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‘Holy Grail’ of Spitfires
unearthed in Gleneely
29.06.11
by Linda McGrory
THE mangled wreckage of an iconic Spitfire aircraft
including its Rolls Royce engine was dug from an
Inishowen bog yesterday seventy years after it
crashed on neutral Irish soil during World War II.
The operation, at Moneydarragh, Gleneely, was the
latest chapter in the story of American pilot,
Roland 'Bud' Wolfe who parachuted from the fighter
plane into a diplomatic row between Britain and
Ireland. |
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The spitfire dig at Moneydarragh,
Gleneely. |
The 23-year old, a
member of 133 'Eagle' Squadron, was on convoy patrol
when the engine overheated eight miles from his RAF
base at Eglinton - now City of Derry Airport. The
operation assisted by an Army bomb disposal team,
began about 8am yesterday. Among the salvage
recovered by 4pm were parts of the fuselage, six
Browning .303 machine guns, two magazines, hydraulic
controls, 450 bullets, a propeller, tyres, landing
gear and seat belts. A strong smell of aviation fuel
clung to the air as the dig progressed.
To read more
click here or to view photos
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