Latest news with #CommemorativeAirForce
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Emotional day' as memorial reunited with family
A token memorial of a Guernsey-born officer killed while flying in the US during World War Two has been united with his family. Sub-Lieutenant Sylvester Kenneth Rabey, also known as "Sly", was tragically killed in an accident in North Windham in Maine on 26 January 1944. His memorial was found by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cemetery in Maine. Volunteers created a rubbing of the memorial, which involves transferring the design of the gravestone on to paper, to give to Sub Lt Rabey's family before Liberation Day. Sub Lt Rabey, who was born in Guernsey, was evacuated to Oldham aged 16 before the German Occupation of the island. Later on, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a sub-lieutenant and was then sent to the United States to train. His niece, Sue Aldwell, was gifted the piece at Guernsey Airport. "I heard about Sylvester all my life, he was my father's hero," he said. "To bring him home it has been an emotional day." It was the first gravestone rubbing to be united with family members and it is all part of a project called Bringing the Boys Back Home to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. It was flown in by "Ready for Duty", a Douglas R4D-6S which served for the US Navy, during World War Two. It is the last of its kind still flying. Volunteers from the Commemorative Air Force said they were honouring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the US during the war and remain on American soil. Once the graves were found, the volunteers made rubbings of each headstone to be reunited with the servicemen's families overseas. Chris Volpe, the wing leader of the Dallas Fort Worth Wing for Commemorative Air Force, helped to bring the memento to the island. Mr Volpe said he "couldn't put into words" what the project meant. "This is the beginning of the story," he said. More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to What happened in the Channel Islands during WW2? Event to mark 80th anniversary of evacuees' return 'I was evacuated in WW2 and met Agatha Christie' Commemorative Air Force
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Emotional day' as memorial reunited with family
A token memorial of a Guernsey-born officer killed while flying in the US during World War Two has been united with his family. Sub-Lieutenant Sylvester Kenneth Rabey, also known as "Sly", was tragically killed in an accident in North Windham in Maine on 26 January 1944. His memorial was found by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cemetery in Maine. Volunteers created a rubbing of the memorial, which involves transferring the design of the gravestone on to paper, to give to Sub Lt Rabey's family before Liberation Day. Sub Lt Rabey, who was born in Guernsey, was evacuated to Oldham aged 16 before the German Occupation of the island. Later on, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a sub-lieutenant and was then sent to the United States to train. His niece, Sue Aldwell, was gifted the piece at Guernsey Airport. "I heard about Sylvester all my life, he was my father's hero," he said. "To bring him home it has been an emotional day." It was the first gravestone rubbing to be united with family members and it is all part of a project called Bringing the Boys Back Home to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. It was flown in by "Ready for Duty", a Douglas R4D-6S which served for the US Navy, during World War Two. It is the last of its kind still flying. Volunteers from the Commemorative Air Force said they were honouring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the US during the war and remain on American soil. Once the graves were found, the volunteers made rubbings of each headstone to be reunited with the servicemen's families overseas. Chris Volpe, the wing leader of the Dallas Fort Worth Wing for Commemorative Air Force, helped to bring the memento to the island. Mr Volpe said he "couldn't put into words" what the project meant. "This is the beginning of the story," he said. More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to What happened in the Channel Islands during WW2? Event to mark 80th anniversary of evacuees' return 'I was evacuated in WW2 and met Agatha Christie' Commemorative Air Force
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Emotional day' as memorial reunited with Guernsey family
A token memorial of a Guernsey-born officer killed while flying in the US during World War Two has been united with his Sylvester Kenneth Rabey, also known as "Sly", was tragically killed in an accident in North Windham in Maine on 26 January memorial was found by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cemetery in created a rubbing of the memorial, which involves transferring the design of the gravestone on to paper, to give to Sub Lt Rabey's family before Liberation Day. Sub Lt Rabey, who was born in Guernsey, was evacuated to Oldham aged 16 before the German Occupation of the on, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a sub-lieutenant and was then sent to the United States to niece, Sue Aldwell, was gifted the piece at Guernsey Airport."I heard about Sylvester all my life, he was my father's hero," he said."To bring him home it has been an emotional day." It was the first gravestone rubbing to be united with family members and it is all part of a project called Bringing the Boys Back Home to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War was flown in by "Ready for Duty", a Douglas R4D-6S which served for the US Navy, during World War is the last of its kind still from the Commemorative Air Force said they were honouring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the US during the war and remain on American the graves were found, the volunteers made rubbings of each headstone to be reunited with the servicemen's families overseas. Chris Volpe, the wing leader of the Dallas Fort Worth Wing for Commemorative Air Force, helped to bring the memento to the Volpe said he "couldn't put into words" what the project meant."This is the beginning of the story," he said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
