Second World War aircraft crashes in the Dundrod/Stoneyford/Upper Hannahstown area of south Antrim.
On 11 August 1942, a Hotspur glider being towed by a Whitley bomber on a training exercise from Netheravon in Wiltshire to Northern Ireland had to be cast adrift when poor visibility weather conditions were encountered near Lisburn. The glider was forced landed at the site of the decoy airfield near in the valley of the Stonyford River to the east of Stonyford Reservoir, fortunately without loss of life among the soldiers of the Royal Ulster Rifles on board.
On 31 December 1943, at around 7.25 pm, a Wellington from No 104(Transport) Operational Training Unit based at RAF Nutts Corner was returning to the airfield after a four-hour navigational training exercise when it flew into McGowan’s Hill close to the Five Road Ends, killing Flying Officer Massey, Flying Officer Tanner and Sergeant Cote. The bodies of Massey and Tanner were taken to Great Britain for burial, the body of Sgt Cote, who was Canadian, from Quebec, was buried in Glenavy Roman Catholic Graveyard.
On 27 March 1944, in the very early hours of the morning, an Anson from No 2 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit based at RAF Millom in Cumbria, was airborne over south Antrim during a night navigation training flight when both engines cut out due to the pilot’s failure to manipulate the fuel system correctly. Three of the crew baled out and the aircraft crashed at Bowhill Farm, killing Sergeant Sproge, an Australian. Subsequently, he was buried in Killead Presbyterian Church Graveyard. The pilot of the aircraft, a Flight Lieutenant Gillespie, survived the crash.
On 30 January 1945, just about an hour before midnight, during the course of a night-flying training exercise, a B-24 Liberator aircraft from No 1332 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Nutts Corner, flew into Standing Stones Hill more or less at the summit, near Wheeler’s Corner. There were no fatalities. On 19 March 1945, at around 2.20 am, while airborne from its base at RAF Aldergrove, a B-24 Liberator from No 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit, was on a radar homing exercise in conjunction with a RAF Marine Craft Unit launch on Lough Neagh when it flew into rising ground at Tornaroy, Hannahstown and burst into flames, killing all 11 persons on board. The remains of five of them were laid to rest in Eglantine Church of Ireland Graveyard near Long Kesh, those of the remaining six being taken elsewhere for burial. Those buried In Eglantine were the two pilots, Flying Officers Holmes and Pryde, a New Zealander and Australian, respectively, two air gunners, Sergeants Edge and Aston, from Essex and Liverpool, respectively and the flight engineer, Sergeant Hook, from Hampshire.
Through Your Eyes 