Portballintrae Air Force Memorial Proposal To Go Before Councillors

Plans for an Air Force Memorial in Portballintrae are due to be considered by councillors next week.

The proposal has been submitted by Bushmills Through the Wars (BTTW) and seeks permission to install the Portballintrae Air Force Memorial on council-owned land near Runkerry Beach.

The memorial would commemorate six airmen who lost their lives on 28 November 1943, when a Vickers Wellington aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after completing a training exercise. Four of those who died were members of the Royal Air Force, with two serving in the Royal Australian Air Force.

A council report states that the memorial would consist of two granite stones, one outlining the circumstances of the incident and the other bearing the names of the six airmen. The proposed location overlooks the site of the crash and would be positioned on an existing concrete platform that was previously used during the Cold War period.

The application has received support from local organisations, elected representatives and family members of those who died. BTTW has confirmed that funding is in place and that it would be responsible for insurance and ongoing maintenance of the memorial.

The proposal will go before the council’s Leisure and Development Committee next week for decision, with approval being sought subject to planning permission being granted.