A fitting tribute
During the Second World War, Eastbourne was one of the most bombed towns in the south. It was considered to be of great strategic importance to the German high command initially and it was seen as a town which needed ‘softening’ as part of Operation Sea Lion, Hitler’s plan to invade England. Children were evacuated and air raid shelters were built. There were 112 air raids involving actual bombing and Eastbourne’s location on the flightpath back to mainland Europe made it an easy target to drop any previously unused bombs on the way out.
How fitting therefore to be en-route for the D-Day 75th anniversary flypast. Seeing the skies awash with allied fighter planes including thirty-five Douglas C-47s (Dakotas), a Hurricane, Mustang and iconic Spitfire, one could only marvel at the bravery of the pilots and soldiers who fought for liberty during the war. The flypast was a mark of respect for the fallen and its route acknowledged the amount of bombing that Eastbourne took. We owe all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice our gratitude and this week’s events have been a fitting tribute.