WORLD WAR II SURVIVOR UNVEILS PLAQUE TO ADRIAN GALLAGHER
World War II survivor unveils plaque to Adrian Gallagher
A PLAQUE in memory of Omagh bomb victim, Adrian Gallagher was unveiled during a poignant ceremony high in the Bluestack Mountains of Donegal last weekend.
The moving tribute which was attended by members of the Gallagher family was conducted by the sole surviving crew member of a World War II air tragedy which occurred over 50 years ago.
Squadron Leader, Jim Gilchrist (75), was one of only a few who survived the tragedy which occurred on the night of January 31st, 1944.
Eleven years ago, young Adrian Gallagher, who at the time, was just 13 years of age, helped in erecting a plaque in memory of the airmen who lost their lives on the remote mountainside.
At the weekend, Mr Gilchrist travelled from his home in Sussex to Donegal Town, accompanied by his son Adrian and his daughters Caroline and Susan where he was greeted by his friends Kevin Quinlan (Donegal Town) and Jack Hayden (Letterkenny) at the Hyland Central Hotel.
The following morning, Saturday, he set out with a team of local climbers, via the Sruell Pass, for the crash site, 2,000 feet up on the North face of Blue Stack Mountain.
Those who made the climb were Jim Gilchrist, Caroline Gilchrist Wells, Adrian Gilchrist, Susan Gilchrist, Jack Hayden, Kevin Quinlan, Conor Sinclair, Father Columba Nee, Paul Crossan of the Bluestack Ramblers with Michael McGeehan, Daniel Browne, Packie McGuire, Josephine McGuire and leader Bernard McGlinchey.
At the same time another team of climbers, under the guidance of Gary Pentland (Gortin) and Liam Briody (Glenties) set out from McDermott's Cottage at Croleck in the Croaghs Valley.
Shortly after 3pm both teams met at the crash site, some fifty feet from the summit.
Jim Gilchrist gave a moving oration recalling the events of that terrible night in his life over fifty five years ago when seven of his comrades lost their lives. He paid tribute to each of them and he also spoke of the sad loss of his wife, Georgina Blanche Gilchrist, and of his friend John McDermott, Croleck, who both died earlier this year.
Alongside the plaque to the airmen, which Mr Gilchrist unveiled on his only previous visit to the site in 1988, he unveiled another plaque set in the granite boulder in memory of Adrian Gallagher who tragically lost his life in the Omagh bomb outrage last August.
In 1988, Adrian helped his father and others with the erection of the plaque to the airmen.
The plaque was placed by his sister Cathy, father Michael and best friend, Michael Barrett, who were in attendance.
In conclusion a Service of Remembrance was conducted by Fr Columba Nee, CC Ballybofey.
The entire party descended via the Effrannagh River to McDermott's cottage at Croleck where all were treated to a lavish feast of food and drink by Joe McDermott and his neighbours.
Jim Gilchrist made a presentation to Joe McDermott in recognition of the help and succour given by his late mother Catherine to the wounded airmen in 1944.
Catherine McDermott, then a widow with five children, took Mr Gilchrist into her care following the tragic incident which occurred in the mountains high above her home on the night of January 31st 1944.
Mr Gilchrist was a member of the crew of Sunderland DW110 of 228 Squadron RAF. On January 31st 1944 they had been on patrol down the French coast on Anti U-Boat Strike operations.
Before the end of the patrol they received a radio message from their base in Pembroke Dock, South Wales, recalling them because of bad weather expected on their return.
As a precaution they were diverted to a Sunderland operating base in Enniskillen (Castle Archdale) on Lough Erne.
It had been their intention to cross the coast of Ireland at the south end of Donegal Bay giving them the shortest route before tracking direct to Lough Erne.
It was a wild wintry night of sleet and rain. Towards midnight the aeroplane was heard passing low over McDermott's house. A short time later there was a crash deep and high in the mountain.
Early the following morning two airmen, survivors of the crash, were seen approaching the house with difficulty because of their injuries. They had followed the river down the mountain and made for McDermott's house which was visible from a long way off.
Mrs McDermott's son Joe, who was then 16, cycled to Brockagh Garda Station, eight miles away and raised the alarm.
Some time later soldiers, police, doctors and priests arrived and a rescue party set off for the mountain to recover the remaining survivors and bodies. The crew members who died were all in their early twenties.
Mr Gilchrist returned to the crash site in 1988 and last weekend's visit was only his second visit to Donegal.
In addition to the names of the airmen who died, the plaque bears the last line from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen".
