THE CROSSING including Those Who Did Not Make It...
'D-Day Squadron' (www.facebook.com/DDaySquadron) grouped together here, those who made it, at AeroLegend's base North Weald in Essex. Their journey north through the US and Canada was well published in Facebook with frequent reports. Here's a summary:
D-Day Squadron held a 'kick off day' at Waterbury-Oxford Airport (Oxford, CT) on 14May24, selling tickets & souvenirs (also over subsequent days) to ease the expenses for such a massive undertaking, their '2024 Legacy Tour' (24LT).
Participating aircraft:
C-47 'Placid Lassie' (N74589) - Tunison Foundation
C-47 'That’s All, Brother' (N47TB) - Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing
R4D 'Ready 4 Duty' (N151ZE) - DFW Wing CAF
DC-3 'Western Air Lines' (NC33644) - Vintage Flying Machines
C-53 'Spirit of Douglas' (N8336C) - Private Owner (not entirely sure where & when it joined D-Day Sqdn). See N943DJ (c/n 7313) on my Color slides scans page #3.
Included was a successful Hudson River flyover (NYC), including the Statue of Liberty ��.
Via Presque Isle,ME the first D-Day Squadron aircraft took off for Goose Bay,NFL and continued on their transatlantic crossing for the 2024 Legacy Tour.
N8336C went for Narsarsuaq Airport, while N74589 'Placid Lassie' covered a longer distance, to Reykjavík. 'That’s All, Brother' followed a day later from Goose Bay to UAK,Greenland. 'Western Air Lines' also had gone ahead via Narsarsuaq Int'l Airport (UAK).
Unfortunately, 'Ready 4 Duty' (151ZE) stayed behind at OXC with a faulty rh-engine in OXC and while a spare was flown in they never made the crossing...
Onward to REK, 'Western Air Lines' was the last one to rejoin the group, May 20th
By that time C-47 'Screaming Eagle' (N150D, Hugo Mathys) had made it to Buffalo,NY from her home base in Oshkosh,WI - trailing behind!
Update on May 22nd: "TAB, Western and Placid Lassie are on their way to Prestwick (PIK), Scotland. Spirit of Douglas still stuck in Narsarsuaq with a minor maintenance issue, should be on her way today. 'Screaming Eagle' is in KBUF, heading to Goose Bay today."
May 23rd 'Placid Lassie' (N74589), 'Western Air'(N33644), and 'That’s All, Brother' (N47TB) arrived in North Weald. “Spirit of Douglas” (N8336C) followed from REK to North Weald direct. They would participate at 'D-Day Weekend' at Shuttleworth.
That day 'Screaming Eagle' (N150D) Goose Bay for UAK, on May 23rd. There was a prolonged stay, due to oil cooler problems. Spare parts were flown in, but alas. The crew was flown out from Greenland to Switzerland to fly the 'Swissair' DC-3, also owned by Hugo Mathys, but weather in Switzerland prevented joining up at North Weald. After repairs were completed, it finally arrived in Switzerland 07Jul24.

A good source for these DC-3 histories is Air-Britain's (2006) 'DC-3 - The First Seventy Years'. I also use ATDB.aero online database and my own records noted from publications and fora over the years.
Note: the backdrop dates from 2019, which was a much more successful event than the one I attended here on May31st at North Weald. But that's the weather risk in a strict itinerary.

So only 5 'Daks' here on the flightline at North Wield airfield, only 3 made it from the US.

N74589 (c/n 9926) 'Placid Lassie'( 224064/N-ID) - R28Dec18 to Tunison Foundation (based at Oxford,CT)
I also came across N74589, not yet named 'Placid Lassie', at Cherbourg for D-Day's 70th anniversary.

D-Day Squadron teaming up with Aero Legends:

Douglas C-47A 292847/3X-W 'That's All Brother' (a.k.a. TAB), N47TB (c/n 12693)
Note: I did see it flying 5 years ago, see my D-Day 75 @Duxford report It also has its history detailed.

Those reenactors sure help to create the right atmosphere!

C-47 G-ANAF/'KP220' of Aero Legends rolling...

...but 'Pegasus' would abort its take off, just testing 'take off power' probably. No flying today.

More 'Daks'..

Pity the DC-3 NC33644 'Western Air Lines' (Vintage Flying Machines) has its cover up, but I've seen these
vintage transports leaking rain in at the 'seams' of the cockpit windows (a DC-4 in my case, during flight).

Douglas C-53C, N8336C (c/n 7313). 'Spirit of Douglas', ex/ 'Spirit of Benovia', for sale by the wine grower.

Douglas DC-3A, NC33644 (c/n 4123) 'Western Air Lines'
After my 2014 visit to the Museum of Mountain Flying they purchased this vintage DC-3, it was used to train their
crew on their other DC-3 (NC24320) for successful participation to D-Day 75 (2019). See MY D-DAY 75 @DUXFORD

Mover and a shaker but no flyer!

Face to face!

