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wwii in derk
wwii in derk
On 24th January 1941 during WW2 a RAF Lockheed Hudson plane from 233 Squadron crash landed in Derk. It had been circling for some time, trying to identify a suitable landing spot and also trying to burn off fuel. The crew of 4 survived and all were interned ( but later released, probably over the border) The plane was repaired over the following weeks by Irish Air Corps engineers and it was flown out of the fields 2 months later and used for several years at Baldonnel by the Irish Air Corps
Photo of RAF Hudsons from 233 Squadron based in Aldergrove in Belfast
Later history
Later history
SERVICE HISTORY:
The plane was sent to No. 1 Reconnaissance and Medium Bombing Squadron after being overhauled and repaired by the Air Corps. The Hudson I was the first American aircraft to enter service with the Air Corps. To General Purpose Flight, 1944.
“Withdrawn from use”, August 1945.
Purchased by Aer Lingus Teo., EI-ACB. Certificate of Airworthiness not issued and remained in storage until 1947. Purchase by John Mathieu Aviation. OO-API. Scrapped 1954.
A very detailed account of the story can be found here. I love the diary entry of one of the crew ( who is pictured in the article) near the end of the account relating how (a) they were stood a drink in the local pub by the Gardai and (b) how he slipped his address to a nurse who attended the crash and she telegramed his family in UK. Anyone got any ideas as to who that nurse was - home on leave from the Red Cross in London??
On the left, the Lockheed Hudson I in its Irish Aer Corps colours, presumably at Baldonnel Aerodrome
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