All, is there a total figure available for the number of servicemen from Northern Ireland who served with the three services in WWII?
Might be in the first file, if stats not available elsewhere: DO 35/1230/7 MILITARY PERSONNEL: Manpower to Fighting Forces, Statistics of Eire and Ulster 1943-1946 DO 35/1230/8 MILITARY PERSONNEL: Eire and Ulster's contributions to U.K. War effort 1943-1946 (I just happened to have taken a note of these files, for future reference.)
Offhand i can think of two well-known Irishmen, Mayne was born in Newtownards,County Down, Northern Ireland and was a founder member of the SAS; and Finucane was an RAF fighter ace (26 confirmed kills) born in Dublin in the Republic-
Phylo I recall seeing a figure of 38,000 quoted in the Northern Ireland War Memorial Building in town. According to historian Brian Barton: Volunteers recruited in NI (from NI) 30,664. Volunteers recruited in NI (from Eire) 28,774. Perhaps the NIWMB figure includes those recruited outside NI and those already in HM Forces?
The work of Richard Doherty is probably the best place to begin with an inquiry about Irish military service in WWII. Best, Alan
Hi All, I was about to put this post into the Burma/SE Asia book thread, but thought some of you might be interested. Looks a good read.
A bit late to join the discussion but have only just been able to look through Richard Doherty's book "In the Ranks of Death - The Irish in the Second World War" in which he states that the Dominions Office informed Sir Basil Brooke, then Premier of Northern Ireland, that 37,282 Northern Ireland men and women had served in all three forces. He further analyses the number of men and women from Eire who may have served as this was not properly collated for various reasons. Richard
Another was my wife's 3rd cousin George Brockerton from NI he was the wall of Death man and tt racer, whose courage and resource rescued 81 soldiers who were entrapped in a cellar at the evacuation of Dunkirk. He was a dispatch rider.
