Lighter moments in Lakeland
Flying was dangerous enough, driving Fermanagh’s winding roads in the blackout was even worse, so the airmen removed the headlight masks from their ancient vehicles and soon encountered trouble from the local police. On more than one occasion country policemen lectured the aircrews on how unmasked headlights would attract German bombers and help them to navigate.
It was too much for one Catalina pilot, who told the policeman to black out his nice white police station in Ballinamallard as he could see it from the air at night, and would prove it the next time he was night flying. The policeman didn’t believe him, so for several weeks afterwards the little village and surrounding countryside were awakened by pairs of Twin Wasps at full rpm a few feet over their rooftops.
It was agreed that perhaps the Luftwaffe wasn’t such a threat after all, and that car headlights could be used in moderation. So peace returned to the Fermanagh countryside.