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The head of US Army's Armored Force in Eire 1943

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  • 14-10-2014 9:43am
    #1
    Manic Moran
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,267 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    So i was doing some digging in the US National Archives when i came across an account of Jacob Devers' tour of the Front in late 42/early 43. It was mainly North Africa, as would be expected, but he flew from Gibraltar to Northern Ireland. However, the 'plane never made it, and was forced to land near Athenry, January 8 or so.

    His official diary entry is pretty short, saying basically that the Irish Army showed up, took matters into hand, and that the next day he crossed the border into Northern Ireland.

    Begs a couple of questions.

    How long did the Irish policy of interning servicemen from belligerent countries last officially vs in practice?

    Did the Irish intern all servicemen, or only those "on combat missions"?

    Was Devers' release in standing with the official policy of the time, or just "common practice" given Ireland's being "neutral on the side of the Allies"?


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