American pilot’s Spitfire recovered from Irish bog

Thanks to bunkerhill once again on that info – I didn’t know of any two other places in Ireland apart from the Nth Strand in Dublin that were bombed... where were they?.. and were they “mistakes” too? ¬ @ Townie – Dublin got hit more than once?? Do tell us more! Me folks an’ gran’ folks never mentioned any other places that were bombed in our city of Dublin. Did the RAF ever mistakenly or otherwise bomb the city of my birth?

Yes Dublin took a few hits ~ but the thinking at the time was if it did, it might change its mind about involvement ... it was known the German planes were tracing radar signals to Belfast and it only needed a 'slight tweek' to make it seem they were coming from Dublin! Oops! - the sneaky rotters!

Well did this guy wind up in the USAAF's 4th Fighter group along with Blakeslee, Godfrey, Goodson, aand Dpn Gentille? The first and the best American trained group was the 56th Fighter Group---mostly American trained--although Colonel F.S. "Gabby" Gabreski flew some sorties with a Polish Squadron in the RAF before transferring into the 56th.

Bunkerhill – Some interesting posts, but a little one-sided imo. Eg ‘idle prince philip’ saw combat in WW2, including aboard HMS Valiant at the Battle of Cape Matapan; No German Empire? One reason was that Germany wasn’t a united country until the late 19th century, when they did begin an imperial expansion to places now called Namibia, Tanzania etc. and in the Far East…these were all lost at the end of WW1.

Thanks to everyone for their interesting input. For jacersagain I have a WWII book that says the Germans bombed Southern Ireland in the Dublin area three times because there were ambulances and fire engines from The Republic of Ireland crossing into Northern Ireland to help put out fires. It was a warning from the German Government for the Republic to cease those activities. Did you know that Hitler told the Germans that the Irish were the purest Aryians on Earth and they were not to be touched. My wife and I feel a great deal of empathy for the German population who were overpowered by Hitler, and indeed Germans make up a large and happy part of our present day family. We love them, and we truly believe they are a great part of our past. We are tied into the medical mystery that shows not the "mighty conquerors" the Germanic tribes have been presented as, but a displaced people who experienced war and famine. To just touch briefly on the subject of the language of commerce influencing a country, in England, Latin and the landless Saxons merged to form English as the language in the ports. The largest group in the USA from the very beginning has been the Germans, but as in Europe they gravitated towards the center replicating their home environment. The English speakers being islanders tended to settle along the sea coast and the ports. Thus the combined language of the Romans, Normans and Saxons became the dominent language. I should add at this point, that if it were not for the loyalty of the huge German population in the USA during WWI and WWII our world would be a completely different place. The American Germans fought their own people to get rid of Hitler and the Nazis. There would be no USA and Fourth of July celebration this weekend without the German Americans, and we are so happy that they are now family. Again Happy Fourth of July from the USA.

Other points, if I may... Yes, I do believe that, as Towngate writes, the ‘neutral’ Irish State did allow markers to be placed on the west coast of Ireland to help guide American planes towards mainland Britain during WWII. Yes, too - the Irish Curragh Army Camp was virtually an open prison for prisoners of war of both sides during WWII and that they mingled freely and happily with the Irish locals and with each other in the pubs and what not around the Camp. Finally may I say that what others have said about the Irish, Scottish and Welsh being different from Anglo-Saxons is also very true. All are of Celtic tribal origins and though there is a difference in dialect in the Gaelic language between these tribes, one can find, even today, a great similarity in pronunciations. As an experiment once between us, I sat with people from Wales, Scotland and Ireland and we all counted from one to ten in our own language at the same time. The pronunciation of the numbers was virtually the same. For example the numbers one (1), two (2), three (3), six (6) and nine (9) are pron Ain (1), Doh (2), Tree (3), Shay (6), and Nay or Nee (9) are almost identical between the Celtic (Gaelic) languages. The other numbers were somewhat different. And, yes, there is physical historical evidence that Romans once made at least one settlement in Nth Dublin at a place called Loughshinny.

