Martin: A good book is 'Aviator Extraordinary" by Sidney Cotton as told to Ralph Barker. If you can't find it, use
www.abebooks.com website and you can find it. Our libraries use it and has booksellers worldwide. Have used it extensively and found it trustworthy and relaible over several years. There are other books and I've found 22 so far, on this topic. I can provide you with a list if you like. Re: the Irish connection. They didn't have much to do with Ireland until about September 1939 after war began and they escaped Berlin. Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame) with British Admiralty intelligence had Cotton and my uncle fly some photo recon flights along the southern Irish coast to see if there was any U-Boat pen construction going on. There wasn't. They were also to check for any anti-aircraft guns and Cotton said there was one and he knew exactly where it was because he had sold it to the Irish. Have no idea when and haven't found any documentation to say when he sold it though. Most likely Cotton obtained it through his friend, Alfred Miranda of the American Armaments Corporation based in New York City. They were arms merchants and Cotton had business dealings with them on other occasions. In fact, it was Alfred who recommended Cotton for the spy flights to French Intelligence and hence, the British. My interest and research has focused on the time before my uncle went missing on 29/30 May 1942, so have no idea what he was up to in 1945. Maybe the book or the other two places may be able to help. Just had a thought. I can ask Cotton's daughter, Jill, if she has any idea what he was up to in Ireland at that time. She had been sent to school in the USA shortly after the war began and was staying with a very wealthy American named Ben Smith ( I believe he owned a refrigerator manufacturing company) in the New York City area. She didn't see her dad much, as he was always doing business deals and travelling. Will let you know what i find out.