Merlin helicopter flies over Cornwall in tribute to the fallen
The RNAS Culdrose aircraft is taking part in a Routes of Remembrance charity campaign
A tribute to the fallen is taking place in Cornwall as a Merlin helicopter carrys two special wreaths to the Isles of Scilly and Land’s End.
It is part of the new Routes of Remembrance campaign from The Veterans Charity which is seeing wreaths touring the UK and overseas before they converge on London on November 11th for remembrance services.
The aircraft from RNAS Culdrose is carrying wreaths that are currently on tour around the UK and around the Duchy.
The first stop of Thursday afternoon (4th November) will be the Isles of Scilly at 3pm, where the Tour of UK wreath will be handed over to a local veteran on St Mary’s, joined by local police to take the wreath on a tour of the island.
That wreath will continue its ongoing journey to London by a different route, but the Tour of Cornwall wreath will be flown back to the mainland for a stopover at Land’s End at 3.50pm.
Local veterans and military personnel will be there to greet it before the helicopter returns to Culdrose at 4.45pm.
The Royal Navy airbase offered the services of its aircraft when approached by Veterans Charity trustee Iain Henderson.
The Cornwall wreath ultimately will go on a train with D-Day veteran Harry Billinge from St Austell, to Paddington.
The UK wreath has just returned from an extensive tour of the six counties of Northern Ireland, but its journey began with the Tour of Britain cycle race back in the summer and so far it has travelled through England, Scotland, Wales and NI.
On November 11th it will be carried up the Thames into London aboard a Dunkirk ‘Little Ship’, the Makaira, before going on board HMS Belfast and then on to the Tower of London and the memorial at Tower Hill.
Timetable
The aircraft will launch Culdrose at 1345.
Arrive at St Marys 1500 – handing over ceremony, refuel once photos are complete - local police and ‘Smudge, the oldest veteran attending to receive wreath.
Arrive Land’s End 1550 – photos with veterans.
Depart Land’s End no later than 1645 for return to Culdrose.