Ed IJsbrandij, secretary of the foundation of Dare (who represents the Irish family in contacts with the Dutch authorities) wrote a personal report of the flypast of the Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in Berkhout, april 28. It was sent to people of the 49th Squadron Association, but Ed gave his permission to use a part of it for this site. His report gives a good idea of what the sight and sound of such a bomber ('one of the UK's most precious possesions') does to people below.
,,Everybody looked in the distance of the North/South, there,
very far away through the haze I saw the typical shape of the big bomber......the
Lancaster, all the people got the cameras ready......it was heading towards
Ursem so there was only one oppurtunety to shoot the films......the plane came
closer....the sound was getting harder and harder........this was so special.......then
it was there.....the Lancaster!, i started to run the digital cam.......what
a sound ( the best music indeed Alan!! ) and what a vieuw and.......this was
a LOW Fly Past.....better than all Airshows i had ever seen in my life, everybody
waved, everybody made a sound....ohhh, and ahhh, tears where running over cheeks............chicken
skin........
When it flew over the Crash site it looked as the crew of the Lanc became part
of the crowd and made a steep left turn.....that was not the heading for Ursem....????
what was the Pilot doing????
It was flying so low, this was something, you can not discribe in words......it
flew an 8 shape run low over the crowd, you could see the crew wave back!!!!!
We thought it was over and the Lanc would head to the next Village, but, it
turned back again!
I stopped filming, i was so thrilled that i had to stop and absorb this moment
into my head, I made a salute and waved with both arms.....looked at the other
people, everybody was completely blown away by this appearence.....would the
Lancaster crew realize what this was doing to us???
Emotions, emotions, one last steep turn, the wings of the big bird where catching
the sun and held it sticked to its skin ......the propellers seem to stand still........
I realized that at the other side off the Channel some very good friends where
with us here, in thoughts, wishing they where here with us....and they where
with us.........
The Lanc was now heading for Ursem, we could see it flying over a crowd in the
far distance, you could also see cars standing stil to watch the Lanc coming
over.........over....it dissapeared in the far distance.......
I looked at Dick, Jan, Hans and my family, everybody had that special expression
in the face of beeing witness of something so beautiful...nobody expected the
way the Crew made this Fly Past.....they must have had a special license to
fly so low......or did the Pilot knew this location was so special....that in
about a few months something was going to happen so importnant for so many people,
like for Margaret Walsh-Kehoe who' s dear Brother lost his young live at this
spot.......''