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Plane flying Sunday over Comox Marina, Parksville to recognize Battle of the Atlantic

A CP-140 Aurora aircraft will fly over the Comox Marina and downtown Parksville on May 5 to mark the Battle of the Atlantic.
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Lockheed Hudson Mk 3 crew members (left to right) S/L WA Anderson

Residents near the Comox Marina and downtown Parksville are advised that a CP-140 Aurora aircraft will make a flyby of these locations to mark the Battle of the Atlantic parades and ceremonies on Sunday, May 5.

The CP-140, from 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron, will conduct a flyby of these ceremonies at a height of 500 feet at approximately 12:25 p.m. over Parksville and at 1:25 p.m. over the Comox Marina Battle of the Atlantic Memorial.

The Battle of the Atlantic was a struggle for control of the shipping lanes on the North Atlantic Ocean. It was as strategically important to win as the Battle of Britain, and it lasted as long as the Second World War itself.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was a key partner with the Royal Canadian Navy in winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

The 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron played an important role during the Battle of the Atlantic. The squadron was initially assigned an anti-shipping task, which they performed with remarkable skill.

Starting in 1941, over a period of 19 months, 407 Squadron sank an estimated 500,000 tons of enemy shipping, thus earning its nickname The Demons for the tenacity with which the squadron pressed home its attacks.

From 1943 until the end of the war, 407 Squadron focused on anti-submarine warfare, sinking four German U-Boats and damaging another seven.

Today, 407 continues to protect Canadians at home and abroad, all the while recognizing and honouring those who came before and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

— 19 Wing