Luftwaffe Eagles over Ireland, the Story of German Air Crashes over Neutral Ireland 1940-1945 (Horgan Press 9780995553002)

Category Aviation Books, Subcategory WW2, ISBN/Box 9780995553002, Publisher Horgan Press, Author Justin Horgan, Format a4, No. Pages 383, Version hb, Language English

The following work has focused on a select piece of history largely forgotten today. Back in September 1939 war clouds were gathering over Europe and neutral Ireland was about to feel the effects of the conflict that lay ahead. During World War Two Ireland remained neutral, but this did not stop the regular over flights into Irish airspace of Luftwaffe and Allied aircraft. The Irish Air Corp was not well equipped to intercept these over flights as equipment and aircraft were sparse.
Both Luftwaffe and Allied planes crashed on or near neutral Ireland from September 1939 to May 1945. At times the only clues to such losses were either wreckage or bodies being washed up.
More than 20 years of research brings to life the activities of the Luftwaffe over Ireland.
The writers use the crashes on neutral territory to inform readers how Ireland became a bolt-hole for German flyers in trouble. The Luftwaffe’s own battles with the Royal Air Force in the skies around Ireland resulted in many crash or forced landings and the sometimes heavy price crews paid as they tried to find safe landing sites in Ireland. The book traces the events surrounding these crashes, the response of local people to these landings in their midst and the extensive efforts to save crew members. The book includes interviews with many of the surviving crews from that period and produces a fascinating military and social history of that time.
It includes stories of the downed crews’ amazing time at Curragh Camp, honour bound to return after being allowed out to cinemas and local hostelries.
The book also examines the relationship between the crews and the local people, the marriages and the deep bonds that were created for these young Germans with Ireland for the rest of their lives.
This book has not covered every Luftwaffe loss off the coast of Ireland as in some cases information was not available but we have rather focused on the crashes that we as authors were able to fully research and in many cases contact surviving Luftwaffe veterans.

As a bonus all books are signed by a very prowd author!