When war broke out in 1939, over 20,000 Irishmen were serving in the
Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force with the greatest proportion in
the Army. During the war this rose to over 120,000, suggesting that
about 100,000 enlisted during the war.
Nine earned the Victoria Cross; three members of the Royal Navy,
including a Fleet Air Arm pilot, four soldiers, including a member of
the Australian forces, and two RAF pilots.
The author looks at the seven Irish regiments in campaigns across the
globe, at Irish soldiers across the Army, at Irish sailors from the
Battle of the River Plate to the final actions against Japan, and at
Irish airmen from the first bombing raids of the war to the closing days
of war.
Included are outstanding personalities such as the Chavasse brothers,
who earned three DSOs, three DSCs and two MiDs, Bala Bredin, Corran
Purden, Brendan 'Paddy' Finucane, Blair Mayne and Roy Farran, the latter
pair highly-decorated SAS officers.
There are also Irish generals, such as Paddy Warren who died while
commanding 5th Indian Division in Burma and Frederick Loftus Tottenham,
who commanded 81st (West African) Division, not to mention giants such
as Alexander, Auchinleck, Montgomery, and McCreery.
Irish women are not forgotten in the book which also takes a brief look
at the Irish in other Allied forces, including a most unusual volunteer
for the US Navy whose application to serve had to be approved by
President Roosevelt. He was William Patrick Hitler, a nephew of
Germany's fuhrer.
