B17 F...

IWM, Roger freeman collection

To the crew of the B17F called "Stinky" it must have seemed like a fairly safe gig - instead of bombing missions they were to become an armed transport, making exciting trips around rear areas with important cargo. Unfortunately, the 'important cargo' consisted of four generals on an inspection tour, and that they were going to be the first thing that got inspected every morning.

Unfortunately, their flight back to the UK from Gibraltar went more than a little wrong, and they ended up in a field in Athenry, Co. Galway.

While this incident has been researched before, I am looking at it from two what I believe to be original perspectives:

1. Navigation: What went wrong with the navigation? Even by WW2 standards aiming for Cornwall and landing near Galway is unusual?
2. CRM: Did the cargo of high ranking generals help or hinder them?

Available Materials

Files, documents and archives:

• G2 File X1127, Military Intelligence Files (Emergency period) Military Archives Ireland. (1.7GB)
• Forced Landing of American Flying Fortress near Athenry, Co. Galway 15/1/43. (895MB)

• G2 File  the official Report (20MB)
• General Dever's Draft report written on his return to DC
• B17F Flight Manual

Maps and charts:

Google Map showing sightings and possible route.

• Green Airplane symbols are sightings
• Green Telescopes are obeservation posts that saw something, Red ones didn't see it and we have no records for the Black ones.
• Yellow circles are police stations that saw the aircraft.

Hypothetical weather map for the night in question.

OS Map of landing location, dating from roughly the time period.

Google Earth view of the location:

Web Sites:

• WW2 Irish Aviation
• American Air Museum in Britain

Books:

• Barry, Jim. Flying the North Atlantic. B.T. Batsford, 1987.
• Blair, Charles. Red ball in the sky. London, Jarrolds publishers (London) Ltd, 1970.
• Burke, Dennis. "Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Athenry, Galway, January 15th, 1943." Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland - WW2, 2000, . Accessed 2025 10 19.
• Forde, Frank. The Long Watch: World War Two and the Irish Merchantile Marine. New Island, 2000.
• McLaughlin, J. Kemp. The Mighty Eighth in WWII: A Memoir. University Press of Kentucky, 2006. Accessed 25 October 2025.