Four students from North West Regional College have been selected to receive a prestigious scholarship from a body commemorating the U.S. Naval Communications base which was set up in Derry in 1942 and closed in 1977.
U.S. Navcommsta Londonderry Alumni Association is a commemorative body established to reunite those sailors and civilians, and their families, who served at the U.S. Naval Communication station in Derry, during its years of operation.To extend the as
sociation, the Alumni Committee have decided to establish a scholarship fund for deserving students in the North West area.
The four students, Craig Inglis, Peter Wade, Charlene Hayes, and Tracey Flanagan, are all undertaking engineering study at North West Regional College, and were selected on the basis of their progress and achievement within the college, as well as showing evidence of their motivation to progress onto higher education.
A spokesperson for North West Regional College said: “We are honoured that the U.S. Navcommsta Association has chosen our College as recipients for this commemorative award. These scholarships will support current study at the College for our students, and should provide incentives for progression onto higher education opportunities.”
U.S. Naval communications in Northern Ireland began out of necessity when the U.S. Naval Operating Base in Derry became a centre of military activity at the beginning of World War 2. In 1943, the U.S. Navy acquired use of the land upon which the Clooney and Rossdowney compounds were later situated.
