Above image from ww2ni.webs.com

Bishopscourt (RAF) was a huge complex which now is made up of farmland, housing and a race track. This is an ideal spot to visit if you want to get a good idea of how vast some Second World War airfields in Northern Ireland were. Just be careful with access to the site as it has been split up and bought by many different people. You may need to obtain permission to roam around the complex. The airfield is situated on the Lismore Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6AH.

Bishopscourt RAF was designed as a bomber airfield in 1941 and was initially intended to accommodate light bombers of the US Army Air Force Air Support Command in January 1942. Six months later there were plans to house a Bomber Combat Crew Replacement Centre but this never came to be and it remained an RAF airfield. The airfield served as a Coastal Command Centre. Air gunnery training and aircraft care and maintenance also took place at Bishopscourt.

Above image of Kirkistown in 1944 from ww2ni.web.com

Kirkistown (RAF) served as a satellite to the larger Ballyhalbert Airfield and was opened in 1941. It was situated on the Kircubbin Road, Kirkistown, BT22 1JE.

It was used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Kirkistown is now used a race circuit – http://www.kirkistown.com/

Above image from ww2ni.webs.com

Ballywalter (RAF) airfield was situated on the Springfield Road, Newtownards, BT22 2PE.

Ballywalter was officially known as No. 16 Satellite Landing Ground. It was prepared for use by 23 Maintenance Unit at RAF Aldergrove during the early months of 1941. The first test landing was made by an Anson, April 25 1941. The length of the runways had to be extended due to the effect strong crosswinds across the strip was having on landing aircraft. Aircraft were stored here throughout the war being used as a overspill facility. The planes were hidden under the trees of nearby Dunleath Estate. (Information from airfieldinformationexchange.org)

 

Millisle Airfield is also known as the ‘unfinished airfield’ as construction was abandonded shortly after it began. If you would like to visit the site at where the airfield was supposed to be situated you can head for the Movilla Road, between Newtownards and Donaghadee, BT23.

The below information has been complied from forgottenairfields.com

Millisle airfield (RAF Millisle) was a planned airfield 22 kilometers east of Belfast.

Construction of the airfield had already begun when the entire project was cancelled. According to AirfieldInformationExchange the airfield was due to become a USAAF Bomber base.

When the Air Ministry ordered Sunday working, the local Presbyterians held a series of prayer meetings. The runway under construction began to show undulations on the north side, but the likelyhood is that it was not caused by divine intervention. Construction of the runway had begun directly on top of boggy grassland.

Local houses and farms were blown up to make room for the new airfield. Only one survived, because it was used as an office by the construction company. In late 1944 a second house was blown up only one day before construction was halted.

After the war the extensive buildings on the north side of airfield (Donaghadee Rd) were used by farmers and later small businesses. The WAAF accomodation and post office were small buildings off to the west (Gransha Rd) and were demolished after the war. Although the airfield was never completed, the runway that was built was used severeal times after the war.. Today the runway is on private property, and thus not accessible, although it is possible to see it up close. A local road crosses the runway about midway.

Millisle holds the dubious distinction of being the only uncompleted airfield of World War II in the UK.

Ballyhalbert was an RAF airfield which was active during the Second World War. The airfield accommodated squadrons of the RAF along with Polish forces. If you wish to visit what little is left of this site the address is as follows: Shore Road, Newtownards, County Down, BT22 1BJ.

Construction at Ballyhalbert began in 1940. A windmill stump at Clydesburn was destroyed during the building process and the airfield was officially opened on 28th June 1941. Throughout the years, Ballyhalbert saw service from the RAF, WAAF and Royal Navy personnel. Servicemen from as far as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America were also present at the airfield. Two local churchyards close by hold the remains of Canadian, Australian and Polish men who died while serving at Ballyhalbert. (From Ballyhalbert Historical Society)

The information below was complied from the Abandoned and Little Known Airfields website. Please follow the link to view the website.

Ballyhalbert during the Polish stay. Image from forgottenairfields.com

The airfield was built in 1940-41. It was put into service in May 1941, just prior to the completion of works as a Fighter Command airifled. It was officially opened on 29 June 1941. On 14 July 1941 the first operational unit arrived with No. 245 Sqn in their Hawker Hurricanes. In 1941 and 42 enemy reconnaissance flights over Northern Ireland were frequent. These operations and the airfields poor weather record meant there was a steady drain of pilots owing to accidents. Of three aircraft taking off on 9 February 1942, one landed in a field, one landed with only 6 gallons of fuel left and a third disappeared alotogether. The body of its pilot Sgt. Cannon, washed ashore in a dingy on the Mull of Galloway, having died of exposure.

Spitfires at Ballhalbert. Image from forgottenairfields.com

By January 1942 the arifield was in a terrible state. Heavy rains meant most of the buildings had water pouring in, causing complaints about the hasty construction.

