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COASTAL COMMAND BASE
CASTLE ARCHDALE, CO.FERMANAGH

John and Flora Jackson, Members B 0828& B 0829

During the Second World War Castle Archdale was the base for the squadrons of airmen who flew the Catalinas and Sunderlands in the fight against the U.Boats in the North Atlantic. Tragically many of these young airmen lost their lives and lie buried in the graveyards attached to the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic churches in Irvinestown, Co.Fermanagh. Their names are listed below:-

FO.V.Adamic RCAF *    Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     23rd January 1944     Age 27

FO.R.M.Adams RCAF     Air Observer    30th December 1942     Age 20

PO.R.D.A.Becker RCAF     Pilot     14th March 1945     Age 20

FO.H.D.Blair RCAF     Pilot     5th December 1943     Age 33

WO II.R.B.Bryers RCAF     Air Gunner     25th May 1943     Age 22

Ldg.Acm.K.J. Burnett RAF     31st July 1945     Age 22

Flt.Lt.J.Carr RCAF     Air Bomber     9th February 1945     Age 27

FO.E.N.Cave RAF     Wireless Operator     14th March 1945     Age 24

Sgt. F.R.A.Chalk RAF     Air Gunner     21st March 1941     Age 25

FO.J.W. Clarke RCAF     Pilot     25th May 1943     Age 21

Flt.Lt.J.Constabaris RCAF     Pilot     23rd May 1942     Age 27

Sgt.F.T.Copp RAF     Flt.Engineer     31st January 1944     Age 24

Flt.Sgt.J.R.Coster RAF     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     22nd August 1943     Age 23

Flt.Lt.C.S.Crossey RAF     Pilot     22nd August 1943     Age 32

WOII.C.E.Cruickshank RCAF     Flt.Engineer     11th February 1945     Age 42

Sgt.G.A.Cuthbert RAF     Air Gunner     20th December 1944     Age 21

WO.E.L.Darrell RNZAF      21st September 1944     Age 22

PO.C.P.Davidson RCAF     Air Observer     21st March 1941     Age 27

Flt.Sgt.N.Davison RAF     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     14th March 1945     Age 22

FO.F.E.Dawson RCAF     Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner     23rd January 1944     Age19

Flt.Lt.E.C.Devine RCAF     Pilot     12th August 1944     Age 22

Sgt.H.Dunbar RAF     Air Gunner     21st March 1941     Age 20

Sgt.J.R.Forrest RCAF * Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     12th August 1944

Flt.Sgt.S.B.Frith RAF     Pilot     14th March 1945     Age 21

Flt.Sgt.T.W.Gale RAF     21st August 1944

Flt.Sgt.A.J.Gallagher RAAF *     7th November 1943     Age 20

WOI.N.W.Gardner RCAF     Air Gunner     7th November 1943     Age22

Flt.Lt.J.P.Garrard RAAF *    14th March 1945     Age 32

Flt.Lt.M.L.Gillingham RAF     Pilot     31st January 1944     Age 22

PO.J.Gingrich RCAF     Air Gunner     11th February 1945     Age38

FO.F.H.Grainger RCAF     Air Gunner     16th October 1943     Age 20

Flt.Sgt.F.G.Green RCAF     Air Gunner     31st January 1944     Age 31

FO.F.W.Greenwood RCAF     Pilot     6th September 1944     Age 28

Flt.Lt.A.C.Griffin RAF     Pilot     22nd August 1943     Age 27

FO.T.R.Hailstone RCAF      Pilot     11th February 1945     Age 20

WOI.C.McD.Hardcastle RCAF     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     12th November 1945     Age 23

FO.D.R.Hatton RAF      Pilot     14th March 1945     Age 23

PO.L.A.Hebenton RCAF     Air Gunner     20th February 1944     Age20

Sgt.S.O.Hill RAF     Air Gunner     9th January 1944     Age 18

Sgt.J.H.Hodgson RCAF     Air Gunner     16th October 1943     Age 20

Sgt.W.C.Hopps RCAF     Pilot     25th May 1943     Age 24

FO.V.Howkins RAF     Navigator     14th March 1945     Age 31

Flt.Sgt.A.S.Johnston RAAF     7th November 1943     Age 22

Flt.Sgt.G.R.Kennedy RAF     Air Gunner     14th March 1945     Age 20

WOII.E.F.Knibbs RCAF     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     11th February 1945     Age 20

