Josh Gates travels to Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa to investigate one of World War II's most overlooked tragedies: the May 30, 1945 crash of a Douglas C-47 Skytrain that vanished shortly after takeoff from the US Army Air Base in Accra. Eighteen members of the Women's Army Corps were aboard the plane, along with a three-man crew, when it reportedly plunged into the ocean near a remote peninsula on the Ivory Coast. Despite a thorough search by US forces at the time, no wreckage was found and no bodies were recovered. The WACs aboard were specialists in air traffic control, weather forecasting, and other vital logistics, serving alongside their male counterparts in the closing days of the war in Europe. Gates begins his investigation at the US Army Women's Museum at Fort Gregg-Adams, where historian Tracy Bradford explains how the Women's Army Corps represented a groundbreaking moment for women in military service, building on earlier roles from the American Revolution through World War I's "Hello Girls."
Of the 27 American servicewomen from World War II still listed as Missing In Action, 18 come from this single incident—a staggering concentration that underscores how thoroughly the story has been forgotten by history. The Women's Army Corps was the first organization to grant women full military status in the US Army, and their contributions during World War II broke barriers across technical and logistical fields previously closed to them. What makes this episode particularly compelling is Gates' effort to honor these pioneering service members by applying modern technology to locate the wreckage and potentially bring these MIA heroes home, giving recognition to a group of women whose sacrifice has been overshadowed for nearly eight decades.
Abidjan
Côte d'Ivoire · historical
Gates arrives in Abidjan, the main commercial city of Côte d'Ivoire, samples local cacao products, and visits the Marché de Treichville street market before beginning the six-hour coastal drive to the suspected crash site.
Cote d'Ivoire
Cote d'Ivoire · historical
Josh searched for the wreckage of an American military plane that disappeared in the closing days of World War II with eighteen Women's Army Corps members on board.
Drewin Point
Côte d'Ivoire · historical
Gates and the Project Recover team conduct sonar surveys and scuba dives off Drewin Point, the location identified in the 1945 accident report as the site where indigenous witnesses saw the C-47 crash into the ocean.
Fort Gregg-Adams
United States · historical
Gates visits the US Army's Fort Gregg-Adams to tour the United States Army Women's Museum and review archival materials related to the 1945 WAC plane crash, including original newspaper clippings and photographs of the women involved.
Marché de Treichville
Côte d'Ivoire · cultural
Gates visits Abidjan's busy Treichville street market as part of his introduction to the city before heading to the crash site investigation zone.
Monogaga
Côte d'Ivoire · historical
Gates and Colin Colbourn visit the traditional coastal fishing village of Monogaga to interview local elders about oral accounts of the 1945 plane crash, finding a near-centenarian resident who recalls older community members discussing a plane going into the water near the point.
Palm Springs
United States · historical
Gates flies aboard a vintage World War II-era C-47 Skytrain over the Palm Springs desert with veteran pilots to understand the aircraft's handling characteristics and explore possible causes of the 1945 WAC crash.
San Pedro
Côte d'Ivoire · historical
Gates arrives at the port city of San Pedro after a six-hour coastal drive from Abidjan, where he reunites with the Project Recover team staging their search operation near the suspected crash site.
United States Army Women's Museum
United States · historical
Gates examines archival records and photographs of the 18 WACs killed in the 1945 crash, reviewing original newspaper headlines and documents from the Women's Army Corps archive with curator Tracy Bradford.