Flying Top Cover for General Clark (Part 2 of 2)

I decided that I was going to land at Copenhagen. The Germans are still there but they were accepting these aircraft. So, when I took off I didn’t close my door up tight so that the track for my canopy couldn’t, wouldn’t allow me to close the canopy, and I took off that way. I couldn’t close the canopy and it was cold. So when we got over Copenhagen, it was only a 20 minute flight or something, I said, I told the other two guys to go back because I couldn’t get my canopy closed and I have to go in to land to fix this. That was, my number 2 came with me. We landed, the Luftwaffe were still there in their uniforms and can you imagine two Spitfires driving up to the line with the German Air Force fellows there, still with their guns, but the Danish underground were there too and they had come in and immediately surrounded our aircraft while I was taking care of this repair work. But that wasn’t good enough for the Danish underground, they immediately took us into town and got us “half in the bag” and we stayed overnight with folks there and we had a great time. Took off the next day with the German Air Force still there, took off. We buzzed the field of course because it was okay and then went back. That was exciting. Interviewer: It must have been. Walking by these Luftwaffe guys and they were just like us. Amazing. Interviewer: It is amazing. Very few people get a chance to do something like that. And I got it.

Mr. Yarnell continues to discuss flying top cover for General Mark Clark into Copenhagen, and the reception he received.

Cyrill St. Clair (Cy) Yarnell

Mr. Yarnell was born August 9, 1920 in Carlow, Ireland. He moved to Canada when he was 8 years old. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 at the age of 20. Mr Yarnell received his initial pilot training in Victoriaville, Quebec where he learned to fly the Fleet Finch, he then graduated on to the Harvard. He received flying instructor training in Trenton and trained pilots from many countries. After instructing for a year, Mr. Yarnell was sent overseas. He flew missions over North Africa, Italy and Germany and was involved in the battles at Liri Valley and Monte Cassino. Following the war, Mr. Yarnell continued with the RCAF, retiring in 1975 as a colonel. He is a member of the Air Force Association of Canada and is very active with the Air Force Museum in Trenton, Ontario. Mr. Yarnell and his wife, Phyllis, have three children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.