HMS Courageous had an air group of 2 squadrons of Swordfish aircraft, 48 planes in total. Courageous was sunk off the Irish coast by U-29. Continue reading
September 17 – Archbishop who was airborne at Arnhem
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1974 – President and Mrs Childers with Most Rev Alan Buchanan, Archbishop of Dublin, and Fr PJ Murphy.
Alan Buchanan was a Church of Ireland cleric who served as a chaplain in Italy and in Operation Market Garden. Continue reading
September 17 – Roll of Honour
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Today is the anniversary of two costly events in WW2. In 1939 the air carrier Courageous was lost and in 1944 Operation Market Garden began. The allies failed attempt to gain a foothold over the River Rhine into Germany from the Netherlands. Continue reading
September 16 – Roll of Honour
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Courcelette Cemetery. Today’s Roll includes a former surgeon at the Mater Hospital, Belfast who died of wounds received in the Dardanelles, a Petty Officer Stoker from the Shankill Road who served in the Iron Duke at Jutland and a naval surgeon from Islandmagee who was invested into the DSO at sea by the King in June 1917. Continue reading
September 15 – Roll of Honour
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On this day in 1940, nearly 1,500 aircraft were in the skies over Britain, as the Luftwaffe attacked London. It is regarded as the climax of the Battle of Britain when the tide begins to turn as the Royal Air Force repulses a major Luftwaffe attack, losing 29 aircraft to the Germans’ 57-61. Today’s Roll includes the second and third North Irish Horse fatalities in WW1, three who returned with Canadian and New Zealand forces, and a female private in the ATS in WW2. Continue reading
September 14 – Roll of Honour
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A Dungannon RS former pupil who enlisted in Canada, a naval armoured car driver from the Crumlin Road who dies in Mesopotamia with the newly formed Machine Gun Corps, three WW2 aircrew and a Gunner comprise today’s Roll. The service of a veteran, a former CSM from Portstewart is recalled. HMS Zulu was sunk on this date (photo). The Medical Officer in Zulu was from Belfast. Later awarded DSC. He was lost in another sinking. Continue reading
September 13 – Roll of Honour
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Amongst those remembered today is Gerald Ralph Auchinleck Darling, RNVR. Fleet Air Arm, Lieutenant-Commander. At the age of 18, he began an outstanding career in the RNVR, from 1940 to 1946, as a Fleet Air Arm pilot, later becoming Chief Test Pilot with the Mediterranean Fleet. A dangerous job and few of his colleagues survived the war. He himself crash-landed, suffering severe injuries including a smashed pelvis. He had a most successful law career in London post-war but he maintained Crevenagh, Omagh, Co. Tyrone (above) as his home. Continue reading
