Page 45 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Right: RAF Hercules C4 ZH872 taxies
out at Eindhoven with the Luftwaffe
Transall awaiting its turn behind.
This year, in a break from the norm,
up to eight transports gathered
on the runway simultaneously in
an ‘elephant walk’ prior to take-
off. Below: Royal Netherlands Air
Force C-130H-30 G-273 was one of
two of the long-fuselage Hercules
from the locally based 336 Squadron
taking part in the Market Garden
commemorations. For the occasion,
the squadron dropped its normal ‘Bull’
callsign in favour of ‘Uncle Able’ –
recalling the callsign of the unit’s last
Market Garden veteran, who passed
away last year.

C-130J 99-55822 ‘RS-86’ of the ‘Blue Tail Flies’ of the 37th Airlift Squadron/86th
Airlift Wing based at Ramstein AB in Germany.
German presence landing speed between 5 and 10kts. the chance to join the others half-tracks and motorcycles,
Oberstleutnant (Lt Col) Markus As leading officer, Lt Col Meyer in the commemorations. Today, joined the commemorative
Meyer, commanding officer of the jumped in the middle of the row. Germany and the Netherlands parade. Many civilians – in
German Fallschirmjägerregiment Using the static line, the parachute operate some joint military units, particular, schoolchildren –
26, has 25 years’ experience as deploys immediately, and the with commanding roles rotating witnessed the apparently
a paratrooper. The day before he soldier has little to do until they between the two nations. endless stream of vehicles.
spoke with AFM, he had jumped touch down. Only a little steering In total, 684 re-enactors, mainly
with the Belgian Air Component is possible and, after some 30 Memorial parade from the UK and the Netherlands,
and he was preparing to embark in seconds, the heaviest jumper With the help of the Dutch military recreated the atmosphere of
a US aircraft, providing a chance or the one with the heaviest and numerous volunteers, the LTF September 1944, supported by
to experience the T-11 or MC-6. He equipment will land first. The organised an event to recreate many others. Over the week
explained that while the 1950s-era aircraft will be flying low to reduce the period of liberation in 1944. of celebrations, sites were
T-10 used by the German contingent the jumpers’ vulnerability periods. Around 250 historic military visited between Leopoldsburg
is very fast, newer parachutes Lt Col Meyer explained that vehicles, including 14 Sherman in Belgium and Arnhem in the
provide more comfort with a Germany was very happy to get tanks and 68 armoured cars plus Netherlands, with volunteers
overnighting in ‘base camps’.
While visiting one such camp,
a young truck driver proudly
displayed an old black-and-white
photo in the back of his cab. He
spoke with respect about the
person in the photograph, Kevin
Gillian, his wife’s grandfather.
Gillian had jumped with the 11th
Battalion above Arnhem in 1944.
He managed to reach within
100 feet of the bridge over the
Rhine before being shot in the
neck. The British Army moved
him to Oosterbeek, but when
Allied forces had to be evacuated
across the river by Polish soldiers,
they were forced to leave him
behind. He became a prisoner of
war but survived the conflict.
KC-130J 166380 ‘BH-6389’ of Heroes of the past, like
VMGR-252 gets in close to the Kevin Gillian, now serve to
camera ship. The squadron,
known as ‘Otis’, is stationed inspire a younger generation,
at Marine Corps Air Station to ensure that their sacrifice
Cherry Point, North Carolina.
continues to be remembered. AFM

www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 45

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