Wartime Aircraft Crashes in County Cork

1939 - 1945

The following is a table of known aircraft that crashed or made forced landings in Ireland or in Irish waters during the years of WWII:


Date Type S/N Indentity Operated by Unit Location Killed Survivors Notes
19th April, 1940 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Unknown Unknown RAF Unknown Off Fastnet Rock - - Loss
5th February, 1941 Focke Wolf 200C-3 ''Condor'' - F8+AH Luftwaffe I/KG40 Cashelfeane Hill near Dunbeacon, Durrus. 5 1

This was damaged by AA fire from "Major C" and crashed, in dense fog. It was operating out of Bordeaux on anti-shipping operations in the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic.

1stApril, 1941 Not known - - Luftwaffe - In the sea. 3 ?

The bodies of three German airmen were recovered off the coast of Cork. They were burried in cemeteries at Ballinspittle, Nohoval and Rathbarry. It is presumed that their aircraft was shot down by the RAF.

8th April, 1941 HE-111 H3 3175 V4+GL Luftwaffe III/KG40 Off Long Island, near Schull. - 6

Shot down by Convoy HG58. Other reports say that it developed engine trouble and ditched in the sea. The crew of 6 were subsequently interned in the Curragh.

26th August, 1941 Junkers Ju-88 D-2 396 4U+HH Luftwaffe 1 Aufklarungsgruppe/123 Belgooley 0 4

Attacked by two Spitfires from RAF Valley and shot down. It made a 'wheels up' landing near Belgooley. It was flying out of Brest, in northern France on a photographic mission; the crew destroyed the aircraft with explosives on landing. They were interned in the Curragh

23rd October, 1941 Bristol Blenheim IV(F) V5728 ND-? RAF 236 Sqn Off Long Island, near Schull 1 2

Engine failure, crashed into sea

3rd March, 1942 Junkers Ju-88 A-4 1429 CN+DU Luftwaffe Wekusta 2 Schull, Mount Gabriel. 4 0

Crashed into mountain in dense fog and exploded. The crew of four were, initially, buried in the Abbey Cemetery, Bantry.

20th April, 1942 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley - - RAF 58 Squadron South of The Fastnet Rock 6 0

Crashed into the sea 120 miles south of the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse. Engine failure had been reported at 6.45 pm. It was operating out of St. Eval in Cornwall.

September, 1942 No Information - - Thought to be from the RAF - Castletownroche - -

This incident has not yet been researched.

26thSeptember, 1942 Vickers Wellington XVI - R 1021 RAF - Charleville 0 4

This aircraft, thought to be on a training flight, crashed for unknown reasons. The crew of four were uninjured. They had left Limavaddy, Co. Derry, at 11.00 am that morning and made the forced landing at 6.35 pm that afternoon. They were with an Operational Training Unit (OTU)

7th April, 1943 Boeing B-17F-25-DL Fortress 42-3090 "''Taint-a-Bird" USAAF 334/95BG Clonakilty 0 11

Lost, ran out of fuel and made forced landing in marsh.

23rd July, 1943 Junkers Ju-88 D-1 430030 D7+DK Luftwaffe Wekusta 2 Dursey Sound 4 0

Crashed on Ballinacarriga Hill, Crow Head, near Dursey Sound. Crew of four killed. This aircraft was on a regular weather reconnaissance flight out of Bordeaux.

27th August, 1943 B-24 Consolidated Liberator Not known BZ802V RAF 86 Squadron Coastal Command Near Castletownbere 7 -

Crashed at Goulane near Castletownbere. It was out of Aldergrove on an anti submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay. It crashed in poor weather.

16th March, 1944 Martin B-26C-45-MO Maurader 42-107635 Unknown USAAF 9 AS ? Skibbereen 0 5

This aircraft was on a delivery flight from the US. It became lost and was running short of fuel. It made a wheels down landing in a marsh. None of the crew were injured. It was dismantled and handed over to the RAF in Northern Ireland. The crew were not interned and also joined their unit in Northern Ireland.

21st April, 1944 Handley Page Halifax LL 145 G' RAF 517 (Met) Squadron Skibbereen 0 8

This aircraft was flying out of Brawdy in Pembrokeshire. The crew of eight were uninjured when it made a wheels down landing. The Halifax was dismantled by the Second Cyclist Squadron and returned to the RAF in Northern Ireland. The crew were interned.

16th May, 1944 Uknown, mentioned in IAC doc Unknown Unknown USAAF Unknown near Fastnet - - -
2nd July, 1946 Martinet - Unknown RAF - Youghal 0 1

This Martinet of the RAF was based in Yorkshire and it made an emergency landing on the beach at Youghal in the Summer of 1946. The aircraft was pulled to safety by the local LDF. They alleged that they had suffered a compass malfuntion and became lost.

Number of aircraft downed. 14 30 42
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