Justice for Irish veterans

[The Baron]

I remember a fair while back someone posted about Irish WWII veterans being treated with contempt when they returned home, I'm afraid I can't find the original thread. This was posted today.

WWII Irish 'deserters' to finally get pardons
By Chris Buckler BBC News

In Ireland's war memorial gardens the dates of both world wars are carved into the stone of a monument.

But this country remained neutral in the conflict between 1939 and 1945.

In order to fight in World War II, thousands of soldiers left the country and the Irish Army to join the British forces.

They became known as deserters - a title intended to carry shame. And when they returned after battle many were treated as anything but heroes.

'Made to feel ashamed'

In Paddy Reid's home there are pictures of his father Paddy senior serving alongside British troops in Burma. For years they remained in the attic largely ignored.

"I am sure when my dad came back he didn't feel ashamed but he may have been made to feel that," Mr Reid said.

"I was told as a kid - your father is a traitor, you should be ashamed of him.

"There was no relief, no sense of a job done... It was pretty oppressive in this country."

Apology and pardon

Deserters were found guilty of going absent without leave by a military tribunal.

Their punishment came after the war when many of the soldiers headed home to Ireland.

They were barred from holding jobs paid for by the state, they lost their pension rights and many faced discrimination.

Last year the Irish government apologised for the way they were treated and on Tuesday Defence Minister Alan Shatter is due to announce details of a pardon during a debate in Ireland's parliament, the Dail.

The legislation is expected to be passed and signed into law by the Irish president within days.

The bill also grants an amnesty and immunity from prosecution to the almost 5,000 Irish soldiers who fought alongside the allies.

Campaign victory

Campaigners say only a handful of men are still alive, but it is a victory for their long battle to ensure the troops' service is properly recognised.

"It might be an historical issue for the politicians, but not for the families," Peter Mulvany, coordinator of the Irish Soldiers Pardons Campaign, said.

"It will be a recognition that the experience they went through post-war was unfair.

"It was a punishment that they should not have been given.

"This amnesty, this exoneration will remove that stigma."

Upset at deserters

The soldiers were, of course, always proud of having played a part in the battle against Nazi Germany.

But leaving one army to join another was controversial in the 1940s.

The relationship between the relatively recent Republic of Ireland and Britain was strained.

And there was a practical reason for people to be upset - many felt the men were needed at home.

In his house, Paddy Reid has a letter from a soldier who served in the Irish Army during the war years.

In it, the former officer criticises the way the deserters were treated after 1945, but he says within the country's forces there was anger at their decision.

They believed that every soldier was needed to ensure Ireland was able to defend itself against the threat of invasion.

Effect on families

However, the punishment the former troops faced had an effect on their whole families in peacetime.

"My dad could not find work for many years - in fact his first real job was not until 1961," said Mr Reid, who became visibly upset as he remembered what happened decades ago.

"My mother was the one who really carried the stress of trying to survive on almost nothing.

"It was tough trying to bring up kids with no money and abuse at the same time.

"It was a whole lifetime of defending your dad."

In Ireland, time has brought a new perspective to the actions of the men dismissed as 'deserters'.

Their families hope a pardon will mean in future they are remembered only with honour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22425684

[action-figure-supplies]

About time too.

[ZForce Loon]

same thing happens here in the US mate.
our fighters have to come home to yelling at them and they get nothing and some go homeless while there are scum bags who just live to get hand outs and free houseing, free food, free cell phones. it makes me sick and it comes out of my paycheck which means i have less in my check to feed my family. what happen to survival of the fittest.
Ah lazy i cant stand it

ok sorry about the rant.

[meertoh]

The treatment of them and their families was shameful, glad they've finally got some justice.

[Red Laser]

Well said

[Thundershot]

The treatment of them and their families was shameful, glad they've finally got some justice.

Here, Here.

I heard a Radio 4 documentary programme about this a couple of years back & was shocked listening to the men's stories.. especially the harsh treatment handed out to the children by the authorities.

[Doc]

Its not that simple either as they fought in WW2 against the Nazi.
There was an awful lot of Bad bad feeling about deserting and then joining the British army and there still is.

There is still an awful lot of bad feeling about taking the kings shillings. I am not saying that is my opinion.

Alot of that bad blood is still there today. Not my opinion but in certain parts of the country it is.

[Doc]

If anyone would like to see what life was like for POW's on Both sides in Ireland. Try looking up a film called "The Brycreem Boys" with Bill or Bruce Campbell, Gabriel Byrne and Jean Butler in it.

It tells the story of two groups of Allied and German prisoners of war interred in the Curragh Camp. They could sign out for the day as long as they promised to return before nightfall. Remember if Ireland changed allegiance during the war either the access to north America was closed off, the food lines from Ireland were cut off and 30,000 Irish men were kept at home. On the other hand If Ireland sided with the Nazi, 30,000 extra Irish men on the battle field, Ireland could be used as a staging ground to invade Britain and Food would be diverted to the Nazi.

It could have very easily ended up with Roosevelt calling a stalemate with Hitler.