UK: 83 year old's activism gets commemorative flypast honouring 10 dead USAF airmen

This is a great story that broke today.

Tony Foulds, the guy who was lobbying for the flypast, was in the BBC studio along with Woody Johnson, the US Ambassador to the UK.

In a live video hook-up, USAF and RAF personnel were at RAF Lakenheath for the announcement, and to thank Tony for his work.

‘Look to the skies on February 22’ - Tony gets flypast to honour US airmen

[link to www.eadt.co.uk (secure)]

A flypast to honour the victims of a US bomber crash in Sheffield 75 years ago will go ahead after a moving campaign was launched, it was been confirmed.

BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker launched the campaign after meeting pensioner Tony Foulds in Endcliffe Park in the South Yorkshire City two weeks ago. Mr Foulds was eight-years-old when he witnessed the B-17 Flying Fortress – known as Mi Amigo – crash in the park on February 22, 1944.

All ten men on board the aircraft, which was returning from an intended bombing raid, were killed.

Mr Foulds has maintained the park’s memorial at the scene of the crash for decades and told Walker that he would love a flypast on the 75th anniversary of the crash to honour the victims.

A spokesman for Suffolk’s RAF Lakenheath, which houses US Air Force units and personnel, said servicemen at the base were “deeply moved” by the story earlier in the month.

Last Edited by SovereignMe on 01/22/2019 05:09 AM