Inishowen WW2 Spitfire goes on public exhibition

An exhibition showing the only excavated remains of a WW2 Spitfire anywhere in Ireland was launched last evening at the Workhouse Museum in Derry.
The remains were taken from a bog in Inishowen in June ; this week marks the 70th anniversary of the crash.
Members of the pilot’s family were in Derry for the exhibition launch.
The Mark IIa Spitfire crashed into a remote bog near Gleneally in Inishowen after pilot Roland Bud Wolfe parachuted from the plane on 30 November 1941 when it developed engine trouble.
It was found by aviation enthusiast and Claudy resident Jonny McNee in January 2011 who was searching for it as part of a forthcoming BBC NI series entitled  Dig WW2. The in June 2011 was the first licensed recovery of a WW2 aircraft to be undertaken in Ireland, and many iconic pieces were recovered from the wreckage, which experts say was very well preserved.
Now, many of the recovered items are going on display at the Workhouse Museum in Derry, reflecting the city’s role in the Battle of the Atlantic.
The launch of the exhibition was attended by the pilot’s two daughters and 12 other family members, who also visited City of Derry Airport, site of the Eglinton Air Force base where Bud Wolfe was based.