge and all monuments, and that our Dakota was built in February 1944 just a few months before one of our passengers was born (meaning me). The aeroplane was not in original wartime colours as after the war it eventually became owned by Prince Bernhard (husband of Queen Julianna of the Netherlands) and it still bears his personal registration letters – PH (for Holland)-PBA, and its name is Prinses Amalia and belongs to the DDA (Dutch Dakota Airlines) Classic Airlines.
We were due to take off at 11.15 am but due to other aircraft activity for parachutists we did not take off until 12 noon and our flight lasted for some 45 minutes. The weather could not have been better with hardly any wind, good clear skies and sunshine. Flying over the beaches was a tremendous event and one I shall never forget and I shall be forever grateful to my wife Margaret and son Duncan and his family for this once in a lifetime event.
All passengers were presented with a dated flight certificate to confirm our participation.
Duncan and myself were presented privately with gold Dakota lapel badges to commemorate our flight by the pilots wife Annette who was also our flight attendant.
Due to time constraints and the massive presence of Police for visiting heads of state, it was not possible to visit any of the war memorials – but next time?
Immediately after the flight we gave our thanks to everyone, said our goodbyes to all including the other passengers and set off back for Calais and the ferry home – arriving at 12.15am Saturday.
Tony Topliss - Chairman 15 Group
[Click on images for full size]
Duncan and I set off on the morning of Thursday 6th at 6.00am for Dover – caught the ferry for Calais then drove 230 miles for Caen. We arrived in Caen at 7.30pm and after a walk around and a meal settled for the night in an apartment. Next morning up early then after breakfast off to the Caen Carpiquet airport some 15 minutes away. We met with the organisers and at about 11.30am we went for a briefing with the pilot. I was wearing my ROC blazer and beret and explained to all the crew and other travellers the reason that I was representing the ROCA and the ROC Seaborne members involvement in D-Day. The aircraft was used on June 5th 1944 to drop parachutists but sustained battle damage during the flight and was under repair on the 6th, the damage was caused by a shell entering the underside of the aircraft and exiting through the astrodome. After repair the aircraft was used continually for the rest of the conflict.
The pilot, Tom van Hoorn and co-pilot Marco, explained the flight path and that we would be flying at a height of 1,000 to 1,250 feet and a speed of 125 knots over all the beaches, Mulberry harbour and Pegasus bridge and all monuments, and that our Dakota was built in February 1944 just a few months before one of our passengers was born (meaning me). The aeroplane was not in original wartime colours as after the war it eventually became owned by Prince Bernhard (husband of Queen Julianna of the Netherlands) and it still bears his personal registration letters – PH (for Holland)-PBA, and its name is Prinses Amalia and belongs to the DDA (Dutch Dakota Airlines) Classic Airlines.
We were due to take off at 11.15 am but due to other aircraft activity for parachutists we did not take off until 12 noon and our flight lasted for some 45 minutes. The weather could not have been better with hardly any wind, good clear skies and sunshine. Flying over the beaches was a tremendous event and one I shall never forget and I shall be forever grateful to my wife Margaret and son Duncan and his family for this once in a lifetime event.
All passengers were presented with a dated flight certificate to confirm our participation.
Duncan and myself were presented privately with gold Dakota lapel badges to commemorate our flight by the pilots wife Annette who was also our flight attendant.
Due to time constraints and the massive presence of Police for visiting heads of state, it was not possible to visit any of the war memorials – but next time?
Immediately after the flight we gave our thanks to everyone, said our goodbyes to all including the other passengers and set off back for Calais and the ferry home – arriving at 12.15am Saturday.
Tony Topliss - Chairman 15 Group
[Click on images for full size]
