(www.nitowns.com)
Portsalon
Co Donegal
(A village in neighbouring Republic Of Ireland)
Beach Metal
These small parts of washed and corroded metal were visible on the surface as I strolling along the beach.
Will anyone who has an answer to what they once were, email me, I would love to know!
This great photo was added (11/03/2010) with the kind permission of Celine Hynes. Celine's father in the photo was there at the time of the plane crash.
Information Update, 03, March, 2003
The metal on the beach is pieces of a WW 2 German aeroplane, There is other metal on the beach which is that of a old coal ship..Many thanks to Patrick McDevitt for this information
Information Update, 05, July, 2006
The metal on the beach was a plane that ran into difficulties and had to make an emergency landing on the beach. It was blown up by the Army, this is why it is in so many pieces. Years ago you could see much more of it. When I was growing up we would go down to the beach after a big storm and lift coal from the beach, it got washed in from the coal boat that was sunk in the swilly..... Many thanks to former Portsalon Native
Information Update, 21, July, 2006
They're actually bits of an American plane. It made an emergency landing and the Hotel was opened up specially to house them until a decision was made by the authorities. My father was there at the time.......Many thanks to Celine Hynes
Information Update, 01, Feb, 2007
The plane from the beach is listed in the website below. My uncle, Lee Roy Rawlings, was the pilot. He was rather quiet on the subject of his time in the RAF and information is hard to find, especially from the US. (He was a US citizen from Texas who joined the RAF in 1940, before the US entered the war.) If anyone have any other information about his crash or time in Portsalon, I would appreciate it if you could forward it to me email.....Many thanks to David Bennett from Washington, USA...... Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939 - 1946
Information Update, 21,July, 2009
My uncle, Lee Roy Rawlings, was the pilot in command of
the B-24 bomber that made the emergency landing at the beach near Portsalon
in Feb '45. Per the link to the site, there has been some feedback as to what
the "remains" are. I very clearly remember a picture that he took
or obtained before the plane was blown up by the Army or disassembled. Additionally,
the comment from Celine Hynes is 100% correct about the hotel. This particular
plane was retrieved at the factory by this crew and immediately ferried to England.
Upon reaching the coast of Ireland, the weather continued to worsen
after circling for several hours off shore plus they were unable to make radio
contact due to their location and/or altitude. For fear of being detected
as a German aircraft if they pressed on, the decision was made to land
on the beach. Lee relayed to me that the bomb bay doors were opened
to act as a "sand scoop" in order for the plane to stop as quickly
as possible. After exiting the plane and accounting for all persons,
the next order of business was to remove the Norden Bombsight which as that
time was a classified piece of equipment.
Lee was about 22 years of age when the RCAF was asking for American volunteers
prior to the US entering the war. He departed for Canada in 1940 or early 1941.
At that time Lee was already a licensed civilian/commercial pilot in the US.
In fact he was teaching aeronautics at a flight school in Dallas Texas (his
family home) that had a contract with the Canadian Government for flight training.
Being single, there was only one choice, he went to Canada for an adventure.
I do not believe that he actually saw any combat during WWII, as he was a Captain
in the Canadian Transport Command till his discharge at the end of WWII.
My relationship with Lee was first as my uncle (my Dad's older brother) and
then aviation. Lee returned to the US in '46, married a beautiful Canadian girl
and settled near Plainview Texas. He then began a 35 year career of crop dusting
(aerial application of agricultural chemicals). Much like Lee, I've been involved
with airplanes nearly all my life. Lee died in Dec of '80. I began my crop dusting
career several years prior and was fortunate to fly and work with Lee the two
years prior to his death. I bought his business in early '81.....Many
Thanks to Bob Rawlings (email)
Arizona, USA.
Page created,21, September, 2002
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