Hi all Just a few lines to introduce myself and cover my interests. Currently I work as a curator along with this I am finishing off an MA in History my dissertation is on why Irishmen volunteered for the British Army during the Second World War. I have been interested in WWII ever since I was a small boy and my Grandmother told me about my Grandfather who flew bombers in the RAF and went missing in action in January 1941. I grew up on Commando comics and before long started to build models planes then tank and figures , been doing this ever since - last week end I complete a SU-100, tank destroyer in 1/35. Models are a major hobby and a great way to relax after work and research, I build figures and vehicles , both Allied and Axis. My interests extend to a wide range of topics including, uniforms, AFV, equipment, tactics and so forth, Loads of great stuff to explore here! With regard to my research interests in am interested in the experience and motivation of volunteers during the conflict in the British Forces, The lives of Red Army soldiers Life in Occupied Europe and Resistance Ost Front and the Italian Campaigns Combat experiences, soldier’s responses to killing, death and mechanised warfare. I hope that I can be of some help or interest to of some the members ! Best wishes, Jerry
Welcome, like your original idea on why Irishmen joined in ww2 with Brits. You probably mean those bretheren from the south, although some of our northern bretheren did same without a need. Bless em all. A quirky reply would be to state the Irish love a fight, but thats a bit too general I think. Althogh isnt it true more Irish men died at the Alamo than Texans, come on Carl, lets be friends answer that one. No seriously, My own father and his brother, joined Royal Navy in ww2, both from Ireland, both good catholic boys.
Very few of the men who died at the Alamo were "Texans" as almost none were born in what became the nation of Texas. As far as Irish outnumbering the Texans, I doubt. However, I would not doubt that a goodly number were born here of Irish descent and since a large number came from Tennessee and Alabama, Scotland. Edit I found a list. 12 were Texans 9 Irish 13 English 4 Scots 1 Welsh The largest contingent was from Tennessee with 31. Carl, 30 were YANKEES! 2 Germans and Dane http://www.alamodescendants.org/alamo_defenders1.htm
Alabma is in Scotland, well bugger me. Ah so the imperialistic forces of the USAand its allies once more rieign havoc on the down trodden masses of a helpless nation. So all those Texans killed at the alamo were in fact illegal immigrants, no I think Ill stop there. This place gets more like a chapter of catch 22 with every turn. My great uncle Bartholomew was killed at the Alamo. Irish born, camping about 2 miles away, originally sent by Irish intelligence services on a dangerous mission, he heared differently he heard a days fishin, but killed when he went over to complain about the noise. Once again Pavlov, welcome, you will have to put up with us Im afraid.
Alabama....in Scotland? Perish the thought! We have STANDARDS, ya know. Unless Scotland has moved itself to the center of the known universe, then there is no way that Alabama could be in Scotland. Alright, I'll own up to it; a large lot of my ancestors, the black sheep of the family mind you, were Scots. Presbyterian no doubt, parading around the Southease US spreading their Calvinist beliefs like dandilions over a fresh run of Tifton Bermuda. But we preservered, laboring heartily and overcame the skinflintedness endemic to the glengarry chapeaued, petulent breed and burst forth with the full Southern glory of Dixie upon the world.
G'day mate and welcome Commando comics? I loved those, they were quite realistic and well done, as long as you ignore the fact that in evary book the allies win all the time and every book is about how it ended the war. lol.
Chaps, Thank you for all your great welcome. I would just like to add to the discussion about Irish volunteers in the British forces, It was true that the Irish were considered an martial race, their reputation was so renowned for bellicosity and “they enjoyed a good scrap” During the Second World War a British War Office report stated a preference for Irish troops to serve in Commando units . I would add that this is only half the story, Consider that during the First War, when Ireland was still under direct rule from Britain, in the Region of 200,000 men from Ireland served and from the Victorian time many Irish men, served in British forces. What had developed over the previous century was a tradition of service in British Forces and in examining the fragmentary evidence of those Irishmen from independent Ireland that served in WWII a significant majority of them were from families with a history of service in British Forces. So I would argue that family tradition is a stronger motivation than caricatured ideas of bellicosity. Best wishes, Jerry
Hi Again , I am Back after finnishing my MA so hopefully can be a little more active now I have a little more time on my hands Best Wishes, Jerry
Congratulations on finishing your dissertation! Will it be published anywhere so that those of us with an interest might read it? Cheers!
Thanks DG, Once the Univesity are finnished marking it I'll look in to attemptingto get it published in a apropreate academic journal in the first instance , in the mean time hears the abstract for any on thats interested : Abstract During the Second World War in the region of 70,000 men from Eire volunteered for the British Armed Forces. This dissertation explores the reasons why they volunteered by analysing the interviews of the participants in the Volunteers’ Project oral archive and by tabulating the interviews into a database. The purpose of which is to examine the volunteers as a group and to derive trends in their motivations for enlisting. To achieve this, eight reason categories were created to represent the differing reasons in general terms. In examining the motivations for volunteering in this way it is possible to see how they inter-relate with one another and how reasons for volunteering changed over the course of the war. Because of the relatively small size of the archive the findings primarily represent the motivations and reasons of the contributors. However, the Volunteers’ Project testimonies have been examined in conjunction with other more contemporary sources to ensure that the data remained consistent with other volunteer’s motivation to enlist. The findings of the database that support the argument form the appendices. They are made up of charts and graphs. This provides a picture of the volunteering trends of the selected groups over the course of the war. However, owing to the lack of available evidence on the vast majority of volunteers it would be difficult to draw conclusions on Irish volunteers in the Second World War as a whole from this study. All best wishes, Jerry
70.000 is quite a figure for a neutral country. I have a great respect for them because they did not have to join and yet they jumped in. Several of these brave men are buried near my hometown.
The dissertation really sounds interesting. Motivation is a fascinating subject. I hope you will be able to get it published!
Welcome aboard and congratulations on finishing your dissertation and your MA. Quite a feat. Now, knowing that in Europe there is a small difference in title system for university studies than from across the pond, are you completing undergraduate or postgraduate studies? I think you are going to fit in great here. I look forward to being able to read your dissertation once it is published. Please let us know where. No wonder our flight to Alabama seemed so long. Funny, my wife seems to have the same attitude. Waxing a bit poetic are we Slipdigit? So far she has been able to trace her father's side of the family back to England, Scotland and Wales in the 1660's (verified), 1540's (unverified). So, cousin how's it going? I'm not sure about Commando Comics, but for me it was Sgt Rock and the men of Easy Company. Besides, we all know that Sgt Rock & E co won WWII, it said so, right in the comic book. Anyway, Pavlovs's dog, enjoy your stay here. Take care, Salty
