The Spoils of War – Ireland’s WW2 Aircraft Acquisitions 1939 – 1945 | Season 4 – Episode 86
Wings Nov 12, 2024
During World War II, although officially neutral, Ireland’s stance leaned heavily toward the Allies. The policy of neutrality, championed by Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and his Fianna Fáil government, was adopted at the war’s outset. However, when Allied planes crash-landed in Ireland, it was “finders keepers,” allowing the Irish Aer Corps to amass an eclectic fleet of aircraft as the spoils of war.
THE EMERGENCY
In the Republic of Ireland, World War II was known as “The Emergency,” a term drawn from the constitutional article used to suspend normal governance. On September 1st 1939, the first day of hostilities, Michael Rynne, a legal advisor at the Department of External Affairs, was reported saying that Irish neutrality to comply with international law meant “complete impartiality…abstaining from any action which might amount to auxiliary aid to one of the combatants”.
COVERT SUPPORT
Despite this official line of “complete impartiality”, covert support for the Allies included allowing military aircraft through the Donegal Corridor, check out our video on these secret flights – “WW2 flying boats, Irish neutrality & secret deals” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhIfp7aUcQ&t=50s
G2 the Irish Army Intelligence branch played a crucial role in the Normandy landing by cooperating with Allied forces and providing vital weather reports. On June 3rd, 1944, 21-year-old Maureen Flavin sent a report from Blacksod Bay, County Mayo, Europe’s most westerly weather station warning of an imminent Atlantic storm. Unbeknownst to Maureen her weather data was then fed to General Eisenhower leading him to delay the D-Day landing by 24 hours.
In 1943, the Irish Coast Watching Service built 83 large “EIRE” markers along Ireland’s coast, mainly on the west coast near lookout posts. These 12m by 6m signs, made of 150 tons of whitewashed stones set in concrete, were highly visible from the air. In another act of covert support the U.S. and British governments received the coordinates to these signs, but the Germans did not.
SPOILS OF WAR
After a period of several months of internment allied airmen and sailors who crash-landed in Ireland or washed ashore were frequently discreetly escorted across the border into Northern Ireland. Over the duration of the war approximately 170 aircraft crashed or force landed in the Republic of Ireland. German, Axis, Canadian and one American soldier were detained at the No. 2 Internment Camp at the Curragh Army Camp in County Kildare. Known as the “K-Lines,” the camp was built in 1939 to intern servicemen from either the Axis or Allied forces who were captured on Irish soil.
While Allied personnel were repatriated, their aircraft were often bought from the British government and put into service with the Irish Air Corps.
HAWKER HURRICANE
The Aer Corps’ first acquisition of a British aircraft occurred on September 29th 1940, when Pilot Officer Paul Mayhew, piloting a Hawker Hurricane, one of eight that were scrambled from RAF Pembrey in southern Wales, became involved in a dogfight with Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 bombers over the Irish Sea. During the engagement, Mayhew was disoriented from the aerial combat, and unaware of his exact location. Low on fuel and thinking he was over Wales he force-landed in what turned out to be County Wexford.
Mayhew landed his aircraft near Kilmuckridge, County Wexford, where he was captured by the Local Defence Force (LDF). Initially held under guard at Ceannt Barracks, Curragh Camp, he was transferred to the K-Lines internment camp on October 17th 1940, and remained the only British internee there for nearly two months.
A deal was then struck with the British and the government of neutral Ireland purchased the Canadian built P5176 Hurricane. The aircraft was later, repaired and put into service as aircraft No. 93 with the Aer Corps Advanced Training Section.
MILES MASTER I
On December 21st 1940, an RAF Miles Master I departed from RAF Ringway (now Manchester Airport) bound for RAF Jurby on the Isle of Man. Confident in their ability to locate the island in the middle of the Irish Sea, Pilot Officers William Proctor and Aubrey Covington did not prepare a flight plan and after encountering severe weather they quickly became lost.
They landed in County Louth, believing they were in Northern Ireland. After realising their mistake, they attempted to take off again, but the bumpy surface of the field they had landed in caused the propeller to strike the ground, flipping the plane over. The two men were fortunate to escape without serious injury and were arrested and taken to the K-Lines at Curragh Camp to be interned.
A week later, the Miles Master I was dismantled on-site and moved to the nearby Army barracks at Dundalk. Following negotiations with the British, the Air Corps purchased the aircraft and conducted extensive repairs, including work on the port wing, rudder unit, propeller, forward fuselage, elevator and various sub-assemblies. The aircraft was then reassigned to the Aer Corps as No. 34.
