An armada of more than 30 wartime planes will take to the skies over Suffolk and Essex as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations.
An armada of more than 30 wartime planes will take to the skies over Suffolk and Essex as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations.
The flight of 34 veteran DC-3 Dakota and C-47 Skymaster transport planes, complete with fighter escort, will set off from Duxford airfield in Cambridge on Wednesday, June 5 to recreate the parachute drops that launched the Normandy landings in 1944.
The planes will fly over Haverhill, Clare and Sudbury then to Colchester before setting course for the original British paratrooper drop zone in Normandy.
Once there, 250 parachutists will jump from the planes.
The Daks Over Normandy event has been organised by the Imperial War Museum.
A spokesman said: "Never since the Second World War have so many Douglas DC-3/C-47's been assembled in one location.
"During the Daks over Normandy event in both the UK and France, the aircraft will be on display and will be demonstrated in flight."
The planes will take off from Duxford airfield at approximately 1.40pm to 2.05pm and make their way over Essex via Suffolk.
At around 2.21pm they are expected to fly over Colchester to reach Southend by 2.29pm.
All timings are approximate and will depend on the weather.
The aircraft will then fly to Le Havre in France and the historic UK Drop Zone at Sannerville.
The fleet has been assembled from privately-owned planes from all over the world, including Australia, Canada and the United States.
It assembled at Duxford for a two-day exhibition on June 4 and 5 before setting off, and there will be a similar exhibition from June 5-9 at Caen Carpiquet Airport in France.
D Day saw almost 160,000 Allied troops storm the Normandy beaches to start the liberation of Western-Europe from Nazi Germany.
The assault was preceded hours before by 24,000 troops who parachuted in or came by glider.
After fierce fighting the Allies secured the beaches within hours and were able to push inland, although it would be another 11 months before the Germans finally surrendered.
The anniversary of the landings will be formally commemorated with a series of events in Britain and France on June 5 and 6, including the Queen being joined by President Donald Trump at a ceremony in Portsmouth.
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