The extra dangers involved with French Beekeeping

[REDWOOD]

looks like they are still no good at aiming at the right targets but at least they are hitting their targets now

 

[mbc]

Would that figure not have been mostly legionnaires, especially at dien bien phu, a large number of which at the time were ex Wermacht.

Are you saying that not all the bad guys were able to refuel their evil nazi uboats in Ireland and make their escape ?

 

[madasafish]

So far in deepest darkest Staffordshire, no-one has shot me in my camo jacket.

But then I have a warning balloon suspended over my head saying "Danger,very senile beekeeper at work".

 

[Torq]

Are you saying that not all the bad guys were able to refuel their evil nazi uboats in Ireland and make their escape ?

Now that's an interesting theory and one I've never heard before!! Please tell me more! I doubt we would have had enough diesel in the country to fill the tanks of one U boat.



Maybe you are confusing it with us allowing allied aircrews to sneak across the border to Northern Ireland whereas the Germans were interned for the duration As we didn't take part in WW II we called it "The Emergency" . Or perhaps you are thinking of "operation deadlight"?

 

[Norfolk]

Now that's an interesting theory and one I've never heard before!! Please tell me more! I doubt we would have had enough diesel in the country to fill the tanks of one U boat.



Maybe you are confusing it with us allowing allied aircrews to sneak across the border to Northern Ireland whereas the Germans were interned for the duration As we didn't take part in WW II we called it "The Emergency" . Or perhaps you are thinking of "operation deadlight"?

A quick trip to google with provide a wealth of info including some photos.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-german-uboats-refuelled-in-ireland-surely-not-2356105.html

As far as I'm concerned the Irish had every reason to not help the British. In a war there is very little that is clear cut and after it's over different people focus on different aspects.

 

[user 6228]

A quick trip to google with provide a wealth of info including some photos.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-german-uboats-refuelled-in-ireland-surely-not-2356105.html

As far as I'm concerned the Irish had every reason to not help the British. In a war there is very little that is clear cut and after it's over different people focus on different aspects.

Terms such as "the Irish" and "the British " never reflect the complexity of the relationship. the separation of the two is of itself is a geographical oxymoron since the island of Ireland is part of the British isle archipelago. WW2 reflected that complexity, with substantial numbers of the citizens of the Republic of Ireland volunteering for the RN and RAF and army as well those who came over to work in the factories and farms, while the Irish government spouted extreme neutrality and made secret deals with the UK.

 

[Norfolk]

Terms such as "the Irish" and "the British " never reflect the complexity of the relationship. the separation of the two is of itself is a geographical oxymoron since Ireland is part of the British isle archipelago. WW2 reflected that complexity, with substantial numbers of the citizens of the Republic of Ireland volunteering for the RN and RAF and army as well those who came over to work in the factories and farms.

Very true.
Shades of grey, never black & white is it.

 

[Chris Luck]

I have had the pleasure of being the recipient of a load of bird shot here on my own land as a present from a French hunter who didn't look where they were shooting and then told me I shouldn't be there.

Chris

 

[REDWOOD]

Terms such as "the Irish" and "the British " never reflect the complexity of the relationship. the separation of the two is of itself is a geographical oxymoron since the island of Ireland is part of the British isle archipelago. WW2 reflected that complexity, with substantial numbers of the citizens of the Republic of Ireland volunteering for the RN and RAF and army as well those who came over to work in the factories and farms, while the Irish government spouted extreme neutrality and made secret deals with the UK.

Had Hitler won, a united Ireland as a reward for staying neutral would have been a real possibility, in fact it was an inevitability

 

[Torq]

Had Hitler won, a united Ireland as a reward for staying neutral would have been a real possibility, in fact it was an inevitability

I doubt a united Ireland would have been a reward. More likely a side affect of swastika's flying over Dublin if the Nazi war machine decided not to stop at Holyhead. There would be no reason for them to, or not to, invade Ireland.

I believe our decision to remain neutral was purely selfish. Tactically and geographically the only side Ireland could take would have been that of Britain, but at the time our country was still divided along civil war lines (our 2 main political parties are founded on that division) pro and anti treaty and siding with Britain could have possibly reignited the civil war.

We could not have defended ourselves from an attack from Germany or Britain so made the only decision we could.

The stories of U boat refuelling occurring here are purely anecdotal with no hard evidence. U boats refuelled at sea using modified subs called "milk cows" We simply did not have the fuel to spare as all our oil came from Britain.


There are 2 episodes of military history that I am a big fan of, one is the u boat campaign during ww2 and the other is (in my view) the most important event in European history, the battle of Hastings. The event that created Britain from a collection of minor kingdoms and turned it into the world superpower. Unfortunately I will not be around to celebrate it's 1000th anniversary as I doubt I'll live to 98 even though my grandfather made it to 96.