Princess Xenia lands at Beal Strand
Fitzmaurice's First Attempt
In 1926, Fitzmaurice tried to make real his long-standing dream of crossing the Atlantic by air. He began fundraising and approached the government with his idea. Money was scarce, however, and his plans came to nothing. Meanwhile in England, another experienced aviator, Captain Robert Henry McIntosh was preparing his plans for an east-west crossing. McIntosh was fortunate in that he already had the financial backing of the American millionaire William B. Leeds. McIntosh contacted Fitzmaurice for permission to use Baldonnel as his starting point. The correspondence between the two men led to McIntosh's invitation to Fitzmaurice to join him in his attempt as copilot. Fitzmaurice gladly accepted. McIntosh arrived at Baldonnel in late August 1927 in his Fokker monoplane, named Princess Xenia. McIntosh and Fitzmaurice immediately began intensive preparations for the flight. All the tests were completed and all that was needed was good weather.
The days passed slowly, the weather bulletins reporting fog, rain and storms over the Atlantic. This was a frustrating time for McIntosh as the leave he had been given by his employers, Imperial Airways, was fast running out. The tension of the long wait perhaps made him take chances he may not have taken otherwise. On the morning of the 16th September 1927, a weather report was received from the Chief Meteorological Officer with the Air Ministry in London. It said that weather conditions off the Atlantic coast of Ireland were poor for a distance of 200 miles but after that it was reasonably clear as far as the North American coastline. The two aviators decided to leave that afternoon. A big crowd gathered at Baldonnel to witness the takeoff. At 1:30 pm the Princess Xenia moved down the runway and set off on her epic journey.
As soon as the men left the coast of Galway, turbulence threw the aircraft from side to side. The pilots persevered, in the belief that conditions would get better. However instead of improving, the weather continued to worsen. Visibility was almost nil. McIntosh had to battle with the controls to keep the aircraft in the sky. Both McIntosh and Fitzmaurice were reluctant to turn back after being given such a wonderful and public send-off at Baldonnel. They felt that national and personal pride was at stake. To continue on their journey, however, would have been suicidal and both men knew that their only chance of survival was to head for the nearest land. They turned around and flew back towards Ireland. They landed on Beale Strand near Ballybunion in County Kerry. McIntosh never got another chance to try again. Fitzmaurice on the other hand did not have long to wait before he would head west once more.
Colonel James Fitzmaurice
(1898-1965)
Past pupil of Portlaoise C.B.S. James Fitzmaurice was born on January 6th 1898. Son of a prison officer based in Portlaoise, the school records show his enrolment as a pupil in St Mary's C.B.S, Marlborough on January 9th 1905.
James Fitzmaurice, in 1914, joined the Cadet Company of the 7th Leinster Regiment. Three months later he joined the 7th Lancers.
He landed in France in 1915. He was wounded 18 months later. He transferred to the infantry where he saw heavy fighting on the Somme and at Arras. He was awarded a commission in the 8th Irish (Kings) Liverpool Regiment. He was wounded again.
In 1917, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He was selected to pilot the first night mail flight from Folkestone to Cologne in 1919.
In 1920 he joined the newly formed Royal Air Force and was commissioned. He resigned his commission on the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
In 1922 he returned to Ireland and as a Lieutenant, joined the newly formed Irish Air Corps. In 1924 he became Officer Commanding Fermoy Aerodrome.
In 1927 Commandant James Fitzmaurice, attempted the East to West crossing of the Atlantic ocean in the Princess Xenia .
They were forced to return due to weather conditions. They successfully force landed at Beale Strand, near Ballybunion.
In the attempts to fly from East to West across the Atlantic, six aircraft and some sixteen lives had been lost up to April 1928.
On April 12th, 1928 at 5.38am, the first successful flight from East to West across the Atlantic began from Baldonnel ( now Casement Aerodrome ) .
The first pilot was Captain Herman kohl, ( second pilot) was Commandant James Fitzmaurice at that time Officer Commanding Air Corps with headquarters at Baldonnel.
The Navigator was Baron E.G. Von Heumfeld.
The Bremen, a junkers aircraft, was formerly a junkers W33 Flying Boat, converted to an airplane. The flight took 36 hours.999
He died in September 1965 in Dublin, he was given a State Funeral.Memrobilia can still been seen in the officers mess at Casement Aerodrome. The Bremen is exhibited at the ford Museum, Dearborn, near Detroit USA.
