FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1737.PDF
544a FLIGHT International, 26 September 1963 ilitary Aviation in Ireland A FIFTY-YEAR HISTORY By Bruce Robertson and Bryan Gibbins ILITARY aviation in Ireland could be said to date from September 1913, when B.E.2a biplanes of No 2 squadron, Royal Flying Corps, flew across the Irish Sea from Stranraer to Limerick to participate in the Irish Command manoeu vres. The area for these exercises was hilly and misty and lacking in suitable landing grounds, but each of the six aircraft engaged flew over one thousand miles during the operations without mishap. There was little further aerial activity until the First World War, when, with the great expansion of the flying Services, a training wing was formed and expanded in Ireland. Units included five Training Depot Stations, normally with an establishment of three squadrons each. These stations were Nos 19, 22, 23, 24 and 25, at Curragh Camp, Gormanston, Baldonnell, Collinstown and Tallaght respectively; Collinstown alone cost £250,000 to build. To provide instructors from pupils trained locally, an Irish Flying Instructors' School was formed at Curragh, using the famous turf over which Irish race-horses exercised. Other large aerodromes were opened at Oranmore, Aldergrove, Castlebar and Fermoy. At the last-named, in October 1918, a fierce Atlantic gale destroyed many of the machines on the ground: B.E.2e, D.H.6 and D.H.9 aircraft were blown about the field; and R.E.8 C2657, although picketed down, had its wings torn off. The orderly officer respons ible for the picketing was blown over inside the F.E.2b packing case in which he was sheltering. A report stated that fortunately he was a Canadian—and that his vocabulary was therefore equal to the occasion. Several Royal Naval Air Service stations were established around the Irish coasts, notably at Waterford, Cobh and Lough Swilly. By the time the RFC and RNAS had been united in April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force, the United States Navy were arriving to man and equip air stations around the coast. The Kite Balloon Station at Berehaven was handed over to the US Navy as early as April 29, 1918, and crated Curtiss H-12 (and, later, H-16) flying-boat hulls were landed at Dublin for the use of the US Navy, to supplement and finally replace the British flying-boats needed elsewhere. The crates were found too large for the Irish railways and were delivered by lorry to Cobh (Queenstown), Berehaven, Loch Foyle and Wexford. A large steel lattice hangar was built at Ballyquirke to house airships of the US Navy, and aerodromes for the RAF were under A group of Eire Air Corps pilots in the early 1920s. Behind them are two of the eight Bristol Fighters purchased from English war-surplus sources construction at Ballycastle, Co Antrim, and Ballywater, Co Down, when the Armistice was signed. It can be said that there were more aircraft in Ireland during the latter part of 1918 than there have ever been since, or are likely to be in the foreseeable future. The greatest material loss was caused by Nature—the great gale, not by enemy action. With the Armistice came a run-down of the Forces. The Ameri cans had left by mid-1919 and the RAF was reduced to a peace time establishment of two army co-operation squadrons and ancillary units, with headquarters at Baldonnell. During the unhappy period of the "Irish Troubles," the RAF were called upon to deliver mail by drops to Army units isolated by the turn of events, and to drop pamphlets in the remoter parts of the country where the inhabitants were inclined to receive a distorted picture of the situation. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which gave recognition to an Irish Free State, the RAF were withdrawn in accordance with a planned programme implemented early in 1922. By the end of February HQ No 11 (Irish) Wing had left Baldonnell. There remained only the Irish Communication Flight to fly out, and with their departure the evacuation from Southern Ireland was complete. Only in Ulster did the RAF remain, and then only at Aldergrove. Eight years were to elapse before RAF aircraft were seen again in Southern Ireland. Then, on July 25, 1930, three Southampton flying-boats of No 204 Squadron touched down off Dun Laoghaire to begin a good will tour of Ireland. Formation of the Corps Meanwhile, the Irish had their own air Service. The Provisional Government in 1922 had set up a Defence Ministry to control the armed forces, a small Army containing an Air Corps initially established at squadron strength. There was no Navy. A scheme for civil aviation had been mooted by the Government, but civic strife in 1922 had enforced concentration on an Air Corps. It found ready work from its inception with reconnaissances, train escort duties and even leaflet dropping; amnesty notices were dropped by air near suspected rebel hide-outs in the mountains of Kerry and of Cork. Acquisition of the first aircraft was not without drama. A pro mising solution to the burning "Irish problem" brought a truce to allow responsible Irishmen to negotiate. Michael Collins, formerly with a £10,000 reward upon his head, came to London. If the talks had failed, his position might have become that of a fugitive. To allow a quick getaway in such an event, a Martinsyde "A" Mk II was bought and kept at readiness. Happily such a contingency did not arise, and an unhurried flight was made to Baldonnell on June 16, 1922, where the Martinsyde became the first aircraft of the Air Corps. It was christened The Big Fella, a nickname by which Collins was known throughout the country. There was little difficulty in obtaining military aircraft in the early twenties. The Aircraft Disposal Company held hundreds of war-surplus aircraft at Waddon, where six D.H.9s, eight Bristol Fighters, four Martinsyde F.4s and six Avro 504Ks were purchased. By the end of 1926 a reorganization had taken place. A School of Aeronautics, opened the previous year, was organized in two flights. "A" Flight, with four D.H.60 Cirrus Moths and two Avro 504Ks, provided initial training. After 20hr solo, trainees passed on to "B" Flight with D.H.9s, Bristol Fighters and Martin syde F.4s for advanced training. The school was located at Baldon nell, together with the one and only squadron. The four Moths, flight-delivered from Stag Lane on July 12, 1926, were the first of the Air Corps' post-war types. All four ferry pilots were we- known personalities in aviation—Col the Master of Sempu'i Maj H. Hemming, Capt H. Broad and Capt F. T. Courtney. Duties were then of a happier nature. An aerial survey was completed and work was undertaken for the Archaeologies Research Commission. Military training continued, includini
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
