036: Wings in the Reeks: The USAAF Tragedy of 1943

In December 1943, a brand-new USAAF C-47 Skytrain on a ferry flight to England veered off course and struck the slopes of Cnoc na Péiste in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. All five crewmen were killed, their story buried in confusion over dates, wartime secrecy, and the remoteness of the Kerry mountains. In this episode of Strap Yer Boots, we retrace the doomed flight, the recovery, and the enduring mystery of “the forgotten crash” in Ireland’s highest range. Along the way, we uncover how the Reeks have kept fragments of the tragedy alive—wreckage in the lake, memorials on the ridge, and the memory of five Americans lost far from home. Instagram @strapyerbootsWebsite strapyerboots.comContact [email protected]