Haida and War Planes

HAIDA and WAR PLANES...

Mark McNeil recently reminded us of the solemn role

Canada played in World War II...how quickly, we can forget.

Published in The Hamilton Spectator, he wrote:

“The HMCS Haida and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum aircraft

will take part in D-Day 75^th anniversary ceremonies Wednesday and Thursday.

“Beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Parks Canada will host a commemoration at the Tribal-class destroyer on Pier 9, at the foot of Catharine Street North to recognize and remember the Canadian soldiers who volunteered to serve our country and saw action in the Normandy Campaign.

“Demonstrations and programming will take place through the evening until 12:30 a.m. EST (6:30 a.m.in Normandy, France) the exact moment when the first troops made shore in Normandy 75 years before.

The ceremony will be a poignant one

as the Haida took part in D-Day and the Normandy invasion

by helping to guard the English Channel from German counter-attacks. Pilots from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum will take to the sky Thursday at noon, flying all types of vintage aircraft

that could have taken part in the June 1944 invasion.

A Douglas C-47 Dakota ~ that was actually part of the D-Day assault 75 years ago, ferrying British paratroopers behind German lines ~ along with B-25 Mitchell and Hamilton's famous Avro Lancaster

will take off from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport at noon. The planes will gather over Caledonia and then fly to the Ancaster area where they will meet up with RCAF aircraft from 8 Wing Trenton ~ a CC-150 Polaris, CC-177 Globemaster and up to two CC-130J Hercules planes.

The six or seven planes will fly in formation

over the RBC Canadian Open at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club

at approximately 12:10 p.m.

All play in the tournament will be stopped as the planes fly overhead.

“The aircraft will then head to Dundas over the McMaster Children's Hospital...along the escarpment to Stoney Creek...back along King-Barton to the Skyway...and then back to Hamilton airport.

The route incorporates flying over a number of schools involved in The Spectator's Newspaper in an Education project. More than 125 schools in the province, including dozens in the Hamilton area

have been following an eight-week D-Day-based curriculum

developed as a legacy component for the 75^th anniversary.

“Museum officials say there could be some last-minute route changes due to weather or other reasons.

“Our commemorative fly-past is an opportunity

to recognize the veterans for their service...their duty...and their sacrifice

which protected our values...our freedoms...and our way of life,”

said CEO and president David Rohrer.

“At 3 p.m. at the museum site at Hamilton Airport, parachutists from the Dakota

will perform a jump to remember paratroopers who took part in D-Day.

During theTiger Cats/Argonauts pre-season game in the evening, the C-47 will make a fly-over as part of the 75^th anniversary commemoration at the game.”

May we always remember D-Day ~ a Day of Liberty and Freedom for us all!

Merle Baird-Kerr...June 5, 2019

Your views, most welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net