Corsair wreck in Lough Foyle

[MReyn24050]

The following photograph shows a Scout AH Mk1 of 663 Sqn AAC hovering over the wreck of a Vought Corsair that was spotted in the mud in Lough Foyle off shore near what used to be RNAS Eglington. The photograph was taken in 1972. Can anyone provide details regarding this wreck?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/NI1972.jpg

[ORAC]

Corsair II, JT693 ‘R’, 1843 NAS RNAS Eglinton. Suffered an engine fire and force landing on mudflats on 9/10/44, the pilot Sub Lt CH Schwenger RCN, was uninjured.

[mlc]

So what happened to it??

[Tiger_mate]

Its still there, but rotton to the core

[MReyn24050]

Thanks Tiger_mate. I found the photograph amongst some old photos I was sorting. I was stationed at Ballykelly in 1972 and am the guy in the back of the Scout and seeing the photograph again I was curious to find out the story behind the wreck.

[mlc]

Amazed it hasn't been recovered!

[DB6]

What a mine of information! I fly over that wreck regularly (Loganair) on the final approach to Derry and had always assumed it was a Gannet (unless it's not the one a hundred yards or so from the Runway 26 threshold). Only a portion of wing and centre section remains now, no fuselage.

[Tiger_mate]

It is the one just offshore, in fact so tempting close that you would have expected recovery by the Ulster Aviation Society years ago.

But in their defence, the nature of the mud makes even a land visit impossible. It is also covered by the incoming tide daily, hence the rot.

This ones destiny always was in the hands of mother nature. That there is anything still visible is in itself quite amazing.

Now for the rumour of a P38 submerged (shallow) short finals for Aldergrove/Langford Lodge, over to SeaFuryfan!!

[Atcham Tower]

We walked out to it in 1963 and I have photos to prove it. Unfortunately unable to scan them at present. It wasn't far offshore nor was it dangerous.However the lough may have changed its configuration since then. Nearer to Eglinton are the remains of a Firefly which crashed rather than ditched. Not accessible on foot, I believe!

[DB6]

The wreck, 2 days ago......
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/DB6Mk2/Eglintonwreck.jpghttp://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/DB6Mk2/derry1.jpg
You may need to zoom in a bit - I couldn't get much closer at the time ;) .

[Atcham Tower]

That's the Firefly. The Corsair is further to the east close to Ballykelly.

[seafuryfan]

Hi Tiger Mate :)

Yep, the wreck is still there all right. I'll try and get on a trip to Ballykelly with my camera and if the tide is out will take a photo to post.

IIRC the forward fus is still intact and you can see right inside what remains of the cockpit. The wings are still recognizable in 'skeletal form'.

[Silverpony]

Hi folks - that Corsair pic is fab! :)

I'm from Ballykelly and knew there was a plane visable from the sea wall at Myroe. I took my dad to see it again recently and it really has deteriorated a lot since I last saw it about 20 years ago.

I'm now keen to find out a bit more about these planes - can anyone point me in the right direction please. I've seen a mention on the net of a war grave in Lough Foyle also - a Liberator? Does anyone have any more info on this? I don't think many local people are aware that there are still WWII planes in Lough Foyle and I would like to get a mention of them on our local history website with details of what happened and locations.

Any help appreciated folks! My email is [email protected]

[ORAC]

See here (http://www.divetheworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18) for some details from a diving forum.

[Silverpony]

Many thanks ORAC! Got in touch with the divers and they're hoping to make a trip to Lough Foyle next year to do a through search using sonar and to take video footage under the water.

Apparently there may be as many as seven WWII aircraft in Lough Foyle. I'm going to take a picture of the Corsair at Myroe (photograh above from 1972) and post it - although as you'd expect, it's in much worse shape than 30 years ago. I'll also try like seafuryfan to get a pic of the firefly at Eglinton.

Thanks again!

[GANNET FAN]

SilverPony, you have a PM

[autorotor]

The wreck, 2 days ago......
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/DB6Mk2/Eglintonwreck.jpghttp://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/DB6Mk2/derry1.jpg
You may need to zoom in a bit - I couldn't get much closer at the time ;) .
All I can see on this one is a SAAB 340 windscreen wiper my friend!

