Air crews from Lakenheath and Mildenhall to take part in poignant flypast
Airmen from RAF Lakenheath will fly alongside colleagues from nearby RAF Mildenhall in a special flypast display to honour the victims of a US bomber crash in Sheffield 75 years ago.
Mr Foulds was eight-years-old when he witnessed the B-17 Flying Fortress – known as Mi Amigo – crash in the park on February 22, 1944.
All 10 men on board the aircraft, which was returning from an intended bombing raid, were killed.
Mr Foulds has maintained the park’s memorial at the scene of the crash for decades and told Mr Walker that he would love a flypast on the 75th anniversary of the crash to honour the victims.
A spokesman for Suffolk’s RAF Lakenheath, which houses US Air Force units and personnel, said servicemen at the base were “deeply moved” by the story earlier in the month.
And this morning, Mr Foulds was surprised live on the BBC Breakfast show when Colonel Will Marshall, from RAF Lakenheath, said: “It gives me great pleasure to say look to the skies on the 22 of February for a very special flyby.”
Mr Walker tweeted: “Wow! Amazing to have @USAmbUK meeting Tony Foulds on #BBCbreakfast and confirming that #TonyGotAFlypast Thanks to everyone involved and the amazing people at @48FighterWing.”
A spokesman for RAF Lakenheath confirmed that they will be conducting the flypast of the “Mi Amigo” Memorial in Endcliffe Park requested by the Sheffield City Council.