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New book on Inishowen Spitfire
20.04.12
by Linda McGrory
THE discovery and excavation of a World War II
Spitfire plane from an Inishowen bog is the subject
of a new book to be published in the coming weeks.
'The Story of the Donegal Spitfire' has been written
by aviation historian, Jonny McNee, who found the
fighter plane last year and embarked on an ambitious
six-month project to have it dug up and preserved.
The excavation also unearthed the fascinating story
of the plane's American pilot, Roland 'Bud' Wolfe
who ejected from the aircraft before it nosedived
into a remote hillside at Moneydarragh, Gleneely.
The crash, on neutral Irish soil, resulted in
Wolfe’s capture and sparked a diplomatic row between
Ireland and Britain.
"I organised the project in the days after finding
pieces of corroded airframe in a remote gully on the
mountain in January 2011," said Co Derry-based Mr
McNee.
"The book recollects the joyous highs and stressful
lows, and there were many, in obtaining the required
archaeological licences and permissions for a
project that had never been attempted before."
The author, who is self-publishing the 126-page
paperback, said the Spitfire story was one that
"kept on giving". |
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Aviation historian, Jonny McNee,
holds one of the six .303 Browning machine guns
unearthed at Glenshinney bog, Gleneely. |
There was the surprise
among archaeologists at the plane's incredible state
of preservation after 70 years. There was the story
of how the plane was the first of 20 commissioned
with £100,000 donated by Canadian businessman
Garfield Weston during the Battle of Britain.
Then came the successful firing of one of the
recovered Browning machine guns at Irish Army
headquarters in Athlone last November.
The final chapter of the new book culminates in an
emotional visit to the crash site in December by the
late pilot’s two daughters.
The new book is currently with the printers and is
expected to be available within the next two weeks.
Price is €10 euros plus postage for the 126 page softback book which includes 12 pages of colour
photographs.
The book will be available from Jonny directly by
email:
jonnymcnee@googlemail.com or by calling him on
0044 7773301212. Local shops in Inishowen will also
be offered the opportunity to stock some copies.
Meanwhile, the three-part BBC NI series featuring
the Spitfire story and excavation is to be aired
soon. |
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