On 19 May 1944, General Eisenhower made a brief stopover at the airfield.

The airfield was decommissioned in November 1945, and sold off at auction in March 1960. It was used as a caravan site however from 2010 it was torn up and used to build housing estates. There is very little evidence of the airfield remaining.

Photo taken in 1990 showing the caravans on site. This image was taken from forgottenairfields.com

Sydenham Airport, now the George Best Belfast City Airport was initially an RAF airfield, then a Royal Navy airfield but was also the first point of contact for hundreds of USAAF fighter aircraft which were shipped as deck cargo across the Atlantic.

The three main types of fighter aircraft that were shipped to Belfast for unloading were P-38 Lightnings, P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. The Lightnings were offloaded on the Co. Antrim side of the harbour at Pollock Dock, enabling them to be towed to Langford Lodge by road.

The Mustangs and Thunderbolts were offloaded on the Co. Down side, at the deep water berth adjoining the airfield.

In the Mustang picture above (with a Thunderbolt on deck to the rear), the hills in the background are those on the Co. Antrim side of the lough.

In the background of the Thunderbolt picture below you can see the Short & Harland aircraft factory (to the right, beyond the crane) and some of the hangars on Sydenham Airfield (to the left).  The aircraft carrier from which the aircraft is being offloaded is tied up at the deep water berth in the Musgrave Channel.

 

The aircraft were shipped on cargo vessels, lashed to the decks, and also brought over on aircraft carriers.  Around 1000 fighter aircraft were brought over by this means. They were all unloaded by the company G Heyn & Sons on behalf of the Lockheed Overseas Coperation personnel who were detatched from Langford Lodge when needed.

If you are at this airport keep an eye out for a small memorial dedicated to the Royal Navy pilots. It is situated along the covered walkway between the main airport terminal and car park.

Left: A Lightning being transferred via road to Langford Lodge. Right: Planes on a tanker at Sydenham.

The Eisenhower Pier in Bangor is just a short stroll from the promenade. On the pier, mosiacs depict the borough’s role in the Second World War including General Eisenhower’s historic send off to the troops and allied ships in Bangor Bay before D-Day.

In the Spring of 1944 the United States battleships Arkansas, Nevada and Texas were moored off the coast, accompanied by a huge number of other ships and an estimated 30,000 personnel.

The pier at Bangor was renamed the Eisenhower Pier in 2005 by General Eisenhower’s granddaughter, Mary Jean Eisenhower. Keep an eye out for a colony of rare black guillemots, nicknamed the Bangor Penguins, who have made their home under the central pier.

Visit the Ards and North Down website to find out more.

The Somme Museum is situated on the Bangor Road and is an amazing stop on our trail. Even though the Somme Centre is mostly dedicated to the First World War there are excellent displays on the Second World War and other conflicts.

In 1994 the Somme Association established the Somme Heritage Centre at Conlig, between Newtownards and Bangor in Co. Down. Now renamed The Somme Museum, it was built on the site where the solders of the 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division were trained after the outbreak of war within the grounds of the Clandeboye Estate.

The Centre is a fully accredited museum, providing exhibitions, displays and information, and is an institution for the study and interpretation of Ireland’s contribution to the First World War, with particular reference to the Battle of the Somme. It was built with the support of European and local funding combined with a major fund-raising effort, supported by the public to commemorate the involvement of the 36th (Ulster) Division, 16th (Irish) Division and 10th (Irish) Division in the First World War.

Organised tours are available and can be booked in advance by contacting the Museum. Each tour lasts approximately one hour and the last tour takes place at 3.00pm each day. Please visit their website for more information: www.irishsoldier.org

You can view Newtownards Airfield from the coastal path, taking you the full length of the airfield. This path is the St Patrick’s Walking Trail. Newtownards airfield was used by the RAF during the Second World War and is still an operational airfield today.

For more information on this small airport, or to book yourself a flying lesson please visit the Ulster Flying Club website

A Nazi in Newtownards..?

On Friday 29th May 1936 a three engined Junkers Ju 52 aircraft brought the German Ambassador to Northern Ireland: Joachim Von Ribbentrop landed at Newtownards airfield.  He was making a private visit to Lord Londonderry who lived at Mount Stewart Estate, staying for 4 days. The German aircraft was marked with a swastika. Von Ribbentrop was German ambassador to London and would soon become Hitler’s trusted foreign minister. Within years of his appointment Germany would invade Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Lord Londonderry was Secretary of State for Air from 1931 to 1935 and was apparently trying to persuade Hitler and other Nazis to curtail their activities long before war began. He had met Hitler a total of six times in Nazi Germany. Lord Londonderry had previously accepted an invite to visit Berlin again in March 1939, but he abruptly declined it following the Nazi occupation of Prague.

Von Ribbentrop was convicted at the Nuremberg Trials for his role in starting World War Two and enabling the Holocaust. He was hanged in October 1946.

