I am now ninety-seven years old, having been born in 1925. In January 1944, I was nineteen years old, living with my parents, sisters and brothers in Belmullet, County Mayo.  World War II was coming to an end, though we knew it not. Churchill was Prime Minister in England; Roosevelt, President in America.

An American plane, a B-17, Flying Fortress Bomber, on a delivery flight from Goose Bay, Canada to Nutt’s Bay, Belfast, crash-landed into a field near Belmullet. Earlier, the plane had been seen circling near Erris Head before moving inland. Once over Donegal Bay in bad weather conditions, the pilot had had to turn back out towards the Atlantic to avoid a possible crash.  He then headed back for the Mayo coast. The crew survived the crash landing and were saved an enormous disaster.

B-17

My father, as Superintendent in the Gardaí, was alerted and took charge of the investigation.   I asked him to bring me to the field where the plane came down. It was a strange sight to see an enormous plane in a field not far from where we lived.  It was the first time I had ever seen a plane.

The crew was brought to a hotel in Belmullet.  In gratitude, they arranged a dinner dance and invited young and old from the area. My father, dressed in coat tails for the occasion. It was my first time at a dinner dance, and my first time to wear a ball gown. The Americans danced with the young girls. The pilot danced more than once with me and he asked me to go to America with him. My mother was worried.  She said very wisely: ‘You will find he has a wife and children already there.’

The aircraft was dismantled on site and the final loads of aircraft parts left the area in March 1944 for Belfast. My mother needn’t have worried because any plans that pilot had for me were also dismantled because I had already set my heart on entering Religious Life

My father had a car and drove me to the Convent in Ballina when I entered.  I thought I would never see my family again. Later, my father came to the Convent. It was unusual for him to come without my mother.  He said: ‘If you are not happy here, you can come home with me now.’  I said: ‘No Dad, I’m going to stay here’.

Canice Burns
Western Province