At approximately 04:34am on 18 April 1941, a Handley Page Hampden aircraft (Registration AD730)[11][12] got lost in bad weather and crashed on nearby Black Hill (Kilbeg)[13] killing its entire crew of four.

[14] The plane was one of seven aircraft which had departed RAF Lindholme, North Yorkshire the previous evening around 20.15pm on a bombing mission to Berlin.

Lack of visibility, bad weather or failure of equipment due to technical or atmospheric problems have all been given as possible reasons for the plane going off course.

[11] The plane crashed in an almost inaccessible part of remote bog[14][12] on Black Hill and it took searchers two days to find the remains of all four crew members.

[14] Full military funerals took place on Tuesday 22 April 1941 at St. Mary’s Church, Blessington, by order of the Irish Government.