The publication of this book in 1999 provided the first detailed
examination of the many Irish men and women, all volunteers, who served
in the Second World War. It led the way for further study and the author
has continued to research the subject, especially the numbers of Irish
who served. In this updated edition, new sources and careful examination
show the numbers of Irish in the UK forces--at over 133,000--to be
higher than hitherto believed. That figure includes over 66,000
personnel from Éire and some 64,000 from Northern Ireland. They served
in every service and every theatre of war as their stories show. Irish
soldiers fought in France and Norway in 1940, in the Middle East and
Burma, in Italy and in the campaign to liberate Europe. Irish sailors
hunted the Graf Spee and Bismarck and protected convoys from U-boats
while Irish airmen protected the UK in 1940 and took the war to the
skies over Europe, the Middle East, and Far East. Irish women served in
roles critical to the success of the fighting services. Richard Doherty
tells their stories using a wide array of sources including personal
interviews, contemporary documents, citations for gallantry awards
(among them the Victoria Cross), published accounts, and memoirs. The
first edition of Irish Men and Women in the Second World War was the
first of three volumes on the subject by the author. Eighty years on
from the early days of the war, the book is again available with its
most important elements updated.