[LGCSkyrota]

I Was Curious About The Wreck And Popped Over To See It. The Sands Are Fine- But Wacth Out For Tide And Beware Of Spreading Load.

To My Surprise It Was An Airplane - A Little Bit Of Internet Seaching And I Found Details - Thanks!

I Took A Pic, But Haven't Uploaded To Url Yet - There's Not Much Left Now 'though

[lotusexige]

I learned to fly there in 79 and if I remember the remains of a 4 engined aircraft could be seen on the approach to 26 at times.

[Liamdjohnston]

Hello everyone
I would be instrested in how I would be able to get a good view of the coursair
thank you kindly
​​​​​​- liam

[feroxeng]

Actually there are/were two Corsairs in Lough Foyle. One off Eglinton, but it was on the far side of a deepish channel so impossible to walk out to. I don't know its identity, but I think it was this one that the Navy rescued in the 1970s, with pictures of the engine hanging from a helicopter. No doubt the rescue ended there and I suspect the rescued bits were scrapped.
Just off Ballykelly JT693 was to be found. It was easy to walk out to it. I saw both around 1966 and I'll attempt to attach photos. If no photos with this post please PM me and I'll Email them to anyone interested.

Feroxeng

[Liamdjohnston]

Thank you very much for your help

Feroxeng[/QUOTE]

[Startledgrapefruit]

Check with the Ulster Aviation society
they pulled something out years ago and they know everything thats still in there
They are a friendly crowd

[feroxeng]

I've tracked the info I was looking for which appeared in 'Ulster Commentary' for October 1970, a non-aeronautical publication. It shows a view from above of what I believe is the unidentified Eglinton aircraft, in much the condition I saw it in the 1960s. Wings, engine, cockpit are all there in place, but the fuselage behind the cockpit is generally missing except for the tailwheel. No fin or tailplane. The article shows a Ballykelly Wessex lifting the engine on behalf of a military group of RAF/RN/Army personnnel called the Ballykelly Historic Aircraft Society, allegedly on behalf of the RAF Museum at Hendon (for a naval aircraft??). I'm pretty sure the UAS and Ernie Cromie haven't got this engine - I suggest it's been junked. The wings/centre-section apparently still visible would seem to be this aircraft. What happened to the Ballykelly one JT693?
Feroxeng

[Fareastdriver]

There was a single radial engine aircraft sitting in a lough south of Aldergrove pointing forlornly at runway 35. There was a bit of interest in the 1970s in recovering it; rumour had it that it was still armed, but its not there on Google so it may have been pulled out.

Short of the runway at Eglington; short at Aldergrove and short at Gan. Must be something wrong with their fuel gauges.

[Haraka]

Fareastdriver,
1975. That was the Wildcat in Portmore Lough . I took a look at it as there were concerns that it might still have the guns in it. Following that we ran off a load of Hand Held imagery from very low level level in a Scout which I duly forwarded to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. I believe it was subsequently recovered by a local group for display. Then there was the probable Beaufort just off the Eastern shore of Lough Neagh......... Sunken flying boats In Lough Erne.....,...., and five wrecks scattered up Lough Foyle. Allegedly . :)
I did follow up other apparent cases , including the Halifax that came down in Lough Neagh and was the subject of a story in Air Clues. This I discovered was subsequently dragged ashore and broken up in McGarry's yard,near Aldergrove and who had a contract for this work. The only aircraft he knew of that had disappeared was a Beaufort in ,IIRC 1943. Then I had reports from military divers, with sketches , of a twin engined wreck that had the "step" in the upper fuselage by the turret. Unfortunately this was destroyed by explosives ( I was told) as part of another operation.

[feroxeng]

The Wildcat is now with the UAS being put together. I rowed out and crawled all over it in the Lough in 1962 when the water level was low. A lot of the fin had been hacked off by locals, but no serious damage. In good condition as it was fresh water. JV482.
Feroxeng