The final flight of Liberator B 24 – J.
On Monday 19th June 1944 an American Liberator made a crash landing at Abbeylands, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. While over 40 aircraft crashed in Co. Donegal alone and a total of over 200 crashed in the neutral Irish Free State, this was but one of at least 30 recorded ferry flights that, crashed, force landed or came down at sea along the west coast of Ireland during World War 11. What were these ferry flights? Huge numbers of aircraft mainly Liberator B24’s, Boeing B17 Flying Fortresses and Catalina Flying Boats were manufactured in America and Canada during the war.
These had to be delivered to Britain in ferry flight’s, they were crewed, apart from experienced pilots, by newly trained airmen who would join units in Britain. They also transported supplies across the Atlantic. The majority of the planes reached their destinations without any problem. Many that we have no record of, went down at sea on the journey and their crews have no known grave. These young fliers who rest beneath the Atlantic waters have much in common with the thousands of Irish emigrants who perished in the dreaded coffin ships while making the journey in the opposite direction in Famine times, and are buried at sea. Irish names were quite common amongst the men who crewed the aircraft, some examples are – Cohen, Ryan, Salmon and Cannon. Possibly descendants of Irish emigrants from 150 years ago.
The question might well be asked, why has it taken over 60 years to have a memorial erected in the Abbeylands in memory of the two young men who died there on June 19th 1944? It is only in recent years that it was possible to have access to the official records that held the details of the many crashes that took place in Ireland during World War 11. It is but right that recognition should be given here to the works of Irvinestown historian – Breege McCusker – whose book ‘Fermanagh and Castle Archdale in World War 11’ created an interest in that important part of the history of Donegal and Fermanagh.
In the early hours of the morning of 19th June 1944 United States of America Liberator B-24 J number 42-50721 of the 8th Air Force took off from Goose bay, Newfoundland. Its mission was a Trans – Atlantic Ferry flight of the aircraft and crew, its destination was Nutts Corner airfield, just off the shores of Lough Neagh, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. The pilot was 2nd Lt. Arthur H. Dittmer, accompanied by a crew of nine U.S. airmen. An experienced pilot Lt. Dittmer had almost 500 hours of flying time. On their approach to Ireland, pilots of Ferry/delivery aircraft had two points of contact in Fermanagh as they approached the west coast of Ireland. Also along the west coast the word “EIRE” had been carved into cliffs and hilltops to let the American pilots that they had arrived safely across the Atlantic Ocean.
The United States Army had a radio station at Magheramena, near Belleek. The R.A.F. had a similar radio station at Dernacross, about midway between Belleek and Garrison close to the shores of Lough Melvin. The information now given is taken from the official American report on the Abbeylands crash. It includes the names of the crew, their ranks and numbers. The Roll of Honour of the crew will be read separately for our guests.
Statement made by Lt. Dittmer, Pilot.
About eleven hours flying time out of Goose bay, the navigator’s calculations and lack of radio contact with England indicated that we were not making the ground speed that the flight plan called for and that we would run low on gas and possibly not reach land.
I instructed the radio operator to send out an “Urgent “ call, giving our position and the details of the situation. We had cut the gas consumption and power settings of the airplane as low as we possibly could and made the necessary preparations for ditching.
At about 9.10 in the evening, with an estimated 20 minutes of fuel left, we sighted land. We were on the Belleek Range, heading for the field at St. Angelo.
When we got to St. Angelo, the field was closed by fog and clouds. I turned back towards a clear spot between the coast and the airfield and crash – landed the airplane in a field. The airplane hit a stone wall, which it had been impossible to see, on landing, and was almost completely wrecked. Two crew- men were killed and four injured.
Arthur H. Dittmer,
2Nd Lt. A.C. Pilot.
Over the years this report was marked – Secret – then re-graded to Restricted before being made available to historians. The report gives the time of the accident as 21-30 hours (9-30 pm local time). As during those years there was a difference of one hour in the summer time used on both sides of the border, there is some conflict as to the actual time. The nature of the accident was given as an Emergency Forced landing caused by fuel exhaustion. Shortage of fuel caused by head winds along the route. Point of landing – 1 mile N.W.of Ballyshannon. Damage to air – plane: fuselage split open, tail broken off.
As a young lad I can recall cycling to Ballyshannon to see the wreckage of the Liberator scattered across the fields of Abbeylands. Thanks are due to Mike Stowe, Aviation Historian of the Millville Military Airfield Museum, New Jersey, U.S.A. Who supplied me with the copy of the official report on this crash. I had the pleasure of being a guest of the Museum in May 2002 for the annual Air Show.
Poem of Reflection:
Do not stand by our graves and weep When you waken in the morning hush,
We are not there, we do not sleep. We are the soft uplifting rush.
We are the thousand winds that blow, Of quiet birds in circled flight
We are the diamond glints in snow. We are the soft stars that shine at night.
We are the sunlight on ripened grain, Do not stand by our graves and cry,
We are the gentle autumn rain. We are not there. We did not die.
My thanks to Historic Ballyshannon for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful occasion in the history of the friendly town.