During World War 2, various makes of flying boats (aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water) Sunderland, Stranraer, Lerwick and Catalina, were launched from Lough Erne at Castle Archdale to protect ship convoys on the Atlantic. These merchant ships, carrying essential supplies to Britain, were being attacked and sunk by German U-boats.
Although Lough Erne was far from ideal as a flying boat base, mainly because nearby mountains made it unsafe to land on in darkness or bad weather, it had the advantage of being close to the Atlantic coast. This advantage was enhanced by a secret deal between Britain and the Eire Government allowing the RAF and later the USA Air Force to over-fly south Donegal. This meant that air patrols from Northern Ireland could fly directly to the Atlantic coast, avoiding a detour of over 100 miles around Donegal.
It was in February 1941 that de Valera gave Ireland’s permission for British planes to over-fly a small strip of south Donegal, one mile wide by eight miles long, an area known as the Donegal Corridor. Because this agreement compromised Eire’s neutral position during the War, de Valera insisted that the deal should be kept secret and that flights should not be publicised.
(Source : www.enniskillencastle.co.uk)
Niall brought in some of his model planes today, including a Sunderland and Catalina.
