Spitfire over Storrington

[jakarta]

We have just been treated to a superb aerobatic display by a Spitfire for the past 15 minutes.

A majestic sight against the backdrop of the South Downs and a cloudless blue sky.

A bit early for Battle of Britain celebrations - BoB Day is Sept 15th.

I know we have a RAFA Nursing Home in Storrington - wonder if it was an ex-pilots Birthday Treat?

 

[Dirty Dave]

rehearsing for Shoreham Air Show this year perhaps?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

My Grandad who was a carpenter and from Storrrington made frames for Spitfires and Hurricanes up in Crawley during the war. Both sides of my family are from Storrington and my dad can still name the war aircraft from just hearing them, also witnesed dog fights over Chantry Hill.

When I was younger the Dutch Air Force used to annually put on an air display over The RAF retired veterens home in Sullington and drop Dutch Cheese from the air in gratitude for what the Royal Air Force did for the Dutch in wartime Europe, however I thought they had stopped doing this.

I hope they have brought ot back, I always thought it was connected to the airboune divisions connection to Arnhem but think this happened around September time.

 

[Normal Rob]

I was near Bedford over the weekend and what looked like 2 spitfires and a large WW2 bomber flew overhead. I tried to find out what they were doing/where they were gong to but to nao avail. Spectacular sight.

 

[sully]

This is an annual display (at least since I've worked in Storrington) organised for the guys in the nursing home. There appears to have been a huge influx of visitors for it, too, judging by the number of cars parked in the adjacent field!

As always, a great display, and it was good to have a perfect day for it - for a change.

Hope the old boys enjoyed it as much as we did in the office!

 

[jakarta]

Spoke to my Mother-in-Law (who has lived in Storrington for around 30 years) who has confirmed it is the annual 'cheese drop' from Dutch pilots commemorating the relief missions flown by the RAF over Holland in the winter of 1945.

One of her neighbours was a Bomber Command Lancaster pilot & he actually took part in the relief missions (when he wasnt bombing Essen/Berlin/Hamburg/Dresden etc.). Apparently he will be down there today along with Vera Lynn & various other RAF luminaries.

Good luck to them all - if it wasn't for them its unlikely we would be free to be wasting our Friday afternoons in this manner!

 

[bhaexpress]

See Spitfires all the time here an the Lancaster comes by quite often too. Mind you I do live a mere 2 miles from Biggin Hill.

 

[sully]

Good luck to them all - if it wasn't for them its unlikely we would be free to be wasting our Friday afternoons in this manner!

If only it were Friday!

Which month are you in?

 

[withdeanwombat]

Shouldn't there be an "achtung" at the start of the thread title ?

 

[jakarta]

If only it were Friday!

Which month are you in?

Oops!

Only excuse is it feels like a Friday to me as I'm taking the rest of the week off

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Spoke to my Mother-in-Law (who has lived in Storrington for around 30 years) who has confirmed it is the annual 'cheese drop' from Dutch pilots commemorating the relief missions flown by the RAF over Holland in the winter of 1945.

One of her neighbours was a Bomber Command Lancaster pilot & he actually took part in the relief missions (when he wasnt bombing Essen/Berlin/Hamburg/Dresden etc.). Apparently he will be down there today along with Vera Lynn & various other RAF luminaries.

Good luck to them all - if it wasn't for them its unlikely we would be free to be wasting our Friday afternoons in this manner!

Great news I wonder if it is the same day every year, I would like to see tha again for old times sakes.

 

[spacey]

I live and work in Storrington, i found this for my boss earlier today, some of you might find it interesting.

MEDIA RELEASE

NETHERLANDS AMBASSADOR TO VISIT CARE SOUTHS STORRINGTON HOME ‘SUSSEX DOWN’ TO WATCH DUTCH
DAY RAFASSOCIATIONS AMSTERDAM BRANCH CHEESE DROP


All eyes will be skywards on June 2nd at Care South’s home ‘Sussexdown’ in Storrington to watch the Annual Cheese drop, celebrating ‘Operation Manna’ which took place between 25th April and 5th May 1945 when Lancaster aircraft of several Squadrons dropped food and provisions in the Den Haag and Rotterdam areas of Holland which was cut off by the German invasion. The US Airforce also did drops near Amsterdam calling their operation ‘Chow Hound’

Each year from 1974, pilots from No (1077) Edambusters squadron RAFA Amsterdam have flow over Sussexdown, symbolically dropping cheeses in the grounds.

Attending the celebrations this year will be His Excellency, the Netherlands Ambassador and Mrs P Waldeck who will join Dame Vera Lynn and other invited guests from The Royal Air Forces Association and also Directors of Care South. They will watch a flying display over the home that will include a two seater Mark R 1X Spitfire in Dutch colours flown by Rod Dean. Subject to the weather other aircraft including an Extra X300 flow by Justyn Gorman alongside a Harvard and Tiger moth will display prior to the actual ‘Cheese Drop’ by the pilots from the Edambusters.