No, I would not call anyone a blog hog under this topic. I'd like to learn more! This article has been very interesting, a great read and the resultant discussion even more so. As a Dubliner, I say thanks to all for enhancing my limited knowledge of Irish war-time stories. I am a fan of John Snow and his son Dan’s historical TV features – not so much, katiemac *wink wink* for their looks (ok, so they are both tall and athletic-looking) but for the content of their programmes. My father told me stories of seeing Spitfires and German planes having dog-fights over Dublin... Dunno about this - and maybe bunkerhill, joycean or SAirish might tell - but I believe that neither side was allowed to shoot the other’s planes down over neutral Ireland? – And that the pilots used to play ‘Catch me if you can’ over Ireland’s green fields without firing a shot at each other? Yet, once they went out over the Irish Sea or over Nth Ireland, it was fair game for both sides (as if! - A terrible thing, is war). As we are a Dublin family, there was always a memory recalled of the night German planes mistakenly bombed what was known as the North Strand area of Dublin one time and flattened the houses. I remember seeing the wasteland of the bombed site many years later as we kids travelled on buses to the beaches at Dollymount Strand, Howth and Portmarnock.

I don't want to be a "blog hog," but I would just like to add one more thing. Remember what Christ said, "The meek shall inherit the earth." All throughout history children have been presented with the most horrendous monsters as conquering heroes and role models. Ted Turner who founded CNN said his role model as a child was "Alexander the Great," but as his life went on he realized he would rather do good than spread destruction. The travels of Germanic tribes, along with Scandinavian peoples are being followed by the medical community as famine and war caused a genetic problem. While being presented as "mighty conquerors" they were in fact looking for food and a place to live. How sad the true history is. There are many Irish who have said down through the centuries that the Germans were their cousins. Medical science will prove they were right. My wife's Irish family now includes quite a few Germans so please don't misconstrue anything I quoted as history as being anti-German. Here's hoping for the day "the meek will inherit the earth," and as in our Fourth of July Celebration "All men are created equal." As wonderful author David McCullough wrote in his book about our President John Adams, The Irish were the first to come up with the concept of equality for all. Happy Fourth of July to everyone from the most unique country in the world.

A study released the other week shows over 50% of English people have DNA linked to Germany. Sure English and Scots / Ulster-Scots (not Scots Gaelic) are both West Germanic in origin. Someone mentioned Welsh language, you also have Cornish language which I believe is connected to Welsh as well as Scottish Gaelic, Manx Gaelic and Irish which are all inter-connected.

To SAirish and everyone, I apologize for botching up my previous blog. My eyes are not good and I should always have my wife check them. I have no qualms with Saxons, my last name is pure Saxon and my Irish-American wife also has a slew of Norman names with a few Saxon ones mixed in with the Irish. What I resent is the idea that one particular tribe, either the angles or saxons were responsible for everything that came from the British isles, while the early Britons, Celts, Romans etc contributed absolutely nothing. Blondness doesn't mean a thing as my wife tells me Black haired Irish were very rare in the 1940's, as the Irish were almost universally red heads or blondes. Churchill says the Saxons were a mercenary army invited in by two warring groups of Britons. The idea was to have the Saxons split up representing each side and fight each other until one side won. Does that sound familiar? Remember Dermiud McMurrrough inviting the Normans in to aid him in a battle. Churchill wrote the Saxons decided to stay, married the native women, and having no land settled in the ports thus mingling Latin, the language of commerce with their language. Churchill wrote all the Britons were speaking Latin at that time. If either the Angles or Saxons were such great warriors, where is the German Empire? What a put down of all the natives of the British isles. Does image count? Our American TV today presented more pictures of the royal wedding gushing over a visit by kate and wills. European TV showed almost a million people demonstrating in London to preserve their pensions. The royals know the importance of image. Let me see if I can find my wife.

