Red Arrows flypast over Edinburgh for VJ Day cancelled due to low cloud and poor visibility - but aircraft carried on to Prestwick

The much anticipated Red Arrows flypast over Edinburgh was cancelled this morning due to poor visibility - but the planes carried on their journey as part of the VJ Day commemorations.
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The aircraft - known for their aerobatics and red, white and blue trails - were due to flyover the Capital at 11:30am.

But an official tweet from the RAF Red Arrows Twitter page this afternoon said: “Unfortunately, due to low cloud outside of safety limits at #Edinburgh, we could not carry out the flypast over the city.

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"Weather particularly challenging in parts of the UK today - meaning this could impact plans. #RedArrows.”

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman confirmed the flyover above Edinburgh had to be cancelled due to weather and poor visibility and that the planes carried on to Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Video footage captured by The Scotsman shows the planes on the runway there.

It is not known whether another flypast will be arranged for Edinburgh at another time.

The Red Arrows will continue on to Belfast, Cardiff and London today subject to weather conditions.

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The flypasts over the UK’s capital cities have been organised to commemorate VJ Day on August 15, 1945 - the day World War Two ended with Japan's surrender after the US dropped two atomic bombs in the country, killing 214,000 people.

The Red Arrows flew on to Prestwick. Pic: John DevlinThe Red Arrows flew on to Prestwick. Pic: John Devlin
The Red Arrows flew on to Prestwick. Pic: John Devlin

VJ Day - or Victory over Japan Day - ended one of the worst episodes in British military history, in which tens of thousands of servicemen were forced to endure the brutalities of prisoner of war camps.

Veterans

Upon arriving in Prestwick, three veterans were greeted by the Red Arrows. They are 96-year-old Whitson Johnson, Albert Lamond, 94, and 93-year-old Bernard “Barney” Roberts.

Mr Johnson served in the RAF from 1942 to 1947, deciphering codes in support of the Fourteenth Army in the Far East and also spent time in Bombay, Calcutta, Chittagong, Hmawbi and Burma.

The Red Arrows at Prestwick on Saturday. Pic: John DevlinThe Red Arrows at Prestwick on Saturday. Pic: John Devlin
The Red Arrows at Prestwick on Saturday. Pic: John Devlin
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Royal Navy serviceman Mr Lamond served from 1943 to 1947 as a signalman.

He fought at Sword Beach during the D-Day campaign and was later attached to the Pacific fleet that joined with the American navy under the command of Admiral Halsey in the Far East.

Mr Roberts also served in the Royal Navy, from 1942 to 1947, initially serving on a minelayer to protect the Arctic convoys from German U-boats before fighting in Italy and North Africa.

A message from the Editor:

The Red Arrows arrived in Prestwick but, unfortunately, could not fly over Edinburgh.The Red Arrows arrived in Prestwick but, unfortunately, could not fly over Edinburgh.
The Red Arrows arrived in Prestwick but, unfortunately, could not fly over Edinburgh.

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