80 Years after V-E Day, volunteers honor British soldiers buried locally
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Following Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was thrust into a global conflict. Germany declared war on the U.S. just days later, and by January 1942, launched U-boat attacks along the coastal waters of Virginia and North Carolina. 'Operation Drumbeat' was a devastating wake-up call. 'You could actually see ships burning against the night sky in Virginia Beach during that time,' said Military Aviation Museum CEO Keegan Chetwynd. The U-boat offensive sank nearly 500 Allied vessels and killed roughly 5,000 merchant seamen and U.S. Navy sailors. Nazi Germany brought the war to our shores and we needed help fighting them off our coast. Thankfully, our neighbors across the pond were no strangers to the 'U-boat menace.' Their help would come at a cost. Several ships, including the HMS Kingston Ceylonite, were sunk off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina. 'Her majesty's trawler the Kingston Ceylonite was one of several ships that were converted from fishing vessels that were crewed by Royal Navy sailors who traveled over here to try and help the situation,' Chetwynd said. On June 15, 1942, the HMS Kingston Ceylonite struck a German mine and sunk, killing 18 of the 32 men on board. Leading Seaman Charles R. J. Grimmer was one of the soldiers killed. 'So this man had come over here as a part of a group of sailors who were here to help us drive the Germans back off shore to buy us the time to get it together,' Chetwynd said, 'which was time that was well used because after the first six months of 1942, this really stopped happening. Grimmer is buried in Oaks Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, nearly 4,000 miles away from his home country. Unlike American soldiers, British soldiers killed during conflict are buried where they died. But Cheywynd and countless volunteers across the U.S. have spent the last couple months working to get a piece of these soldiers back home. 'The project is to basically get gravestone rubbings from British personnel that were killed either off the coast of the United States or in the United States during World War II,' said Zack Baughman, volunteer coordinator at the Military Aviation Museum. 'Project Bring the Boys Back Home' sent volunteers to 12 cemeteries across Hampton Roads and North Carolina. The rubbings are all collected by hand, and three copies of each grave are needed for the project. One copy goes to a museum in England, another to a genealogical project, and the final copy to any surviving family member of the soldier. Volunteers collected rubbings from 42 gravestones. The Commemorative Air Force out of Dallas, Texas began the nationwide effort, and altogether, they will be flying more than 400 rubbings back to England. Last month, the Military Aviation Museum welcomed a Douglas R4D aircraft, sent by the Commemorative Air Force, to collect the rubbings and fly them 4,000 miles back home. 'When we heard that there was a group of people mustering to do this and to offer thanks in this way,' Chetwynd said, 'it seemed a really appropriate way to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Norfolk airshow to welcome rare US plane for 'once in a lifetime' spectacle
Norfolk airshow to welcome rare US plane for 'once in a lifetime' spectacle Tickets are selling quickly for the biggest Old Buckenham Airshow to date (Image: Sonya Duncan) The final line-up for a hit Norfolk airshow has been revealed and ticketholders are in for a huge event featuring Red Arrows, Spitfires and a "very rare" US plane. The Old Buckenham Airshow is set to be bigger than ever before, with a record-breaking timetable and more planes making their airshow debut. With around 20 acts due to make an appearance on July 26 and 27, tickets are selling at a record pace. The VE80 Spitfire Formation will fly on both days of the Old Buckenham Airshow (Image: Denise Bradley) In a historic one-off, the Commemorative Air Force has embarked on a 12,000-mile tour with its Douglas R4D-6S, the "very rare" Navy version of the legendary Douglas DC3. ADVERTISEMENT 'Ready 4 Duty' is the last of her kind still flying and the Old Buckenham Airshow will be her last UK stop before heading back across the Atlantic. Matt Wilkins, Old Buckenham Airshow organiser, said: "This historic tour organised by the CAF with help from the IWM is a once-in-a-lifetime initiative. READ MORE: New ticket release date announced for hit experience after technical hitch The BBMF Lancaster will take flight for the event (Image: Denise Bradley) "It's no mean feat to cross the Atlantic in any aircraft which isn't an airliner - much less one in its ninth decade." The plane will fly on both days of the event, with the flight on July 27 the last chance to see it in the skies above the UK. Also flying on both days of the event are the Red Arrows, the B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, the VE80 Spitfire Formation and the Stampe Display Team, among many more. ADVERTISEMENT READ MORE: Red Arrows pictured over Norfolk coast on way to VE Day anniversary flypast Crowds flock to the Old Buckenham Airshow (Image: Denise Bradley)The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Lancaster will fly on July 26, in what is believed to be only the second time two four-engined bombers have been here since the Second World War. The full list can be found on the Old Buckenham Airshow website. Nominations remain open for this year's community hero, which awards someone who goes out of their way to help others with a special day at the event. Nominations should be submitted by June 30, 2025 by filling in this form
