Lee Victory Festival returns at Daedalus airfield for first show after huge success in 2021

The Lee Victory Festival at Solent Airport at Daedalus will celebrate Victory in Europe day as well as Victory over Japan day with a 1.1-mile parade featuring bands, marching veterans and a static display of military vehicles at the airfield. It will take place over three days from Friday to Sunday.

READ NOW: Tesco prize offer

Friday will be on the airfield where at least 16 aircraft will be on display including five aircraft from Navy Wings including the Seafire, Harvad and Wasp, as well as the Lockhead Electra Junior 12A – last aircraft out of Berlin before the outbreak of the Second World War.

On Saturday there is a free military parade with HMS Collingwood providing a guard, HMS Sultan a marching troop, along with three veterans attending who are at least 100 years old. The parade will also see unformed cadets, scouts and veterans.

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire will be taking the salute along with HMS Collingwood’s and HMS Sultan’s Commanding Officers. The deputy mayor of Fareham and the mayor of Gosport will also be present. During the parade, an air display of the Fairey Swordfish aircraft will take place.

On the airfield there will be over 40 war reenactors who are there to educate the public. There will be a Victory Boulevard and name boards of those who died.

The event continues on the Sunday with the Big Band Southcoast Symphonia from the Titchfield Theatre Group performing. There’s the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight providing a flypast on both Saturday and Sunday.

An adult ticket per day is £15, senior/veterans is £10, and children £5 with under-5s free. Car parking is £5.

Organiser Jonathan Moore said in March: “I am privileged to be able to bring the event to a historic location such as the old Second World War airfield, HMS Daedalus.

“What is significant for this location is that the former HMS Daedalus airfield during Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944 saw 435 sorties flown from here making it the busiest single airfield on D-Day. In all, over 2,000 sorties were flown from this airfield, the majority in the first 10 days of operation.”

To see more go to: www.leevictoryfestival.co.uk.