Pilot Officer William Proctor was not content to remain interned in County Kildare and escaped in July 1941. Pilot Officer Aubrey Covington was later released in October 1943 as part of a general release.
LOCKHEED HUDSON
The next aircraft to join the Aer Corp as spoils was a Lockheed Hudson P5123 from 233 Squadron, RAF Coastal Command based at Aldergrove, Crumlin, County Antrim. On January 24th 1941, while returning from an Atlantic patrol, the aircraft was forced to land in Sligo due to a lack of fuel.
The Lockheed Hudson was the military version of the Lockheed 14 passenger aircraft and was an ideal reconnaissance plane and highly prized by the RAF. It had taken off earlier that morning from Aldergrove, to provide daylight escort for the 10-ship HG50 Convoy, which had sailed from Gibraltar and was en-route to Liverpool. After departing from the convoy to return to base, the Hudson encountered bad weather and lost radio contact.
Volunteers at Aughris Look Out Post (LOP) 67 and Rosskeragh LOP 68 saw the aircraft circling over Sligo Bay from 15:50 hrs. It was reported to have dropped four bombs into the sea before making a forced wheels-up belly landing at 17:00 hrs in the townland of Derk Beg, Skreen in north County Sligo.
The local Garda Sergeant, along with two members of the Irish Army’s Military Intelligence (G2) who had arrived from Athlone, searched the aircraft, and confiscated the logbooks. The Army report states that the four crew members were taken to a Sligo hotel to rest before being transferred to Athlone barracks and then interned at the Curragh Camp.
On 26th January, telegrams were sent to the aircrew’s next of kin, notifying them that the four were missing and that further information would be provided. The next day the families each received a telegram stating: “Further information received states that your … … previously reported missing is now reported safe and well and interned in EIRE.”
An Irish Air Corps salvage team dug trenches to lower the undercarriage and recover the aircraft while negotiations began to purchase the aircraft from the British Government. On March 26th, Aer Lingus pilot Ivan Hammond flew the Lockheed Hudson from the field in Sligo to the Irish Air Corps headquarters at Baldonnel Aerodrome, County Dublin. Lockheed Hudson P5123 was reassigned as Irish Air Corps No. 91 and from May 1942, used for coastal patrols from Baldonnel and Rinneanna airfields.
After the war, the Hudson was sold to Aer Lingus, which intended to use it as a crew trainer. However, civilian registration was denied, and it was later sold to Belgium around 1947. While minimal damage was initially reported after the 1941 landing in Sligo a twisted fuselage was later discovered. Remarkably, this significant structural defect went unnoticed until after the aircraft had been sold from Aer Lingus to John Mahieu Aviation in Belgium, where it remained in service until being scrapped in 1954.
LUFTWAFFE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED
Luftwaffe crews forced to land in Ireland were under standing orders to destroy their aircraft to prevent them from falling into British hands, as Ireland’s neutrality was likely one of World War II’s worst-kept secrets.
This was the case when on March 3rd 1941, a Heinkel 111 bomber, damaged in an attack on an Allied convoy, made a belly wheels-up landing on Rostoonstown beach, County Wexford. One engine was out, the other damaged, and rear gunner Gefreiter Gerd Rister was killed. After landing, the crew removed Rister’s body and destroyed the aircraft with machine gun fire. The four surviving crew members were arrested and taken to K-Lines at the Curragh Camp.
Another Heinkel 111 made a forced landing on 1st April the same year at Dunbratten Head, County Waterford, after being damaged while attacking shipping in the Bristol Channel. With one engine knocked out and no chance of returning to France, the crew opted for Ireland. After landing, the five crew members quickly destroyed the aircraft with machine gun fire and surrendered to the Local Defence Force.
BLENHEIM CRASH TERMONFECKIN
On the evening of March 13th 1941, Sergeant David Southerland was delivering a passenger in his Bristol Blenheim Mk I from RAF Jurby to Squire’s Gate, Blackpool. After dropping off his passenger, he took to the air again but became lost due to poor visibility, compass issues and he had no radio. Intending to land in Northern Ireland, he unknowingly flew into neutral Eire and attempted to land at Termonfeckin, County Louth. While trying to land with the undercarriage down his aircraft crashed through a hedge while trying to clear trees, sustaining heavy front-end damage. Southerland broke his ankle in the crash and was taken by ambulance to nearby Gormanstown Military Camp, then to St. Bricin’s Military Hospital in Dublin, where he was interned for two and a half years until his release in October 1943. The fate of his twin engine Blenheim is unknown.
