Irelanders in the RCAF/RAF

[Pathfinder]

Hey all,

I have been doing more research, and I have come across Irish citizens who flew in the RCAF as flight engineers in Canadian Halifax squadrons. I always thought Ireland was neutral in WW2, so how did they get into the RCAF/RAF?

~ Pathfinder

[Kyt]

Many thousands of Irish joined the RAF. All they had to do was travel across the border and they would be accepted. And they could travel back home for leave but had to change into civvies.

Ireland had only been independent for 20 years and many Irish families still held an affection for Britain.

And Irish, not Irelanders

[Nostalgair]

You're on the money there Kyt.

Kenneth flew with a number of Irish pilots in his time with the RAF. Notably when he was flying out of RAF Aldergrove, not far from Belfast.

Cheers

Owen

[Pathfinder]

Sorry about the typo Kyt

So they'd all get back into the RAF blue when their leave finished? What would have been the consequences if they'd worn their uniforms at home?

[Kyt]

As Ireland was neutral, any RAF (and Luftwaffe) members were suppossed to be interned for the duration of the war. In reality, a number of RAF crews who crashed in Ireland were quietly returned.

But Britain was very careful to instruct visiting airmen not to antagonise the Irish because (a)it was neutral and (b) there were just as many, if not more, anti-British Irish as there were pro.

Even when Irish airmen killed inaction, and whose bodies were returned to their families, were buried, and RAF representatives had to wear civilian clothes.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder

Hey all,

I have been doing more research, and I have come across Irish citizens who flew in the RCAF as flight engineers in Canadian Halifax squadrons. I always thought Ireland was neutral in WW2, so how did they get into the RCAF/RAF?

~ Pathfinder

The Irish Free State as it was known up until 1949? was part of the British Commonwealth however it was the only one who chose neutrality.

Northern Ireland was a distinct region of the United Kingdom from the 1920's.

Irish citizens were free to fill manpower shortages in Britain and join the British armed forces. "In January 1942 it was found that in the whole of the British Army 23,549 men were born in Éire and 28,287 in Northern Ireland ... [i]n 1944 the Éire figure had increased to 27,840 and that for Northern Ireland had reduced to 26,579." [6] Éire exported desperately needed food and labour[citation needed] to Britain and relaxed restrictions on the over-flying by British warplanes over County Donegal's airspace. The Catalina flying-boat that located the Bismarck was based inland at Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. Irish airspace would have been used en route to the Atlantic. "Hot-pursuit" into its territorial waters of German U-boats by Royal Naval warships also occurred.Both Allied and Axis personnel were interned by the government of Éire, although the Irish Government exercised its discretion when dealing with Allied belligerents often allowing them to 'escape' and eventually releasing them all back to British custody by 1943. Daily weather, shipping and aircraft reports were also afforded the Allied side as was the breaking of diplomatic protocol with the seizure of a transmitter in the German Legation.

[morse1001]

Originally Posted by Kyt

As Ireland was neutral, any RAF (and Luftwaffe) members were suppossed to be interned for the duration of the war. In reality, a number of RAF crews who crashed in Ireland were quietly returned.

But Britain was very careful to instruct visiting airmen not to antagonise the Irish because (a)it was neutral and (b) there were just as many, if not more, anti-British Irish as there were pro.

Even when Irish airmen killed inaction, and whose bodies were returned to their families, were buried, and RAF representatives had to wear civilian clothes.

Vince Reilly, who the Civillian Supervisor of the Edinburgh Rescue radio Room, came from Eire, he had been in the Irish Army and had guarded the Interned RAF men. At the end of the war, Vince came over to britian and joined the RAF, he served mainly in Sigs int. His claim to fame was that it was he who took Chf Tech Britton, the famous spay, through his Chf Techs, exam and was on watch when they arrest Britton. Before he went home too eire, he used to leave every indiction of his "employment" in the radio room, as he would be in trouble if someone found out that he was working for the British government.

[Adrian Roberts]

I always thought Ireland was neutral in WW2, so how did they get into the RCAF/RAF?

Just a few of the most famous Irish RAF airmen:

Donald Garland VC (and his three brothers, who also all died serving with the RAF)

Eugene Esmonde VC

Brendan "Paddy" Finucane - youngest Wing Commander, and one of the highest-scoring aces.

And many more in the other services