On 24Apr24 AeroLegends wrote on Facebook: "We're proud to reveal the stunning new 'Pegasus - Ghost of Arnhem'
nose art for our beloved WW2 Douglas Dakota C47 ahead of the 80th Anniversary D-Day and Arnhem commemorations. Inspired by the valour and spirit of the historic airborne forces, our aircraft now proudly boasts a breathtaking
depiction of Pegasus - The Ghost of Arnhem, a tribute to the brave men and women who served during World War II
and beyond." ¬www.facebook.com/aerolegends

'KP220' serial and RAF roundel.
This C-47 33436/16688 operated with the RAF from 1945 until 1953, in which year it became G-ANAF.
The aircraft still was reg'd G-ANAF when it was at Eindhoven in preparation for the 2023 'Market
Garden' memorial flight, but I could see no sign of this registration on the aircraft. Perhaps under the wing?

C-47A 'That's All Brother' (a.k.a. TAB), N47TB (c/n 12693) '292847/3X-W'
It took off in England for Normandy as lead ship in a formation of transports carrying military of the 2nd Battalion,
502nd PIR, 101st Airborne Division towards Drop Zone (DZ) A near Sainte-Mère-Église. The drop was done during
night time, at 00:48 on that fateful day June 6th.

Douglas C-47A, '224064' / N74589 (c/n 9926) 'Placid Lassie'

Compared to 'D-Day 75' at Duxford three of these DC-3s were familiar, one was new to me and one in a new livery.

NC33644 / 102 (c/n 4123) 'Western Air Lines', registered 16May2019 to Western Arlines Inc (Museum
of Mountain Flying, Montana). Five years ago they participated with their 'sister DC-3': C-47A NC24320.
NC33644 crossed the Atlantic in company with 'Placid Lassie' and 'That's All Brother' for D-Day 80.

Vintage Flying Machines - Flying Museum

Someone examined the aircraft data plate and fund it was built as a model DST-A-207D with later conversion to DC-3A.
This DC-3 actually flew with Western Air Lines from June 1942 to March 1958.

Douglas DC-3A N8336C (c/n 7313). For sale, new livery / titles: 'Spirit of Douglas'. Previously 'Spirit of Benovia'.
Repainted into these colours since its 2019 visit to Europe for the 75th anniversary of
D-Day ('D-Day 75'), when it carried the (genuine) colours of Civil Air Transport of China.

'Douglas - First Across The World'

Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper (c/n 7313), converted to a DC-3-S1C3G (registered as DC-3A) by Executive
Aircraft Services, including a VIP interior and AiResearch Maximizer speed kit.

A brief history

It was to return to the USA before handing over to a new owner.

Indeed a luxury interior! For more details see my D-Day 75 @Duxford report

The C53 N8336C ‘Spirit of Douglas’ stopped in Dole, France -with ‘Aero Passion’- for an engine change.

www.ddaysquadron.org/2024-legacy-tour

C-47 'Pegasus' (G-ANAF/ 'KP220') of Aero Legends out & about for the only movements this day.

Hopefully I get to see it again for 'Market Garden 2024'

The Aero Legends converted 2-seater ('dual cockpit T9 version') Spitfire NH341/UB-E 'Elspeth'
Read more on allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/NH341 and aerolegends.co.uk/spitfire/spitfire-flights

"Drag-em-Oot" C-47 N473DC, formerly owned by Paddy Green (who has passed on).

Douglas C-54 N44914: another restoration attempt failed. It looked better 6 years ago, see my ENGLAND 2018

A WW2 afficionado had researched the history of RAF Folkenham and troop Carrier Squadrons through WW2.

A huge amount of material, photos and information on locations, aircraft, military, locations, et cetera.

Her expression: priceless! It summarizes my feelings for this event, though I enjoyed my bounty of people pix!

Hard to spend a full day down here, I was fed up after 2 hours!

Update (20Jun24) on D-Day 80's return to the US, crossing the Atlantic.
The "Western Airlines" DC-3 has been getting a bit of TLC while they enjoy more of the English countryside, at Goodwood Aerodrome (EGHR) - starting the journey back to the U.S. following departure from this location - no confirmed date for departure. *
C-47 "That's All, Brother": at North Weald (EGSX) - starting the journey back to the U.S. following departure from this location - no confirmed date for departure.
C-47 "Placid Lassie": spent some time with our great hosts at @flugplatztannheim (EDMT) - now back at North Weald (EGSX) - relocating this weekend to Sywell (EGBK) for the airshow.
Million Air A-26 N26BP "Millionairess" (late joiner to D-Day 80, see my Photos by Friends & Guests #67) currently in Salzburg, Austria with Red Bull Air Force.

June 25:
"Western Airlines" passed through Narsarsuaq (UAK), Greenland and noticed C-47 "Screaming Eagle" awaiting repairs and return to base (Oshkosh?). Probably soemwhere inJuly.
C-47 "That's All, Brother" and DC-3 "Western Airlines" continued en route to Goose Bay, Canada (CYYR).
C-47 "Placid Lassie" has landed in Reykjavik, Iceland (BIRK). ��
A-26 "Millionairess" remains in Duxford.
The next day DC-3 "Western Airlines" and C-47 "That's All, Brother" were en route to Presque Isle, Maine (KPQI).
Presque Isle to be the last official stop for the return leg of our #24LT mission before they head home to their individual home bases.

Note that 'Placid Lassie' could make longer hops over the Atlantic, from Goose Bay (CYYR) to Reykjavik, Iceland (BIRK) without stopping in Narsarsuaq, -and vice versa-, because N74589 was equipped with extra fuel tanks (ferry tanks),
installed in her cargo area. Smart!