Killadeas
Note: Some time ago I made this comment: This map gives only a general location of this site within the UK. A more exact location would be much appreciated if anybody can help.
In January 2017 I was kindly contacted by Peter Vercruijsse who gave me the exact position, which this map now shows.
KILLADEAS: RAF Coastal Command Flying boat station (also spelt KILDEAS)
Military users: RAF Coastal Command 17 Group
131 OTU [Operational Training Unit]
202, 210 & 240 Sqdns (Consolidated PBY-5 Catalinas)
Location: In Gublusk Bay on Lough Earn, roughly 6nm NNW of Enniskillen
Period of operation: 1941 to possibly 1947?
Alighting area: Approach over water from north west
NOTES: It appears that the Catalinas were pulled up a slipway in Gublusk Bay for maintenance by 131 OTU and they were usually moored near Boa Island in the Loch. A search on the web for information seems to contain several errors. For example some say that Short Sunderlands operated from KILLADEAS and although this might be factually correct it appears the Sunderlands were based further up Lough Earn at CASTLE ARCHDALE. Although it appears without question that the first Catalinas arrived around March 1941, (possibly under the 'Lend-Lease' agreement with the USA?), one local web site maintains they arrived in mid-1942.
A CLAIM TO FAME
Probably the main claim to fame for KILLADEAS was when a crew from 240 Squadron, flying the Catalina AH545, located the German battleship Bismark in the Atlantic using radio DF (Direction Finding) and this in turn led to a task force hunting it down and sinking it. Sadly AH545 crashed killing all on board on the 15th July 1942.
Equally sadly the attrition rate for these Catalina crews was very high although, as far as I can make out, none were attributed to direct enemy action. Several flew into high terrain in the region and many crews were lost on training flights. Just two failed to return from patrols over the Atlantic and the cause of their disappearance appears not to be known. As the Germans kept very good records of all attacks on their ships and U-boats it would seem very unlikely they were shot down.
According to one source eighteen Catalinas were involved in fatal crashes and these are listed below in the order they were lost:
131 OTU 202,210 & 240 Sqdns
FP239 AH532 AM265
FP184 FP101 AH536
FP120 FB110 W8418
FP240 AH551 Z2148
FP193 JX242 AH545
AH541 JX208 JX252
By far the largest number, it is said, were lost on training flights.
PERHAPS LITTLE KNOWN?
What has emerged in recent years is that the British Government entered into a secret agreement with the Irish Government, (the Republic was ostensibly neutral in WW2), which allowed the Catalinas and Sunderlands operating from Lough Earn to overfly part of the Republic in Irish airspace to allow these aircraft faster passage into the Atlantic. This does seem to largely disprove the contention by some people that the Irish government were only helping the German Nazi regime during WW2. For example it has been claimed that German U-boats were being fettled and fuelled by the Irish. Is there conclusive proof of this?
Another accusation is that the brightly lit towns on the eastern coast of the Republic were a huge navigational help for German bombers attacking Liverpool for example. Although this must often have been the case, but only in very good visibility of course, it seems to ignore the fact that the German bombers crews had already arrived at more or less the correct location anyway and you might as well blame the moon and the sea for collusion and aiding and abbeting by clearly defining the coastline.
NEUTRALITY
The subject of just how neutral having neutrality is, is something I find very interesting. Both the British and the Nazi regime would have struggled to prosecute the war if both sides weren’t being provided with, for example, ball-bearings from Sweden. And, as for the possibly much better known nation renowned for being neutral - Switzerland – they positively assisted the Nazi regime in many ways. Not least by supplying Germany with precision equipment such as gun-sights but also allowing supplies to be transported through Switzerland via Vichy France (well known about) and quite probably Italy too.
It also appears without any, or at least much doubt, that Swiss bankers were very happy to provide safe storage for Nazi booty. Nothing in any war seems simple and straightforward, far from it, despite the efforts of politicians to create this illusion.
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