Neglected Flying Boat base.

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Tiree halifax crew.

A memorial to the crew of a halifax from Tiree which crashed into the cliff above Tullan Strand Bundoran in January 1944 , all on board perished.
This memorial stone was dedicated two years ago.
The bodies of those recovered are buried in Irvinestown County Fermanagh.

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A view over the memorial stone looking towards Donegal Bay.
Several aircraft were lost in the Bay and on the high ground which surrounds it.
When you flew down the "Corridor" and out over Donegal Bay it was either turn right and your next stop was Iceland or turn left and your next stop was Gibralter.

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Donegal Corridor.

A stone to describe the "Donegal Corridor" from Lough Erne , out over Belleek down the River Erne , out over Ballyshannon and Donegal Bay .

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Opposite the plaque.

Just opposite the Corridor plaque, the world famous Belleek Pottery.

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Belleek

The bridge and Pottery works can be easily seen in this photograph taken from the Duxford based Catalina.

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Rock bay , Boa Island.

Boa island is the largest island on Lough Erne , approx 5 miles long - it became linked to the mainland in 1935-6 via two bridges and cause way linking it to its neighbouring Island of Inniskeragh.
Lying close to its southern shore are the islands of Lusty More and Lusty Beg , ( L.Beg now plays host to a major hotel and leisure complex - a popular stop for folks on boating holidays.
( And not a bad place to grab a bite to eat!)
A third island called Creenish covers Rock Bay providing a shelytered anchorage , Lusty More and beg provide shelter from the westerly wind which blows down the Lough.

In May 1944 a decision was made to locate a sub station to Killadeas here , the site being divided by the main road which runs through the Island - in 1944 traffic would have been relatively light compared to today.
The accomadation was on the right hand side and the mooring for the aircraft fuel storage and marine section on the left.
The jetty was purpose built by the RAF and in a few short months the fuel storage tansk went up.
The idea was to house 131 O.T.U Sunderland flight here as the waters around Killadeas were unsuited to to operating the large aircraft from there.
Bombstores were built down beside the waters edge and a ferry service to move air and ground crew from Killadeas / castle Archdale to the station was set in place.
( The alternative to this 2 miles run across the Lough was to "bus" them round - a distance of approx 6-8 miles.)

As time progressed elements 202 Squadron took up residence here in late 1944 and disaster struck when some of the accomadation as burnt down as a result of an accident.

In 1944 an airman died here when he fell into the water and drowned.
A group of men had just come back from pettigo ( in the republic) coming back by boat - a disatnce of less than 3 miles = probably being picked up on the north shore of the Lough at a disused jetty.
Sadly when making their way up to their billets one man lagged behind and his friends went on ahead thinking he was answering the call of nature and wuld be following them , sadly the poor man fell in and drowned in the shallow water , being found there the next day.
Accidents happen and sadly this poor lad lost his life as a result.

Catalinas and Sunderlands moored up here until the end of the war , the base closed in 1945 .
Story goes that 202 squadrons mascot , a duck was also billited here.

About two miles west of the base a watch tower was built looking out over the Lough to observe bombing practsie on a moored target which was just south of Boa island - airmen obsering used to cycle down from Rock bay , climb over the steps in the stone wall , and walk down the cement path to the watch tower.
The tower is still there today although in poor repair - if you know where it is you can find it if you don't you will have quite a job !

I had intended to photograph the remains of the fuel bunkers which are still on site but found that there was one rather large bull in field so I decided that it might be best done another day.
( To call a spade a spade , he was fecking huge!).

The accomadaton site - only the path in remains , the last nissen husr went about two years ago and today a bungalow now sits on the site along with some modern farm buildings.
The marine section - a holiday home now exists there , the site being strictly private - a better view you would never find if you tried , the ownewr is extremely lucky.
Attached photo the jetties , fuel bunkers would be just to the right of the cattle , in the undergrowth , the brick and cement stands can easily be found , these carried fuel by pipe to the jetty , I am unsure if i=was boated to the aircraft or piped to them.

