General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: BBC documentary
Posted by:
Martin Gleeson
()
Date: October 26, 2007 08:08PM
Peter,
I despair on reading your post. Old myths to be recycled and propagated for future generations. I am surprised at the BBC. Both Ken and webmasterATU-35.com are correct. I have spent 20 years in the Irish Military Archives researching mostly aircraft crashes and forced landings in neutral Ireland during the war, but also some shipping related subjects and bodies washed ashore.
The impact of the U-boat campaign on NW Ireland was mainly due to the many overflights by RAF Coastal Command aircraft (and some crashes). Also heavy naval/shipping movement offshore by Allied vessels, bodies washed ashore, employment for some men in Londonderry and Belfast, increased Irish militarization obviously in all coastal areas, etc. The biggest impact was probably increased economic hardship due to the war. Do note that the NW coastal area had many Look-Out Posts to track and report any suspicious activity.
As far as I know Brennan's has always been a Dublin-based company. In wartime local bakeries provided for their own areas, there was simply no fuel for wasteful transport. Only one U-boat was captured for long enough by the British for them to check its larder. This was U-570, off ICEland. I stand to be corrected by the experts on this forum. Peter, in 60/70 years since the events of WW2 not a single shred of evidence has emerged from Irish, British or German sources to support the contacts and stories you refer to between Irish civilians and U-boat crews. However what is documented - in Irish, British and German archives - are the spying activities in neutral Ireland by various British and German agencies !
Second-hand stories. I recall one old man telling me about a German aircraft that crashed not far from where he lived. He 'was there', but I could never convince him that it was an RAF Sunderland !
Peter I wish you well, but perhaps a different subject is required for your documentary. My apologies for the rushed response to your post.
Regards to all,
Martin Gleeson.
I despair on reading your post. Old myths to be recycled and propagated for future generations. I am surprised at the BBC. Both Ken and webmasterATU-35.com are correct. I have spent 20 years in the Irish Military Archives researching mostly aircraft crashes and forced landings in neutral Ireland during the war, but also some shipping related subjects and bodies washed ashore.
The impact of the U-boat campaign on NW Ireland was mainly due to the many overflights by RAF Coastal Command aircraft (and some crashes). Also heavy naval/shipping movement offshore by Allied vessels, bodies washed ashore, employment for some men in Londonderry and Belfast, increased Irish militarization obviously in all coastal areas, etc. The biggest impact was probably increased economic hardship due to the war. Do note that the NW coastal area had many Look-Out Posts to track and report any suspicious activity.
As far as I know Brennan's has always been a Dublin-based company. In wartime local bakeries provided for their own areas, there was simply no fuel for wasteful transport. Only one U-boat was captured for long enough by the British for them to check its larder. This was U-570, off ICEland. I stand to be corrected by the experts on this forum. Peter, in 60/70 years since the events of WW2 not a single shred of evidence has emerged from Irish, British or German sources to support the contacts and stories you refer to between Irish civilians and U-boat crews. However what is documented - in Irish, British and German archives - are the spying activities in neutral Ireland by various British and German agencies !
Second-hand stories. I recall one old man telling me about a German aircraft that crashed not far from where he lived. He 'was there', but I could never convince him that it was an RAF Sunderland !
Peter I wish you well, but perhaps a different subject is required for your documentary. My apologies for the rushed response to your post.
Regards to all,
Martin Gleeson.
