The Tunison Foundation’s C-47 N74589, Placid Lassie arrives at Prestwick in May 2024.
‘Placid Lassie’ N74589 has a long and illustrious history and her owner, the Tunison Foundation, has provided much of the inspiration for the ‘D-Day Squadron’ visits to Britain and France for the 2019 75th and 2024 80th commemorations of the Normandy landings. Here, she is caught landing at a rainy Prestwick in May 2024, inbound from Reykjavik and another (of her numerous) Atlantic crossings.
Built at Long Beach in 1943 as 42-24064 for the USAAF, she was assigned to the 74th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 434th Troop Carrier Group in October 1943. Crossing the Atlantic for the first time, she joined the US Ninth Air Force at Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, England. Her initial crew comprised: Captain 1st Lt Richard Lumm, Second Pilot Lt Ralph Lundgren, 1st Lt William Vaughn Jr, Staff Sgt Edward Tunison and Crew Chief T/Sgt Eddie Apodaca. Prior to D-Day, the TCG moved to Aldermaston and, on June 6th 1944, Placid Lassie took part in Operation Chicago, towing CG-4A gliders to LZ ‘E’, inland from Utah Beach. A second operation, ‘Keokuk’, followed on the evening of the 6th.
Placid Lassie also took part in Operation Market Garden operations during September 1944 delivering paratroopers on 17th and Waco gliders on the 18th. The 74th TC Squadron also supported US Forces during the December 1944 Ardennes offensive. Finally, ‘Lassie’ took part in ‘Operation Varsity’, history’s largest ever airborne assault, in March 1945. Gliders were towed to Wesel as part of the Rhine Crossing. Shortly afterwards, two new engines were fitted to Placid Lassie in preparation for her return to the USA. This was not, however destined to be her last Atlantic Crossing
Civilianised as NC74589 in 1946, she joined the short-lived NATS Air Transport Service in Oakland, California before moving northwards to West Coast Airlines, later Air West, and, subsequently, Aerodyne of Seattle. The C-47 may also have flown for Alaskan fish transporters Salair before moving to the gentler climes of the Carolinas. Here, she was initially owned by Saber Cargo Airlines. The next move foe N74589 was to Express Air Inc of South Carolina, followed by Dodson International at Covington, Georgia in February 2000. Following financial problems at the operator, the C-47 was taken over by Covington Airport’s owner, Dixie Jet Services, and remained semi derelict until May 13th 2010. It was then bought by James Lyle, a British financier who aimed to achieve the near-impossibe by returning the old aircraft to flying condition in time for the 2010 Oshkosh Fly In. He hired British historic aviation expert Clive Edwards and, together with aircraft mechanic Gordon Grey, they managed to successfully resuscitate the C-47 in time to fly it to the Wisconsin air display. Nick-named the ‘Union Jack Dak’, N74589 took up residence at the Oxford Waterbury Airport and, during 2011, was resprayed in military olive drab military colours.
N74589’s first D-Day anniversary appearance was in 2014 when she was flown to the UK to appear at the Lee-on-Solent Daedalus Air Show commemorating 70 years since Operation Overlord. The C-47 had static lines fitted and, returned to her original function, was able to host a number of parachute drops. While making follow-up appearances in Europe she was identified as having been ‘Placid Lassie’ and the single surviving member of the original crew, radio operator Edward Tunison, flew to Belgium to renew his acquaintance with the old transport which had its starboard engine named after his wife, ‘Eager Eileen’
Following the 2016 death of Edward Tunison, James Lyle donated the C-47 to a charitable organisation which has since evolved into today’s Tunison Foundation. The group has been a prime mover in the D-Day Squadron visits to Europe in 2019 and 2024. On each occasion, ‘Placid Lassie’ has crossed the Atlantic via Prestwick to join in the commemorations.
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