Why Irish soldiers who fought against Hitler and the Nazis had to hide their medals

Not mentioned in the report is that the children of these soldiers, who went off to fight the Nazis, were hauled before the Irish courts and, without any legal representation, were consigned to the Irish Industrial Schools system. The children were then marked out for 'special treatment' with the letters - I KID YOU NOT - SS (Saighdiuir Sasanach) attached to their names. We do know from the Ryan Report that children in the Irish Industrial Schools system were physically & sexually tortured and that the Kapos of the Institutions were exceptionally brutal and perverted, but the children of these soldiers must have received an extra dose of sexual and physical brutality on top of all the other obscenities they had to suffer.

Sirpeter the British had it in their power to prevent starvation. AS the london Times reported with glee at the time "We can now do what we like with the Irish" A comment they lived to regret.A deliberate(famine) starvation of the Irish to weaken their resolve should go down in history as genocide.

@Ancavker.Don't get me wrong.The English caused the famine.The Irish poor were forced to live on the only crop that could sustain a family.It was English laissez-faire economics which was much to blame.Private business was free from state intervention,including restrictive regulations, taxes,tariffs and enforced monopolies.Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction,in whole or in part,of an ethnic,racial,religious,or national group.The poor were not taken into consideration in any country in the mid-nineteenth century.It was like the poor didn't matter.Poverty was all over Europe.The English government could have stopped the export of food.But big business and laissez-faire economics was in the way.It was not English policy to starve a million people.That's why it was not genocide.But the Brits did create the conditions which left millions vulnerable to any natural disaster.

Ancavker-People can change their minds. You have no idea what was going on in peoples heads at that time. People did what they had to do to feed and provide for their families. I dont get whats so hard to understand about that. Maybe they found that being in the irish Army was a futile exercise for them and they had other responsibilities. Why have Americans joined the Taliban?

sirpeter: Regarding the Irish famine, if it was not genocide, what (and I am asking this seriously) do you call it when a government sits back and does almost nothing, while a million or more of its own citizens die of hunger? As Dan O, and others remind us, Ireland at the time was a full fledged member of the U.K. and had MP's in the British parliament.

Why didn't they just join the British army in the first place??

Defending desertion is defending the indefensible.

Dano.As I said below.Even if 5% of a population feel they are not getting justice.Then it is up to the government of those people to address their issues.In NI they did not until there was bloodshed.It's not exactly rocket science.You know the fact the CofI citizen population dropped dramatically has many reasons.One big reason was the fact Ireland is predominately Catholic.At the end of the day if I was living in a predominately Muslim/Jewish/Hindu country.That would be the religion I would want my kids to have.You want your kids to feel part of the bigger picture.Protestant men married Catholic women.They obviously didn't care to much.As indeed I wouldn't.In general men see the sense in this unless it's NI.I do feel bad when I see an old Protestant church falling into disrepair.Norman castles to Protestant churches are part of my heritage too.Though in Cork most are kept in good condition and are used.I watch out for things like that.I have said a good few times that the Irish famine was NOT genocide by the British.I know this for a fact.Those who use the term are wrong.CofI citizens were NOT cleansed by the Catholic church or the Irish government.I know this for a fact too.The use of the term is wrong also.Both terms are to extreme to be correct.We Irish are not saints when it comes to each other.Irish Protestant/British Protestants are my people if they live on this island.Irish Catholics are also my people.Coercion was the cause in the drop of Protestant numbers.So you would be correct for those Protestants who left because of Catholic coercion Which is good enough for me personally that you made a valid point.To me that counts for a lot here on IC.Anyway I must seek out Georgie Boy and others.It's like teaching remedial class.:))

sirpete - I was thinking more of the campaigns to 'free' the north, not the War of Independence period...and however it was achieved, most of the south has been cleansed of CofI citizens...just look at all the old abandoned churches, some of which have been put to good use, others left to rot..

Breach of contract is breach of contract. Desertion is desertion, even if for allegedly ulterior motives. Why did they join the Irish 'army' in the first place. Why didn't they apply for discharge by purchase, to exit before their time. The British military would have excuted deserters who left to fight for Irish freedom.

Dano.There is nothing wrong with a nation defending itself when faced with an aggressor.In my opinion it sometimes takes bloodshed to get the changes.Lets say 5% of a nation feel they are oppressed and they don't get the necessary changes they "FEEL" they need.Then it is up to the government of that 5% to find a solution otherwise bloodshed may well be used by both sides who "FEEL" their interests are been undermined.Conflict is natural in the relationships of all human beings.Past and present conflicts are judged on the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong;right or good conduct.In other words we measure by the latest morality of the present day.While Ireland as an oppressed nation and as independent nation is not stain free.Ireland's historic conduct is a shining light IN COMPARISON to the historic conduct of most other European nations.Dano.Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by VIOLENT and TERROR-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.Ethnic cleansing???Hardly.Mild coercion. Yes!!Necessary??To bring unity in the south I think so.

Sirpete – some interesting observations…but you miss a few points yourself. You display a not uncommon Celtic superiority in relation to Europe, sadly misplaced. Plenty of Irishmen, and some women, brought plenty of bloodshed…oh it was all in a good cause, as was the necessary ethnic cleansing of CofI etc…so that’s OK then?

Scotchtommy:Your post appears to be more in line with what really happened. 5000 soldiers deserting in any army at any stage in history is just to big of a pill to swallow.

So what's the big deal? When someone becomes a SOUPER, he remains a SOU{ER for life...

Dano.I guess he did!! Dev did a lot of looking into his heart *smile.Still he didn't do them to much harm.How many VOLUNTEERS were shot in the British army for not climbing out of the trenches to certain death in WW1?I have studied the man as much as anyone who is interested in Dev.Complex guy.But overall the guy was cleaver and did his best to get the world to recognize Irish sovereignty.He was very well respected in Europe in his day.Dano forget the bullsh*t "axiom ‘circumstances alter cases"Use a simpler meaning like morality or philosophy or religion.The idea is to have a better argument or be better at abusing a person depending on the comment.To be honest Dano I think you miss the point.If there was one thing the majority in Ireland had in common it was the hatred of England.About 100 years ago Cork city was awash with British flags and elsewhere.Dev knew the loyalist protestants had to go.What better way than marrying church and state.It integrated the Protestants if they wanted to marry a Catholic and rightly so.Integration is important.In Rome do as the Romans do.Who cares what David Gray said.Lets be fair about it.Only Ireland in the last 1500 years has given to Europe without bloodshed.A land of learning and giving (still learning lol)The rest of Europe are bloodthirsty savages.The Anglo Saxon German Brits always happy to kill children of any nation.WOW! I was possessed by Dev there.:))