Acm.1st CL.W.J.Lanham RAF     14th October 1942     Age 21

WOII.H.J.Lepper RCAF     Flt.Engineer     23rd October 1944     Age 29

Sgt.V.H.Louis RCAF *     Flt.Engineer     16th October 1943

Sgt.G.W.Lowther RAAF     30th December 1942     Age 25

Flt.Sgt.A.Marshall RAF     Flt.Engineer     17th April 1944     Age 27

FO.F.Moss RAAF      5th December 1943     Age 29

FO.J.A.McLennan RCAF     Pilot     11th February 1945     Age 20

Flt.Sgt.J.R.McMillan RAF    Pilot     28th December 1943     Age 32

Sgt.H.H.Newbury RAF *     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     21st March 1941     Age 20

FO.M.J.H.Newham RAF     Air Gunner     30th December 1942     Age 25

Acm.1st Cl.R.H.Oldfield RAF     21st March 1941

FO.J.M.O'Leary RCAF *    22nd January 1945     Age 24

Sgt.J.S.Orr RAF     Pilot     30th December 1942     Age 21

FO.E.F.Paige DFC RCAF     Pilot 25th May 1943     Age 27

Flt.Sgt.N.B.Pickford RAF     Navigator 22nd August1943     Age 25

Flt.Lt.J.D.Ross RCAF         Navigator 11th February 1945     Age 25

Flt.Sgt.G.H.Sansome RAAF     7th November 1943     Age 22

WOII.W.D.Scott RCAF     Wireless Operator/Air Gunner     11th November 1943     Age21

FO.J.R.Seeger RCAF      Pilot     11th February 1945     Age 22

PO.W.J.Sharp RAAF      20th November 1944     Age21

Flt.Sgt.A.F.Sherry RAAF     9th January 1944     Age 20

Sgt.G.H.Slack RAF     Air Gunner     21st March 1941     Age 21

S-O Brev.1.J.M.Soucie RCAF *    Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Le     11 Fevrier 1945     Age23

FO.D.L.Sproule RCAF     Pilot     16th October 1943     Age 24

Sqd.Ldr.P.M.H.Thomas RAF     5th December 1943     Age 25

Sgt.G.F.W.Tilt RAF     Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner     22nd August 1943     Age 38

WOII.L.J.Upshall RCAF     Pilot     23rd January 1944     Age 24

Ldg.Acm.H.Ward RAF     17th August 1943     Age 22

Sgt.R.H.D.Watson RAF     Navigator     9th January 1944     Age 20

Sgt.F.A.Weaver RNZAF *     28th August 1942     Age 27

Sgt.C.G.E.Wellington RAF     Air Gunner     5th December 1943     Age 28

FO.A.E.Whitworth RAF     Pilot     21st March 1941

FO.N.Wilbee RCAF     Air Gunner     11th February 1945

FO.G.N.Wilkinson RAF     Pilot     22nd August 1943

FO.R.T.Wilkinson RCAF     Pilot     12th August 1944     Age 22

Flt.Sgt.P.Woollatt RAF     Wireless Operator/Mechanic     11th February 1945     Age 24

An Airman Of the Second World War     Buried 9th December 1943     "Known unto God"

An Airman Of the 1939-1945 War  An Officer RAF Buried 28Th August 1946     "Known unto God"

Those names marked with an asterisk are buried in the Roman Catholic graveyard.

POSTSCRIPT

Since the original article was published John and Flora have been back to Co.Fermanagh and discovered  a recently erected memorial on the roadside at Trory Cross on the main Enniskillen to Castle Archdale Road, where a Sunderland Flying Boat crashed.

The inscription reads:

    IN MEMORY OF P/O L. A. HEBENTON (CALGARY), SGT. R. W. BODSWORTH (NORTHAMPTON)        OF 422 SQUADRON R.C.A.F. WHO DIED WHEN THEIR SUNDERLAND FLYING BOAT W.6028 CRASHED NEAR THIS SPOT ON 20.2.1944 AT 12.50

It is very sad to realise how close this aeroplane was to its base at Castle Archdale just a few miles away. 

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