"As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, To the end, to the end, they remain"
A PLAQUE in memory of Omagh bomb victim, Adrian Gallagher was unveiled during a poignant ceremony high in the Bluestack Mountains of Donegal last weekend.
The moving tribute which was attended by members of the Gallagher family was conducted by the sole surviving crew member of a World War II air tragedy which occurred over 50 years ago.
Squadron Leader, Jim Gilchrist (75), was one of only a few who survived the tragedy which occurred on the night of January 31st, 1944.
Eleven years ago, young Adrian Gallagher, who at the time, was just 13 years of age, helped in erecting a plaque in memory of the airmen who lost their lives on the remote mountainside.
At the weekend, Mr Gilchrist travelled from his home in Sussex to Donegal Town, accompanied by his son Adrian and his daughters Caroline and Susan where he was greeted by his friends Kevin Quinlan (Donegal Town) and Jack Hayden (Letterkenny) at the Hyland Central Hotel.
The following morning, Saturday, he set out with a team of local climbers, via the Sruell Pass, for the crash site, 2,000 feet up on the North face of Blue Stack Mountain.
Those who made the climb were Jim Gilchrist, Caroline Gilchrist Wells, Adrian Gilchrist, Susan Gilchrist, Jack Hayden, Kevin Quinlan, Conor Sinclair, Father Columba Nee, Paul Crossan of the Bluestack Ramblers with Michael McGeehan, Daniel Browne, Packie McGuire, Josephine McGuire and leader Bernard McGlinchey.
At the same time another team of climbers, under the guidance of Gary Pentland (Gortin) and Liam Briody (Glenties) set out from McDermott's Cottage at Croleck in the Croaghs Valley.
Shortly after 3pm both teams met at the crash site, some fifty feet from the summit.
Jim Gilchrist gave a moving oration recalling the events of that terrible night in his life over fifty five years ago when seven of his comrades lost their lives. He paid tribute to each of them and he also spoke of the sad loss of his wife, Georgina Blanche Gilchrist, and of his friend John McDermott, Croleck, who both died earlier this year.
Alongside the plaque to the airmen, which Mr Gilchrist unveiled on his only previous visit to the site in 1988, he unveiled another plaque set in the granite boulder in memory of Adrian Gallagher who tragically lost his life in the Omagh bomb outrage last August.
In 1988, Adrian helped his father and others with the erection of the plaque to the airmen.
The plaque was placed by his sister Cathy, father Michael and best friend, Michael Barrett, who were in attendance.
In conclusion a Service of Remembrance was conducted by Fr Columba Nee, CC Ballybofey.
The entire party descended via the Effrannagh River to McDermott's cottage at Croleck where all were treated to a lavish feast of food and drink by Joe McDermott and his neighbours.
Jim Gilchrist made a presentation to Joe McDermott in recognition of the help and succour given by his late mother Catherine to the wounded airmen in 1944.
Catherine McDermott, then a widow with five children, took Mr Gilchrist into her care following the tragic incident which occurred in the mountains high above her home on the night of January 31st 1944.
Mr Gilchrist was a member of the crew of Sunderland DW110 of 228 Squadron RAF. On January 31st 1944 they had been on patrol down the French coast on Anti U-Boat Strike operations.
Before the end of the patrol they received a radio message from their base in Pembroke Dock, South Wales, recalling them because of bad weather expected on their return.
As a precaution they were diverted to a Sunderland operating base in Enniskillen (Castle Archdale) on Lough Erne.
It had been their intention to cross the coast of Ireland at the south end of Donegal Bay giving them the shortest route before tracking direct to Lough Erne.
It was a wild wintry night of sleet and rain. Towards midnight the aeroplane was heard passing low over McDermott's house. A short time later there was a crash deep and high in the mountain.
Early the following morning two airmen, survivors of the crash, were seen approaching the house with difficulty because of their injuries. They had followed the river down the mountain and made for McDermott's house which was visible from a long way off.
Mrs McDermott's son Joe, who was then 16, cycled to Brockagh Garda Station, eight miles away and raised the alarm.
Some time later soldiers, police, doctors and priests arrived and a rescue party set off for the mountain to recover the remaining survivors and bodies. The crew members who died were all in their early twenties.
Mr Gilchrist returned to the crash site in 1988 and last weekend's visit was only his second visit to Donegal.
In addition to the names of the airmen who died, the plaque bears the last line from Laurence Binyon's poem "For the Fallen".
"As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, To the end, to the end, they remain"
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1271
Published Date: 10-Jun-99
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