Remembering the Crew of Lancaster ND474
Sgt T C McEneaney
FLT. SGT Terence Conlon McEneaney
Terry was born on 11th December 1921, in Sundays Well, Cork, Ireland. At a young age, his family moved to the Mayors Walk in Waterford City.
His father John McEneaney was born in County Monaghan, Ireland and his Mother, Deborah Elizabeth McEneaney (nee St George) was born in Southsea, Portsmouth, England.
Terry's father served with the prison Service and his mother's family, the St Georges have a long connection with the Armed forces, with records indicating her father Edward St George serving twenty one years with the Royal Navy, on HMS Algiers in Corfu with engagement in China and other parts of the Empire.
Terry was the second youngest in a family of nine children. The eldest was May, born in 1905, Lilly in 1906, Jenny in 1907, John in 1910, Joise in 1914, Catherine in 1916, Eva in 1918, Terry in 1921 and the youngest Patrick in 1923.
Terry was educated at Mount Sion College, Waterford. He joined the RAF in 1941 with his Civil occupation registered as a Student.
On the 9th August 1941, Terry's records indicate that he reported to the Aircrew Reception Centre at Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London to be inducted into the RAF and inoculated as all new entrants were.
A fellow volunteer was later to recall that the examinations were carried out under the stern eye of W.G. Grace in the sanctum sanctorum, "The Long Room".
The initial training program from August 1941 through to April 1942 involved Aircraft Disposal, Air Observer School in the UK.
In July 1942, the training program then took Terry to the RAF Training centre at Clairwood, Durban, South Africa. The journey on board a troopship took approximately 6 week, via the South Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar, Port Said, the Red Sea and Mombasa.
Terry did return to Waterford in December 1943, for a family christening. He headed back to Base 51 at Scampton on the 20th December. Before his mission to Stuttgart, Terry sent a signed photograph (Above) to his parents, saying:
Please remember Mother and Dad I am
Just one of a million I know with your prayers
We all at No20 will see Victory Day.
Please do not worry.
Love to Mother and Dad.
Terry.
On his return from Durban, Terry was based at the Flying Training School in Lincolnshire and continued with Battle School training at RAF Scampton. He was then transferred to Fiskerton and the 49 Squadron on the 20th February 1944.
These are the signatures of Terry's training group in South Africa.
The final entry in Terry's RAF records indicate Missing - 16/3/44.
The navigator was positioned behind the Pilot and Flight Engineer, behind a curtain fitted to allow him to use a light to do his work. His position faced port with a chart table in front of him. An instrument panel showing the airspeed, altitude and other information required for navigation, were mounted on the side of the fuselage above the chart table.
Few navigators had the time, or the inclination, to leave their station during a raid. They were constantly plotting the aircrafts course and making adjustments for wind and other factors. As electronic navigational aids developed during the war, the Navigator's workload became even greater.
On the 17th March 1944, the Waterford Local newspaper carried an article with the headline "Stuttgart and Munich Attacked". The article reported that "The British Air Ministry states today that Bomber Command last night dispatched a large force of heavy bombers and dropped over 800 tons of bombs - Stuttgart was the main objective".
It went on to mention raids on Munich and the railway at Amiens. There was also mention of German activity over south east of England, including London and concluded, "A small number of raiders reached the capital but were driven off by the RAF".
