Hawker Hurricane crash memorial
In 1941, Sergeant William Des Brisay Gilmour (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was stationed at RAF Ballyhalbert with 504 Squadron. On 23rd October 1941, he had flown a Hawker Hurricane aircraft (Serial Number 25204) to his maternal grandmother farm near Cappagh. He was performing aerobatics when he crashed the aircraft and was killed, aged 20. Sergeant Gilmour is buried in the Kyle family plot in the graveyard at St. Eugenius’ Church of Ireland in Cappagh. William Des Brisay Gilmour was a son of Dr George Van Barneveld Gilmour and Sara Johnston Gilmour (nee Kyle) and his birth was registered in Quarter 1 1921 at Brentford, Oxfordshire. The Gilmour family home was at 25 Ormond Road in Rathmines, Dublin, when William died.
Consolidated PBY Catalina crash memorial
Sergeants Orr and Hilling were the pilots of a Consolidated PBY Catalina aircraft (Serial Number FP239) that took off from the RAF Killadeas on a daylight operational flying exercise on 30th December 1942. The weather conditions deteriorated earlier and more severely than forecast, and the aircraft crashed into a forested area at Deer’s Leap on Reaghan Hill near Omagh during a snowstorm, with the loss of all eleven crewmen. Four of the fatalities were buried in Northern Ireland and seven bodies were repatriated to Great Britain for burial.
When the owner of the land cleared the wooded area of trees, a propellor and a small part of the engine from the aircraft were recovered and are currently in storage in a local factory unit.
Irvinestown Church of Ireland Graveyard
Robert Mercer Adams was born on 2nd April 1922 int Toronto to Robert Medd Adams and Seaborn Christine Adams (nee Robertson) and the family later lived at 350 Inglewood Drive in Toronto. Robert was a university student when he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force on 11th March 1941.
George Wilson Lowther was born on 27th September 1917 int Townsville in Queensland to George Lowther and Elizabeth Lowther (nee Wilson). The family home was at Ashgrove near Brisbane and George enlisted in 1939.
Matthew James Hall Newman was a son of Albert Hall Newman and Margaret Newman (nee Waddell) of Wokingham in Berkshire, and his birth was registered in Quarter 3 1917 at Uxbridge in Middlesex. Matthew enlisted with the Royal Air Force as a Boy Entrant sometime after 1934 and was appointed as a Flight Sergeant in May 1942.
John Samuel Orr was born on 13th March 1921 at Ravenscroft Avenue in Belfast to Samuel Orr, a motor driver with the Ulster Special Constabulary, and Evelyn May Orr (nee Copping). Samuel Orr later joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary and was stationed at Strabane and later at Pomeroy. John was educated at the Lifford Prior Schools and was employed at Short Brothers and Harland when he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1940.
Repatriated fatalities
Sergeant Frederick Herbert Hilling (1222870, Royal Air Force) was 22 years old and is buried in Coltishall (St. John The Baptist) Cemetery
Sergeant William Nicholl (1026077, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. He was 21 years old and is buried in Longbenton (Benton) Cemetery.
Sergeant Arthur Horton Perkins (1132720, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. He was 28 years old and is buried in Liverpool (West Derby) Cemetery
Sergeant Charles Bernard Ridge (1198310, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. He was 21 years old and is buried in Solihull Cemetery in Warwickshire
Sergeant John Edward Slade (1233795, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was a Flight Mechanic and Air Gunner. He was 21 years old and is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery.
Leading Aircraftman Leslie Greenhalgh (1137149, Royal Air Force) was 22years old.is buried in Leigh Cemetery.
Sergeant Daniel Ward Yates (1058083, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) was a Flight Mechanic and Air Gunner. He was 20 years old and is buried in York Cemetery in Yorkshire.
Nigel Henderson, History Hub Ulster Researcher
Photos by author unless otherwise noted.