For more information on this please follow this link to the Belfast Telegraph article

 

 

Down County Museum is situated in Downpatrick and is an excellent museum covering many periods of local history. The rich heritage of County Down is brought to life in fascinating exhibitions, lively events, hands-on activities and award winning education programmes. Visitors can explore the history of the old Gaol, enjoy the permanent exhibitions and see one of the special, temporary exhibitions displaying objects from varied collections. The Museum’s new extension, containing three new permanent galleries and a brand new tearoom is now open.

Check on their website for opening times and exhbitions – www.downcountymuseum.com

The Gaol During the Second World War

A battalion of the United States 1st Armored Division moved into the Gaol in 1942, under the command of Lt. Colonel John Waters who was the son-in-law of General Patton.

Elements of the 1st Armored Division were also situated nearby in Downpatick at Downpatrick Racecourse.

Memories of an American Soldier in Downpatrick

Robert McDowell was a US Army soldier who remembers spending time in Newcastle and Downpatrick in the lead up to the allied invasion of Europe. Robert was billeted with B Company of the 123rd Ordnance Battalion of the First Armored Division in Newcastle for around 2 weeks and remembers staying somewhere near the Newcastle Centre. He was then able to rejoin his original unit, C Company, in Downpatrick. Robert and the 210 men who were part of C Company were billeted in the Old Gaol.

Robert’s regular duties involved patrolling the town. They started from the Gaol, went down English Street, up Irish Street, took in a water reservoir and back round to the town, ending up on Church Street. He claims that completing this circuit took about two hours, as they were always greeted by local folk at their front doors and windows and offered tea and crumpets, and often treated to cream and sugar.

Robert got to know a girl who worked in a fish and chip shop in Scotch Street. He remembers her name was Margaret, and went to her house for dinner with two of his army friends, Fred Hamilton, from Charleston in West Virginia, and Charles Dearing, from West Kentucky. As a gift they took a can of pork meat, the type that could be sliced. Robert claims that they had many different types of rations that weren’t available outside their canteen, so they shared with the friends they made. Robert believes that Margaret eventually married a GI and went over to America.

Robert’s Mess Sergeant liked canned pork and would make up a good meal of pork, mashed potatoes and gravy. They were also lucky enough to have solid chocolate bars that could be dissolved in water to make a chocolate drink. Robert and his friends would give these to local children to take home to their families. Chewing gum was also a novelty in Downpatrick. One of Robert’s friends took a girl out to the cinema in the town and gave her some chewing gum. A few minutes later she asked for some more, as it turned out she had swallowed it!

Robert remebers seeing the Saul Church and the King and Queen visiting County Down. There were dances in the Town Hall from time to time, some for enlisted men and some for officers. The soldiers liked to visit the locals bars in the town but sometimes there would be fights. Two men from his company got into a fight outside the railway station, and one put his fist through the window of the station building.

Robert celebrated his 19th birthday on 5th September 1942, just six weeks before his company left County Down. Robert stated that it was quite something to discover that the Gaol had become a museum, and a figure of a GI had been set up to commemorate the time they spent in the town from May to October 1942.

These memories were collected from the BBC website. Please follow this link to view the original content – BBC History – The People’s War

History of the Gaol (from www.downcountymuseum.com)

In March 1798 the Belfast Newsletter announced that the County Grand Jury of Down intended to build a new gaol for the County. It was to be modelled according to the recommendations of the penal reformer John Howard. The architect was Charles Lilly who also carried out work on Down Cathedral.

The Gaol opened in 1796. It was hoped that the new building would have none of the overcrowding associated with the old prison system and would be an important tool in the reformation of society. However the 1790s in Ireland were times of economic and political turmoil and the consequent rise in crime soon led to the Gaol being overcrowded and insufficient for the needs of the County.

There were only 18 cells in the Gaol, all of them uniformly small, yet up to 130 prisoners were accommodated at once.  They were fed on a diet of potatoes, oatmeal and water, with some bread. The water supply was poor, the cells unheated and unglazed. In 1818 there was a serious outbreak of typhus in the summer, so serious a Gaol infirmary had to be established.  Discipline was very bad, breakouts were common with at least three transportees making a successful bid for freedom. In 1804, the turnkey, Owen White, was even sacked for aiding and abetting a large scale rescue of prisoners!

Conditions soon became so bad that a new gaol was planned. This eventually opened in 1830. The old Gaol was then used as barracks for soldiers.  The South Down Militia used it for much of the nineteenth century. American and Canadian Servicemen were stationed here during the Second World War.  It had a variety of uses in the 1950s, 60s and 70s before falling into dereliction. It was rescued by Down District Council in 1980 and purchased as a site for the County Museum.

Today visitors to the Museum can walk through the restored buildings of this fine Georgian gaol and see something of the conditions in which prisoners were kept.