BLEMHEIM CRASHES CLONTARF
At this stage in The Emergency, plane crashes were almost becoming a daily occurrence and the following day, March 14th 1941, Sergeant Stanislau Kerniewski stationed at RAF Kemble in England was forced to put down his Blemheim I in the sea off Clontarf in the northern suburb of Dublin. Kerniewski got lost on a training flight, realised he was over Dublin, and safely ditched in the water off Clontarf and swam ashore.
The Irish Independent reported on March 15th that Dublin’s air defences failed to identify the Blenheim and, following protocol, opened fire. However, it remains unclear whether the anti-aircraft fire contributed to the aircraft’s ditching.
BATTLE ON TRAMORE RACECOURSE
On April 24th 1941, a Fairey Battle TT (serial number V1222), on a practice flight out from West Freugh, Scotland, ran low on fuel and had to force-land on Tramore Racecourse in County Waterford. Captain Baronowski was taken to Curragh Camp, Kildare, where he was interned until the general release in October 1943.
His aircraft was later flown to Baldonnel Aerodrome by Lieutenant Des Johnston, who reported it was in poor condition with fumes entering the cockpit. After negotiations with the British, the aircraft was purchased by the Irish government, assigned serial No. 92, and underwent repairs by the Aer Corps.
FATE UNKNOWN
On May 22nd 1941 an RAF Bristol Beaufighter on a flight from Gibraltar to England got into difficulties and Flight Lt Hugh Verity made a forced landing in a field next to the Leopardstown Race Course in south County Dublin – can anyone shed any light on the fate of this aircraft?
MK IIB HURRICANES
In 1941, two Mk IIB Hurricanes were acquired by the Irish government due to their pilots crash landing in Ireland. Following negotiations with the British government they were purchased by the Aer Corps and assigned to the Advanced Training Section as aircraft Nos. 94 and 95. In 1943 the British were still very eager for the return of their two Mk II Hurricanes despite having sold them to the Irish government in 1941. Negotiations began again and a favourable deal was struck to exchange four Hurricane Mk.Is for the two more advanced Hurricane IIBs, which featured 1,280 hp Merlin XX engines and upgraded armament.
AMERICAN MARAUDER
On June 4th 1943, a Martin B-26 Marauder, serial number 34718, with the nickname ‘Ridge Runner,’ painted on the side made a belly landing at Seapoint, County Louth. The Local Defence Force arrived to find all four crew members unharmed.
The B-26 was brand new and on a delivery flight from the U.S. to Europe, following a southern Atlantic route. After six hours of flight, the crew lost sight of their formation in cloud cover and because of having to maintain operational radio silence they drifted off course and running low on fuel made a forced landing in Ireland.
The Marauder bomber came to a halt on Seapoint beach with minor damage to the underbelly and propeller tips. However, saltwater from the rising tide soon rendered it beyond repair. Over the following days, Irish Air Corps personnel, with help from American contractors, moved the aircraft onto solid ground. On June 30th the dismantled remains of ‘Ridge Runner’ were transported by truck to a U.S. base in Northern Ireland.
CANADIAN & AMERICAN PILOTS
The first Royal Canadian Air Force member interned in Ireland was Sergeant Ros Tees, who got lost in his Hurricane on August 21st 1941, after taking off from RAF Halvington. His radio failed, and running low on fuel, he made a forced landing near Athboy, County Meath.
The only American interned was Pilot Officer Roland Wolf, who bailed out of his Spitfire P8074 over Moneydarragh, County Donegal, on November 30th 1941. A volunteer with the RAF’s No. 133 Squadron, Wolf was interned at The Curragh for two and a half years.
Check out our recent story on 1942 Hijack – Irish Pilot’s Defection Attempt to Germany https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-iTPSn37iY&t=8s
Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Aces Flying High
BCATP
Blenheim photo – A Flanaghan
Bristol Beaufighter – Facebook Page
Dan Steele
Destination Journey
How Irish and British forces worked together during World War II – Eoin Kinsella (Royal Irish Academy)
Ireland’s Military Story – Issue 8 Winter 2017/2018
Manchester Airport website
Plane Historia
Public Records Office – Kew
RTE
Silver Hawk
The Curragh – K-Lines Internment Camp
The Irish Defence Forces 1922 – 2022 – Four Courts Press
War Sailors
Wikipedia
