Mrs Hazel Laverton took HMS 'Pandora' into action against the Sinn Feiners at Maghermeena Castle and at the Battle of Pettigo and Belleek during the War of Independence. Lower Lough Erne was full of treacherous shallows (before the level was raised by the hydro dam at Ballyshannon in 1949) and local nationalists had lowered the lough level (by opening sluices) to impede the arrival of British soldiers. Hence the need for a local with intimate knowledge of the lake to guide on the gunboat shown here.