We were a little disappointed last week, as we anticipated the D-Day anniversary flypast by the Dakotas from Duxford airfield at Loose Valley Care Home.
Unfortunately, the flight was delayed for over two hours and then the flight path was too far away for us to get a good enough view! The planes were too far over from our garden to see anything, BUT we did hear the roar of the engines!
However, we made sure we had lots of fun whist we were waiting, with a wartime singalong which was very nostalgic. We also held a quiz about the beaches of Normandy and our residents enjoyed chatting about how many of them had witnessed, or been part of, the wartime era. We made sure our Union Jack flags and bunting were out in force!
We shared a lovely story together of a gentleman named Bernard Jordon, aged 90, who told the staff at his Nursing Home that he was going out for a walk back in June 2014. He was reported missing for 12 hours, from the Pines Care Home in East Sussex. He had managed to get to Portsmouth for the D-Day celebrations and then decided to make his way to France via the ferry to pay his respects to his fallen comrades. He had been a Royal Navy officer and WW1 veteran and became known as the ‘Great Escaper’ after his cross channel adventure! A younger veteran rang the home to say Mr Jordon was safe and in Normandy. He returned to a hero’s welcome and was inundated with 2,500 birthday cards from around the world!
What a fantastic story!
