Last American Wartime Workhorse travels 12,000 mile to bring closure for one Island Family, after 80 Years

Flying 12,000 miles US based Commemorative Air Force has brought one of their period WW2 military aircraft back to Europe for 80th Anniversary Celebrations, and this includes their project ‘Bringing the Boys Home’. Volunteers have taken hundreds of British gravestone rubbings from men who lost their lives whilst wartime training in the USA and will deliver these into the hands of relatives and museums in the UK for preservation.

Aircraft ‘Ready For Duty’ will participate in Guernsey 80th Liberation Day on May 9th (a day after Europe’s VE Day) to be met on the tarmac by the family of Sub Lieutenant Sylvester ‘Sly’ Kenneth RABEY. His rubbing will end 80 years of this family’s story

Sub-Lieutenant Sylvester ‘Sly’ Kenneth RABEY Sly came from the British Channel Island of Guernsey and was evacuated to Oldham at 16 before the German invasion and occupation started 30th June 1940. He joined Oldham school’s air training corps and played for Oldham Football Club. Later he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Sub-Lieutenant and was sent to learn to fly in the USA. All his family knew was that he was tragically killed in an accident in North Windham, Maine on 26th January 1944.

The Commemorative Air Force found Sly’s memorial at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cemetery in Maine and located his Guernsey family. His niece, Deputy (Member of the island Parliament) Sue Aldwell, is responsible for organising the Island’s 80th Liberation celebrations on 9th May this year.

She and her family will be reunited with the rubbing of Sly’s memorial when CAF aircraft ‘Return 4 Duty’ visits the island on 8th May, bringing closure to a family who has wondered on what happened to Sly.

About “Ready 4 Duty”

Built in 1944, Ready 4 Duty is a Douglas R4D-6S, the U.S. Navy’s version of the legendary DC-3 and C-47. The last of its kind still flying, the aircraft is a centerpiece of the Dallas/Fort Worth Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of World War II aviation. Learn more at www.dfwwing.com.

About ‘Bringing the Boys Back Home’

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, volunteers from the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) are honouring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the U.S. during World War II and remain buried on American soil. The “Bringing the Boys Back Home” initiative reconnects the legacy of these fallen heroes with their families in the United Kingdom.

In March and April, volunteers set out to reach all 423 gravesites in 71 cemeteries across 28 states—from Maine to Hawaii. They made a non-destructive rubbing of each headstone.

The completed rubbings were catalogued and photographed at CAF National Headquarters in Dallas and are being transported to the UK aboard the CAF’s 1944

Douglas R4D aircraft, named Ready 4 Duty – itself a World War II Navy veteran, which began its transatlantic flight on 17 April 24 as part of this year’s historic Navy to Victory Tour.

“U.S. and British forces trained and fought valiantly together during World War II. We’re honoured to commemorate their sacrifices and to help ensure their memory endures for future generations,” said CAF President and CEO David Oliver.

Other organizations participating in the initiative include the British Embassy, Ministry of Defence, the British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell, Texas; Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Ala.; the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va.; the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii; Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston, S.C.; and the British Commonwealth Remembrance Project USA.

“What a wonderful gesture by our American allies,” said 104-year-old Colin Bell, a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, and British flight instructor based in the U.S. during the early years of World War II

About Commemorative Air Force (CAF)

Founded in 1957, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of military aviation. With an airworthy fleet of over 180 vintage military aircraft—the world’s most extensive flying collection of World War II-era aircraft—the CAF brings history to life through flight and living history experiences. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the CAF operates numerous locations nationwide, all united by a shared mission: to Educate, Inspire, and Honor. Each year, through the efforts of thousands of volunteers, the CAF’s educational programs engage an estimated 20 million Americans, offering hands-on

access to history that is both unique and impactful. Learn more at www.commemorativeairforce.org.