Operation Manna 80th Anniversary Event – April 29, 2025 (10:00 – 15:00) – UPDATE

Admission: a non-perishable food item to be donated to local food banks. A commemoration ceremony will be held at 11:00 am.

UPDATE FOR TUESDAY’S EVENT: 80th ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION MANNA
We are excited for a visit from the C-130 Hercules from 424 Squadron (weather permitting/barring any SAR missions). Unfortunately, we are sad to report the P51 Mustang and Spitfire from the Timmermans Collection will not be making the trip to Windsor due to the Mustang and Spitfire still undergoing maintenance annual inspection.

Operation Manna 80th Anniversary

2025 will be an eventful time of remembering our history of 80 years ago.  1945 marked the end of WWII in Europe and the Pacific.  Windsor had a very specific part in it when a pilot from here by the name of Bob Upcott led the first, and arguably most dangerous since they were unarmed, humanitarian air drop of food on April 29 in his Lancaster bomber.  The Dutch were starving after the Nazis commandeered most of the food in the Netherlands, reduced to eating tulip bulbs to survive, and Bob and his crew flew the first test mission dropping gunny sacks of non-perishables like flour, tinned meat, sugar, coffee and tea, dried peas and beans, salt, mustard and of course, chocolate, at a race track near the Hague.

This year we honour Bob and his faithful crew at our museum on April 29.  We’ll be open from 10:00 – 3:00, and appropriately, admission will be a non-perishable food item to be given to local food banks through the #unemployedhelpcentre.  You can participate in the commemoration by bringing the same items as were in the Operation Manna burlap bags dropped out of the bomb bay of a Lancaster bomber similar to our own at the museum, or any non-perishable or a monetary donation if you prefer, that we’ll collect and provide to those locally in need.

We’ll also have some special items available for sale in the gift shop.  Tulips?  Chocolates anyone?  Should be a great day.