Story of crash of a US bomber in North Sligo is a viral hit
FRESH photographs of an ancient wreckage of a World War 2 US B17 bomber, affectionately known as the ‘flying fortress’ on the top of the Dartry Mountains have received a huge reaction online.
Tourism student Ian Mitchinson shared his photographs with the world when he was in charge of the Wild Atlantic Way Instagram account recently.
“It went mad. I couldn’t believe it,” Ian told The Sligo Champion.
“I got over a million likes. I took over the Wild Atlantic Way Instagram page for three days. When I posted that story it went mental. Tens of thousands of people liked it,” he said.
Ian found out about the crash while researching the mountains for his tourism course.
“I got so excited that I set off the same day I found about it to go and look for it. It was in a very scary area, as the bogs have river systems running under them causing great hollow gaps in the ground that eventually collapse,” he said.
The flying fortress was flying from America to Prestwick, Scotland when it crashed into Tievebaun Mountain, close to Benwiskin, in poor weather on the 9 th December 1943.
Of the ten airmen on board, two died instantly while a third died from his injuries a few days later.
Airmen 2nd Lt. William Wallace, Richard Fox and Sgt Adam Latecki died in the crash.
Two soldiers, including the pilot, struggled down the mountain to find help in Ballintrillick. It sparked a most amazing rescue operation involving dozens of men and women from Ballintrillick and Cliffoney who stretchered the dead and injured down off the mountain all night in freezing conditions.
“The most amazing thing is the doctor. It’s such a cool story. She was a young doctor in Cliffoney. There was no electricity. Two Gardaí knocked on her door that night and together they pushed and pulled her up Tievebaun Mountain,” he said, referring to Dr Evelyn Connolly who went on to serve as family doctor to Lord Mountbatten and his family in Mullaghmore.
“She was an unlikely hero,” said Ian.
One member of the crew was trapped by the bomber while another suffered frostbite from exposure that night.
Local memories of those in Ballintrillick are recorded by Denis Burke on the website: ww2irishaviation.com. Bartley Rooney told a story that his father and many others struggled all night to dig away the peat and earth from below the airman to allow him be released.
John Rooney was not more than 5 years old that night and recalled from snippets of conversation from men telling of frozen hands carrying stretchers down. Local civilians made it to the site before the Gardaí and Defence Forces.
Lt.’s Melican and Bolger from Finner Camp reported that they were among the first military to reach the site around 9.30pm that night.
A few days after the crash, Capt. J K Birthistle of the British Army filed a report in which he said he arrived at Ballintrillick at 11.15pm that night.
“I could not describe the hardship of the stretcher parties in taking the injured men down the mountain. It is unbelievable that they could take a stretcher case down in safety, as near the top the mountain shelves away in 10 -20 feet rises.
“The last one of the injured was not down until about 07.15 hours 10/12/43 - 15 hours after the crash,” he wrote.
Ian’s presentation can be seen on www.ianmitchinson.