Richard Hawes, Director of Care Services at Care South said, “We are delighted to be involved in supporting such a magnificent event which played such an important part in Holland’s history. I know our residents and staff thoroughly enjoy the day and hopefully the weather will be kind to us so that they are able to see the stunning flying displays. Most importantly we look forward to our continuing relationship with the RAF Association and the Association’s Amsterdam Branch.

Malcolm Mason MBE organiser of the event said. “We always look forward to this special day which means such a lot to our Branch members in Amsterdam. In the early eighties Dame Vera Lynn was appointed a Commander in the Order of Orange Nassau, one of the very few non Dutch nationals to receive this royal honour and she has continued to support us to this day.”

 

[Lush]

Edambusters

Are you sure that press release wasn't written by Easy 10?

 

[jakarta]

Pedants Corner

It didn't look like a Mk9 2 seater from where I was watching - more like a standard Spitfire Mk5.
















OK I'll pick up my anorak by the door...........

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I live and work in Storrington, i found this for my boss earlier today, some of you might find it interesting.

MEDIA RELEASE

NETHERLANDS AMBASSADOR TO VISIT CARE SOUTHS STORRINGTON HOME ‘SUSSEX DOWN’ TO WATCH DUTCH
DAY RAFASSOCIATIONS AMSTERDAM BRANCH CHEESE DROP


All eyes will be skywards on June 2nd at Care South’s home ‘Sussexdown’ in Storrington to watch the Annual Cheese drop, celebrating ‘Operation Manna’ which took place between 25th April and 5th May 1945 when Lancaster aircraft of several Squadrons dropped food and provisions in the Den Haag and Rotterdam areas of Holland which was cut off by the German invasion. The US Airforce also did drops near Amsterdam calling their operation ‘Chow Hound’

Each year from 1974, pilots from No (1077) Edambusters squadron RAFA Amsterdam have flow over Sussexdown, symbolically dropping cheeses in the grounds.

Attending the celebrations this year will be His Excellency, the Netherlands Ambassador and Mrs P Waldeck who will join Dame Vera Lynn and other invited guests from The Royal Air Forces Association and also Directors of Care South. They will watch a flying display over the home that will include a two seater Mark R 1X Spitfire in Dutch colours flown by Rod Dean. Subject to the weather other aircraft including an Extra X300 flow by Justyn Gorman alongside a Harvard and Tiger moth will display prior to the actual ‘Cheese Drop’ by the pilots from the Edambusters.

Richard Hawes, Director of Care Services at Care South said, “We are delighted to be involved in supporting such a magnificent event which played such an important part in Holland’s history. I know our residents and staff thoroughly enjoy the day and hopefully the weather will be kind to us so that they are able to see the stunning flying displays. Most importantly we look forward to our continuing relationship with the RAF Association and the Association’s Amsterdam Branch.

Malcolm Mason MBE organiser of the event said. “We always look forward to this special day which means such a lot to our Branch members in Amsterdam. In the early eighties Dame Vera Lynn was appointed a Commander in the Order of Orange Nassau, one of the very few non Dutch nationals to receive this royal honour and she has continued to support us to this day.”

Thanks for that, where was that news story from, could you post up a link if you have it.

 

[Gully]

I also grew up in Storrington and can remember this happening when I was a kid, they used to drop the main cheese on Sussexdown but often threw out smaller packages on parachutes across the village...kids would watch where they dropped and race around trying to find them, there was a lot of kudos if you pitched up at school with one.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I also grew up in Storrington and can remember this happening when I was a kid, they used to drop the main cheese on Sussexdown but often threw out smaller packages on parachutes across the village...kids would watch where they dropped and race around trying to find them, there was a lot of kudos if you pitched up at school with one.

That is fab, did you ever get one, I imagine the warren would have been a good stake out.

I love the rural school kudos, how big is your cheese, saw Daniel Kitson last week and he had just been up your way for the cheese rolling kamikazi event. If you got the Storrington cheese you could go along and try and be the first to get an historic double.

 

[spacey]

I would post the link up, but it does not work

if you can do please do, found the info i putting "storrington cheese drop" into google.

It might be this Shoreham Airshow 2009 ::. Media

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I would post the link up, but it does not work

if you can do please do, found the info i putting "storrington cheese drop" into google.

It might be this Shoreham Airshow 2009 ::. Media

Cheers for that wanted to send it to someone.

Love the search engine phrase "Storrington cheese drop" it must be a Googlewack...

 

[sully]

Try this to open the press release direct:

http://www.shorehamairshow.com/media/docs/RAFA20Dutch%20Day%20Cheese%20Drop%20Media%20Release%20Final%20Proof.doc