I took a short break in the Belleek area of County Fermanagh recently and whilst there made a point of driving through Lough Navar Forest. This is a delightful seven miles of road, mostly single track, which culminates in a spectacular viewpoint on top of the "Cliffs of Magho" nearly 1000 feet above Lower Lough Erne. The viewpoint is a small car park which ends at the almost vertical cliff to the fields and farms below.
Looking down on Hill's Island from Lough Navar Forest viewpointMemorials
At the back of this open area is a belt of pine trees and it was here that I discovered these two memorials to aircrew who crashed and died whilst operating in the area during World War Two.
Two airforce memorial stones at Lough Navar ForestI note that the Catalina was based at Killadeas and assume the Sunderland crew were from Castle Archdale. Both bases were only a few miles across the Lough from where these tablets are erected.
Names on memorial tablet to 1943 Sunderland crash The wording on this tablet reads:-
WAR GRAVE
Sunderland W4036 Of 201 Squadron RAF Sank in Lough Erne on November 18th 1943
Flt/Lt Douglas J Dolphin RCAF (Skipper) age 23
Sgt. John B Green RAF age 23 Sgt Elvert Parry RAF age 20 Killed. Buried Flintshire. Wales.
Remember all airmen based on Lough Erne who died in World War Two
Names on memorial tablet to 1944 Catalina crash The wording on this tablet reads:-
CATALINA JX 242 OF 202 SQN. KILLADEAS
CRASHED AT LOUGH AN LABAN
ON NOVEMBER 20th 1944
EIGHT CREW MEMBERS DIED
Flt/Lt. George Forbes-Lloyd RAF (Skipper)
P/O William Sharpe RAAF
W/O Ernest Slack RAF
Sgt. Fred Deam RAF
Sgt. John Geldert RAF
Sgt. Peter Marshall RAF
Sgt. Douglas Nater RAF
Sgt. Gordon Tribble RAF
I have heard of the wartime base for sea-planes at Castle Archdale but didn't realize there was also one at Killadeas. Has any "Sense of Placer" more details about this Killadeas base?
Ernesider has been writing about the Catalina crash - find out more.
© MMIX