SHFNI Stories!

[PhamousPhotographer]

Castle Archdale.

Twenty years ago today (24th May), I was drifting around St Angelo in an Enniskillen Flying School Cessna 172 accompanied by an impressive twin-engined warbird. As Tiger Mate records, 27th May marks the 70th anniversary of the Bismarck sinking and after HMS Hood's destruction, Germany's finest would almost certainly have escaped to dry-dock in St Nazaire had it not been for the efforts of those Castle Archdale based RAF Coastal Command Lend-Lease Catalinas of 209 and 240 Squadrons. It was 209's AH545'Z', piloted by FO Dennis Briggs, with USN Ensign Leonard 'Tuck' Smith in the rh seat that spotted the battleship through a gap in the almost solid cloud cover. The crew were

RAF P/O Dennis Briggs (Capt)
USN Ensign Leonard 'Tuck' Smith (Co-pilot)
RAF P/O Otter
RAF F/O Lowe
RAF Sgt Edmonds
RAF Sgt Burton
RAF Sgt Leigh
RAF Sgt Dunning
RAF Sgt Stenning
RAF LAC Martin

Don't worry Mods, there is a SHFNI link to all this - eventually. On the weekend of 25/26th May 1991 Fermanagh District Council marked the 50th Anniversary with a Battle Of The Atlantic Airshow at St Angelo and I've never seen a better 'warbird' display in NI before or since. The late Mark Hanna arrived with his Old Flying Machine Company's full complement, including MH434, but the star appearance was veteran 'Tuck' Smith. Dennis Briggs was deceased by then, but his son, Robin, was there too and I managed to get these shots of them over Enniskillen in ex-RAF Harrier pilot Paul Warren Wilson's first Catalina. Also present was the Duxford-based Fortress, 'Sally B'. Yes, I know – Anorak!!



Taken on 24th May 91, the first shows G-BLSC over Lisgoole Abbey, south of Enniskillen, with that county town in the background and Castle Archdale some ten miles beyond to the north. 'Killer Cat' carries the JV928'Y' markings of the 210 Sqn aircraft with which John Cruickshank earned his Victoria Cross in July 1944.



Continuing south towards Lisnaskea the Cessna's strut confirms that I'm not in a rotary cab. Here, we're looking east across Tamlaght Bay with Robin Briggs filming from the cupola and I think the late Ensign Smith (d.16th May 2006) was in the rh seat of the Cat – he was definitely on board.

Fast-forward to 2009 and two recent views combined with a wartime one of the former flying-boat base.



The "broad lough" stretches west towards Belleek as XW223 crosses the caravan park on what was once the main dispersal / hangars / maintenance area; the slipway is hidden by the trees on the right. Compare it with this wartime scene – not one of mine, taken just a few years before Phamous's time.



The Sunderlands are probably 422 or 423 Squadron RCAF which would date it to 1943 / '44. No room for caravans there. In the early hours of Sunday 26th May 1941 PO Briggs and his crew would have set course westwards, past Belleek, heading over the border for Bundoran, Donegal Bay and the Atlantic via the air corridor across the neutral Irish Republic. Whilst difficult to keep secret, the permission granted by the Dublin government for Allied military aircraft to overfly their territory wasn't publicised at the time.



In this one, the courtyard and buildings of the former Manor House are centre frame. Demolished in 1970, the house was the Officer's Mess and photos can be seen at

Castle Archdale Manor-House

The enlarged top-storey window at front left was the ATC office. Today the outbuildings serve as a museum, restaurant and admin centre for the Castle Archdale Country Park (not advertising!) Another couple of links that might be of interest are

http://www.kbismarck.com/archives/smithreport.html

and

http://www.castlearchdale.net/id14.html

This has drifted well off-thread, but, as promised, there is a SHFNI connection via 230 Squadron. Post-war, RAF Castle Archdale was retained on a care-and-maintenance basis and occasionally used for flying-boat training purposes. With the RAF Sunderlands being withdrawn from service, the base closed in 1957. Sunderland equipped from June 1938 til disbandment in February 1957, 230 had spent October 1956 in Co Fermanagh, their final departure from Lough Erne being recorded as SZ560'R' on 18th December.

At that time no one could ever have envisaged the circumstances of 230 Squadron's return to the Province, albeit in detachment rather than squadron strength, less than 20 years later.