Irish Nazi's

Junior D

Just wondering if anybody has any info on Irish men or women who volunteered for the Nazis during the war. I already know of James Brady and Frank Stringer as well as having limited info on Patrick O'Neill

Padraig Og

http://www.mercierpress.ie/cartage.html?main_page=product_book_info&cPath=1&products_id=424&zenid=dccu32di99e4hev97cc6fc

smlballjunkie

Padraig Og wrote: »

http://www.mercierpress.ie/cartage.html?main_page=product_book_info&cPath=1&products_id=424&zenid=dccu32di99e4hev97cc6fc

I have just finished reading this book and while it deals with some notable IRA Nazi as in Frank Ryan etc, it is fairly limited in its scope. I think in all it covers about 10-12 different people, surely there were more than that served with the Armed Forces of Germany...but then again maybe not.
Would sure like to find a book covering this topic in greater detail myself.

Having said that, this book is an enjoyable read, if a bit disjointed:rolleyes:

Padraig Og

I dont think its in any way fair todescrib Frank Ryan as a Nazi -

Ryan was captured by the Italian fascist "Black Arrows" tank unit during the Spanish Civil War, he was courtmartialled and sentenced to death. "Upon his return Ryan was placed on the road in view of the Prisoners and, with bayonet prods, ordered to give the fascist salute. He refused whereupon an officer lined up a firing squad in front of him. Still he refused. ." (Taken from _In Green and Red. The Lives of Frank Ryan_ by Adrian Hoar.) Ryan's continued refusal to give the salute while in captivity earned him repeated beatings and punishments. These are hardly the actions of a Nazi sympathiser.

According to Francis Stewart (one of Ryan's companions in Germany) Ryan had a "hate" for the regime. "He detested the arrogance and contempt shown by officials towards foreigners and even toward their own people.... To survive however he had to hide his real attitute towards most officials. He did not like Veensenmayer but played along in the hope that some day he would return to Ireland." (Irish Times 11 april 1975) Ryan lived in relative comfort and claimed he got "everything I ask for - except a deportation Ticket." (In _Red and Green the lives of Frank Ryan_ by Adrain Hoar). At this stage ryan was refusing to do much more than advise the Germans on how best to maintain Irish neutrality. He died in a hospital in Loschwitz on June 10 1944. His friend Francis Stewart stated "Never to the day of his death abondoned his beliefs. He rejoyced at the Red Army victory At Stalingrad." (Irish Times 11 Aprill 1945)

Nor was Russel a Nazi - more of a blind militarist and oppourtunist -

While Russell was enlisting Nazi assistance in Germany he did not undergo a conversion to Nazism or any of its philosophies. During his stay in Germany he was close to the Austrian Catholic Lahousen whom he told:

"I am not a Nazi. I am not even Pro German. I am an Irishman fighting for the independence of Ireland. The British have been our Enemies for hundreds of years. They are the enemy of Germany today. If it suits Germany to give us help to achieve independence, I am willing to accept it, but no more, and there must be no strings attached." Irish Times Sunday 6th June 1958

You might be interested in this:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/68249?search_text=sean+russel

smlballjunkie

Hi Padraig,
Lets not forget who was on the U-Boat with Sean Russell when he died,yes Frank Ryan(and only after Russell died did Ryan decide to abandon the landing in Ireland), and best to take what Francis Stewart says with a pinch of salt-after all he was the voice for quite some time of Redaktion Irland, the Nazi Broadcasting Station for Ireland(the Irish Lord Haw-Haw if you will, even though William Joyce was also Irish).
A lot of what Stewart said and did after the war was designed to throw himself in as good a light as possible, and certainly to state that he was good friends with Ryan he would need to show Ryan in as good a light as possible.
The fact remains that whether Ryan considered himself a Nazi or a Communist, he aided Nazi Germany and was prepared to usurp the authority of the Irish Free State with Nazi help.
"A Nazi by any other name is still a Nazi"

R.Dub.Fusilier

Junior D wrote: »

Just wondering if anybody has any info on Irish men or women who volunteered for the Nazis during the war. I already know of James Brady and Frank Stringer as well as having limited info on Patrick O'Neill

try to get "Renegades-Hitlers Englishmen" by Adrian Weale or "Irish Secrets" by Mark M. Hull both good reads. there is also a book called "The British Fre Corps" cant remember the writer ( i got a friend to photocopy it for me) . in it it says that some irish served with Oskar Dirlewanger. i also have a copy of James Bradys interview aftr he was captured. didnt think much of "Hitlers Irishmen" it was just info from other books and no real new stuff.

Fuinseog

R.Dub.Fusilier wrote: »

try to get "Renegades-Hitlers Englishmen" by Adrian Weale or "Irish Secrets" by Mark M. Hull both good reads. there is also a book called "The British Fre Corps" cant remember the writer ( i got a friend to photocopy it for me) . in it it says that some irish served with Oskar Dirlewanger. i also have a copy of James Bradys interview aftr he was captured. didnt think much of "Hitlers Irishmen" it was just info from other books and no real new stuff.

was his real name even James Brady?he claimed to be from Roscommon, but nobody there had ever heard of him.

another interesting book is Hitlers Bastard which deals wih Eric Pleasants.