Neglected Flying Boat base.

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202 Crew.

This crew - the photo was taken at 131 OTU Killadeas in 1944 , this crewe later returned to Castle Archdale with 202 squadron.

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Aircrew .

A photo of some men - leading aircrafts men taken at St. John's Wood Air Crew recieving Centre near London in May 1942.
From Left to Right Cadets Heady , Franks, Miller and (Robert) Watson.
Sgt. Robert Watson was to be killed on 9th January 1944 when his Catalina crashed near Boa Island.
One of his crewmates Sgt Sherry - is also shown in this thread.
two of their crew mates are still "missing".

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131 OTU loss December 1942.

Sgt Les Walter Bridger - Les was killed when his catalina crashed in the curcuit to land t Stranaer.
This was one of two Catalinas lost on 30th December 1942 from 131 at killadeas.
They were out on a naviagtion exercise the succesful completeion of which would have seen them " qualify".
Eddie Edwards checked the forcast and sent them out - he was en route to Belfast in another aircraftw hen the weather started to close in , he returned to Killadeas sendsing a message ahead to recall the crews without delay.
When Eddie got back he was just about able to get down and the two crews were diverted to Stranraer.
As time rolled on no news was heard until reports came back of a crash near Omagh and later one near Stranraer.
the Omagh crash claimed the life of 12 aircrew one of whom Sgt orr had been educated at Omagh Academy , his father being a local policeman.
the aircraft was heard to be over the town for a bout half an hour prior to crashing in bogland some 6 miles east near Gortin.
The local fire service atatnded but the aircraft was compeltlely burn out and all on board had been killed.
A memorial now marks the spot .

Les bridger's crew crashed trying to get in at stranaer.
A n enguiry into the losses cleared Eddie of any blame in the loss the weather foracst had been satisfactory but had collapsed into snowstorms and rain without any warning.

These wee the first crews to be trained at Killadeas , the loss of which was deeply felt by Eddie Edwards.

Eddie was 2nd pilot to ted jewis when they helped capture U-570 South of Iceland.

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U-Boat

One of a surrendered U-boat taken in May 45 from an escorting Allied aircraft.
I don't think I have put this on before - apologies if it is a duplicate.
have enlarged the "trum" as it is an intersting photo.

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Tower.

The tower , enlarged.
Interesting that the boats UZO/UDF is in situand its anti spary hoods are attached .

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201 Sq. RAF encounter with a JU88.

Several years ago I obtained thisaccount from a Mr F Gaunt who flew with 201 squadron.
His aircraft had just cleared Donegal bay and was working her way down the West Coast bound for her patrol are in Biscay.

The encounter with the JU88 took them completely by surprise and could have equally worked out badly.

"Our brush with the Ju-88 was at the end of our second month with the Squadron.He must have thought we were the smartest and coolest crew in Coastal Command. In fact we were extremely lucky.
It was the system to spend a little time after atke off in chit-chat and stowing our food , gear and belongings in secure places.
Most positions such as second pilot, engineers panel , radio operator , navigator, radar set would already be working and on this occasion the skipper was on the flight deck as usual .
AS we flew clear of Donegal bay and were somewhere off the west coast he gave the order to open watch , each of us being busy with our job I cannot be clear of our position.On the order being given the spare W.Op/AG went to thefront turret, I was on the radio set and Marshall newton the second gunner was standing alongside me.he mounted the table and put his head into the astrodome. He immediately went into an attack report and without stopping to breathe it went like "Aircraft on the starboard beam looks like a JU88, it is a JU88 attacking , dive starboard , dive , dive , dive, starboard".
I saw the skipper flying stuck to his seat and the experienced W.Op pulling me from my seat, I saw the tracers passing across the astrodome. I slid down to the galley to mount one of the Vickers which was then held by Taff Williams while I loaded the magazine. After that there was no job for me but to look for the enemy through the portholes. I think he tried to get in position again but was unsuccessful.
We were now working our way west over the Atlantic and away from where he wanted to be. I last saw him at sea level heading away from us.
Our perfect reaction probably scared him a little he sacred us also.
We got back on track and completed our trip of over 15 hours arriving back about 19.00 hours. It was only after landing and inspection that maintance found not only bullet holes but a cannon shell hole through the main spare of one wing.
It was felt at the time that we had he was on a "Met. flight" making the most of an opportunity."

( I will add ORB info later this evening).

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423 Rcaf .

Just happen to be to hand - two encounters between 423 Sunderlands and Luftwaffe aircraft.
In these cases a Ju88 fighter and a FW-200 .
Encounters with the Luftwaffe were quite common in 1941 -43.
One ORB describe a gallant attempt to catch a Fw200 by a Lerwick , the FW had the legs on the Lerwick - which was perhaps best for the Lerwick.
first Johnny Musgrave's run in with the Ju88 , he was quite lucky all things considered.

Standrd construction of the ORb
A summary of events whichgive brief detals of activity on the day - local lfying is described in general terms - occasionally useful notes can be had from these sections.
The operational section - as seen below and thene a set of appendicies which are in 423's case a gold mine.
Loads of good stuff - photos of attacks , photos of aircraft and crews , details of what was going on socially.

On the other hand 131 OTU's - often aircfat went "missing" and were never recorded - records being only as good as the men who maintained them .

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423 Rcaf / Fw-200.

F/O. Jacksons encounter with a FW-200 in Sept. 1943.

looking down the names.... UIlrich - he did a second tour with 422 and went missing in November 1943 - shot down by a U-Boat - there were no survivors.

Frizell's crew - we have met them already - Ronnie Woltman his navigator , Jim Wright - Bruce Whitney who went on to do his Captains course , returning to take over from Gery Fellows .
( Se posts 49-51. Bruce is wearing the peaked cap on the right).
Bruce made two attacks on suspected U-boat contacts in the one week - without success.
He kindly allowed me to borrow a complete set of the blind approach system to the Lough and the "let down procedures".
So much of this information has been lost - that it survived alone is down to men like Bruce Whitney.

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camp News paper.

The following six pages show te front page of the Station news paper.
Again from 423 RCAF O.R.B.
It reads from left to right.
1,2,3 are top.
4,5,6 are the bottomsections.
Softball leage was a major recreatonal activity amongest the Candians , that and fighting the local Amerian troops.

The Rev. Heveaner - his book is advertised in this page - he buried almost all the wartime casualties laid to rest in Irvinestown Church of Ireland.

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Camp News paper No2. (Top centre).

More from the newpaper.
This came from the ORB in A4 copy - the overlaps have been removed , I didn't want to start cutting and taping it together so sorry for the sectional presentation.

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Camp Newspaper ( top right).

Top right section.

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Camp Newspaper (Bottom left).

News paper bottom left.

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camp News paper

Newspaper bottom centre (5).

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camp Newspaper bottom left (No6).

Bottom left.
the local adverts - cinemas, where to east , items for sale , uniform orders, fishing tackle.
Many of these shops are still in business today.

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Closure

Now closure of the base came out in the pres, Killadeas had gone years before and had been the scene of the scrapping of a large number of Catalinas.