There is a lot of controversy about the Anglo Saxon invasion and DNA results can be manipulated both ways. The differance of opinion is the number of Angles and Saxons coming over and not that there was no invasion. It was originally thought, because of writings by monks in about 600, that the celtic tribes were either killed or driven into Wales and Scotland. The view now is that the invading Anglo Saxons did intermix with the Celts. Welsh is still spoken in Wales and is completely different to English, supporting the view that there were two different races. The eastern part of England has much blonder people than further west which supports the invasion from the east coast view.

To SAirish - I suggest you read Winston Churchill's Birth of Britain. Churchill was quite a historian and according to him and Saxons never invaded England. Churchill also said the only reason there was no Gaelic in English was because all the natives were speaking after the 500 year occupation by the Romans. Why does no one ever mention the Romans? Any Latin student knows English is 60% Latin and about 10% Norman French. We were taught in school and England and originally a Latin name (meaning angels) given the number of fair red heads and blondes. I believe "Angela" is the Latin word for angel. Don't take my word for it, check out Churchil's "Birth of Britain." By the way DNA also does not support an Anglo-Saxon invasion. In bygone days, it was just tribes wandering around and not formed countries. By the way I had always thought the name Anglo-Saxon came about from the Saxons living in what was already Angleland a Latin corruption of Angel Land.

To Bunkerhill, Buckingham Palace was bombed and so was the House of Commons. I dont know what fairy tale about the Anglo Saxons you are refering to. The Angles and Saxons did come in large numbers from northern Germaany to settle in England. England is an anglo saxon name and they gave the country their language English. That is why people in Wales, Scotland and Ireland used to speak thier own celtic languages. It is no secret that the Royals have German blood. It is very well known. Up until the first world war the UK and Germany were long standing allies. German troops even fought for the UK in the US independance war.

I had an uncle who was stationed in England with the US Army during WWII.He made an unsuccessful trip to Ireland once to see if he could locate any members of his mother's family in Co. Waterford. My family is still looking. He also fell in love with an English girl, but his parents wouldn't allow them to marry because she was a Protestant and he was a Catholic, so he went home to Boston and never married even though he lived into his 80's.My father-in-laws was also stationed in England during the war.He was a US Army engineer who helped build airfields. My husband's mother was a USArmy nurse. They were married in Paris right after the city was liberated. Unfortunately, the city was such a mess at the time that my husband hasn't been able to find a copy of their marriage certificate. After the war, my father-in-law went to Heidelburg where he oversaw that city's reconstruction.My husband lived there as a child, and we go back there quite often. The German people are very appreciative of how the Americans helped them rebuild their country.

for timbobdennehy - As a Korean War veteran, I subscribe to a veterans magazine. This US magazine has had vicious articles very favorably slanted towards the English while completely damning the Irish. I don't know if I still have the magazine but they had a particularly damning article about two years back saying that Michael Collins had made a deal that England could control Irish ports in case of war. Irish neutrality was attacked even though Ireland, poverty stricken,had just gotten out from under the English royal boot. The Irish revolution didn't end in 1922 as the royals kept fleecing Ireland well into the late 1930's controlling ports and exports. Why do you think Northern Ireland was so strategic? It has Ireland's best seaport which could have crippled Ireland, but aviation dawned and Ireland signed on. There are so many books written about the "anglo-Saxon" fairy tale perpetuated by the royals to hide their German roots. There are also so many stories of their duplicity and deals with Hitler to retain their wealth. The Republic of Ireland had no choice but to remain neutral. Is anyone attacking neutral Switzerland where every crook in the world hides his money? Did you know that the idle prince phillip had a sister married to a nazi general? Every American veteran questions why Hitler never invaded England and why the palace was never bombed. I have to say that Towngate offers some interesting observations, although I must say every blogger contributes to the whole story.