Luftwaffe Air Crashes, West Cork: German Military Buried in the Abbey Bantry and Reinterred 1959 in the German Military Cemetery, Glencree, Co. Wicklow

Those mentioned in the Paddy O’Keeffe, Bantry business man and historian commissioned an engineering survey in 1957. The Germans were reinterred I think in 1959. It is a beautiful graveyard with very humble stones laid flat. See enclosed. The true horror of war is shown in the numerous stones to a German Soldier or 2 or 3 or 4 names unknown. Quite a few from WW1. We are so lucky in Europe not to have had a major conflict since 1959.
Even though it was opened in 1959 already some of the stones are difficult to make out due to erosion.
By the way Colum Hourihane tells me that POK did photograph the air crash debris and I assume the photos are in the Cork Archive.
Yes indeed- he labelled them and they were part of his war bundle!
Colum

German Military Abbey Bantry.

Luftwaffe Air Crashes

1941 5th, FW200C-3 0042/F8+AH. 1/K.G40 5 killed 1 prisoner of war. Crashed into Cashelane Hill, Dunbeacon, Durrus, 850ft. in dense fog at 08.00 after being shot at by anti aircraft fire from S.S. Major C. Miss Shanahan Dunbeacon, rescued awarded by German Government. In the singer Seán Ó Sea’s autobiography he recounts one of the German aircraft being on display in Bantry House where the LDF were based.

1942, 3rd. March Ju88D-1 1429/CN+DU Wekusta 2-4 killed. Crashed into Mount Gabriel. Bantry businessman Paddy O’Keeffe (Principal G.W. Biggs and Co.) and historian took photographs immediately after. Pat

Yes indeed- he labelled them and they were part of his war bundle!

Colum

1943, 23rd. July, Ju88D-1 430030 Wekusta 2-4 killed

Crashed at Dursey at 07.25.

Luftwaffe High Command’s weather reconnaissance Staffe 2

Hans Auschner at controls wearing his Iron Cross. He had lost both legs and the plane was adapted for hand control; Bruno Noth, a civilian meteorological observer from Hamburg; Johannes Kushidlo, airman; Gerhard Dummler (19) radio operator the youngest man to die in an aerial crash in Ireland.