Official BBMF 2019 Yearbook – D-Day 75 issue

Black and white D-Day invasion stripes feature strongly in the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club Yearbook 2019 – D-Day 75 issue. The new 84-page yearbook, illustrated throughout with some stunning photography, will be sent out exclusively to Club members, free of charge, in the next couple of weeks. 

The BBMF Yearbook is NOT on sale to the general public. If you are not a member, join the Club today to receive your free copy and all of the twice-yearly BBMF magazines, as well as the monthly e-newsletters with exclusive content for Club members.

The D-Day related content includes the ‘Veteran’s Viewpoint’ written by 96-year-old, 617 Squadron Lancaster bomb aimer, Wg Cdr John Bell MBE DFC, who flew on the D-Day ‘spoof’ operation TAXABLE, while the ‘Lest we forget’ feature tells the story of the RAF fighter control unit that landed on ‘Bloody’ Omaha beach on D-Day. The part played by the BBMF’s two genuine D-Day veteran Spitfires, both of which were actually over the invasion beaches 75 years ago, is also told, as is the story of the C-47 Dakotas of 233 Squadron on D-Day, one of which, named ‘Kwicherbichen’, is currently represented by the colour scheme of the BBMF’s ‘Dak’ ZA947. The campaign against the V1 flying bombs, which began just a week after D-Day is also outlined in a special feature, which highlights some of the individual heroism of the Allied fighter pilots defending the UK against the robotic menace 75 years ago.

The yearbook also includes features on the BBMF Hurricanes’ colour schemes and the stories behind them, an insight into an aspect of the engineering work that keeps the BBMF aircraft airworthy in the ‘Keeping ’em flying’ series, an update on the BBMF Team for 2019, and an unusual take on displaying the BBMF Lancaster, written by the BBMF Bomber Leader, Flight Lieutenant Neil ‘Faz’ Farrell, detailing the in-cockpit intercom chat, to demonstrate how all of the crew are involved.