My late uncle them aged 14-15 had a part time job in ther camp keeping the generator going , my grandfather told me how a Sgt. there ran a fuel rcaket - "Harry" having a taxi used to get fuel from him , but according to him you had to mix the "100 octane with petrol or it would burn the engine out " how much truth is in this I don't know.
In the end his sins found him out and the Sgt left "Rock Bay" for Icelamd as an airman , again according to "Harry".
My grand father must have told this to my father who was Ex- Royal navy , "Bob" took a dim view of this "black market" activity , his view was that if you ever saw a Tanker "go up" buying blackmarket fuel would be the last thing you would want to do.

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Rock Bay.

The entrance to the accomadation site.

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Entrance to the marine section / jetties area.

And just across the road about 30 yards away the entrance to the marine section , jetties and mooring area.
Aircraft moored here would also have had a "boat guard" at night - as the crow flies the republic would only be about 2 miles away , although it was more of a source for luxury items than any threat.

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Bomb stores

One of the two bomb stores which were located a little way from the fuel dump , only one remains - now used to store animla fodder, the heavy armoured doors are still in situ.

A road way was built to allow fuel truck in to unload , I was making my way down this when I met the bull.
I though of telling him that "There's nothing quite like a MacDonald's", but thought better of it .

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View towards Castle Archdale.

A view towards Castle Archdale , about a mile and a half at most , the bombaing range on Gravel Ridge , flying control tower on Gay Island would be close by and in visual range as soon as aircraft left the bay and went out on the main water way.
The large green island - Creenish , there must bae a million rabbits on the island , the local land owner boats cattle to and from the island.

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St.Johns Point.

The lighthouse at St.John's Point - a landfall both on departure and on returning.

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Watch Tower on Boa island.

The watchTower on Boa Island , this tower was built right on the shoreline a few hundred yards to the west of "The Black Rock" a small Island off Boa's south shore - deep water around it and a great place to "pick up a trout."

The tower stands at the end of a smooth cement path which runs up from the tower along a hedge line right to the road side , steps being built into the rough stone wall on each side so the airmen could climb over and back without difficulty.
The hand rail has since fallen down and since the war the tree line has re established itself again blocking the view from the tower out over the Lough.
My grandfather told me there "was a target moored off the shore" , he even pointed out " the gap in the trees that the aircraft lined up on " and how " the men from the base" would "cycle down" to "watch the bombing".
( His small farm holding was about half a mile away ).

Today unless you know it is there you will find it hard to locate , the steps are overgrown and the path is partly obscured by undergrowth.
The pathway - no expense spared - I mean it is not a half done job - it is so smooth , not a bump on it and not a drop of water lies on it.
The photo shows the rear of the tower looking towards the lough , the view is over open water all the way to the far shore.
A last silent sentinel ....

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SS Nerissa

I don't think I posted this previously.
The grave of a young Canadian Sub. Lt. who drowned when Erich Topp sank SS Nerissa approx 180 miles North West of Donegal .
His body was cast ashore in Donegal Bay and he was buried in this very old Church of Ireland graveyard which is only a stones throw from the Atlantic - wheever I am in the area I make a point of "calling".
The graveyard is very old goes back into the 1600's , the church is just a shell and it is totally neglected , there is one other wargrave in the cemetery - a 14-18 grave.
( Private F. Long of the Inniskilling Fus. who died on 9th July 1916.)
The entrance is several hundred yards from the small road way , tree lined , the lane grassed over , the iron gates rusty and aged , it is easy to imagine a horse drawn hearse - black horses, plumes , and the gentery of yesteryear making their way after it.

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A photograph og SS Nerissa , I am grateful to Mr Brian Probetts for allwoing me to use his jpeg , his website :
http://www.merchant-navy.net/ is a truely excellent source of information on all things relating to the Merchant navy and is a good contact point for old comrades, my sincere thanks to Brian for his kindness.
A full history and account of the sinking of SS Nerissa can be at the following website http://www.ssnerissa.com/ .
If only there were more sites like this ( these two in fact) , an excellent site.
Some of the information relating to the loss has been provided by Irish Aviation / WW2 expert Mr. Martin Gleeson - I have met Martin a few times and his work is of the highest quality , a good bloke !

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Pill box.

I came across this just outside Donegal town on a small beach - a pillbox , waiting for a potentail landing which never took place , now its full of sand , a silent reminder of a troubled past - "The Emergency" ,a number of these isolated pillboxes can be found on beaches all over Ireland , some still stand in the border areas - invasion might have been from Germany or Britain.
I had intended to get a photo of the look Out Post at St . Johns , but the photo was totally duff.