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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 20, 2019 23:25:23 GMT 12
ESCAPE ATTEMPT
WELLINGTONIAN IN EIRE
(By Telegrapher-Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, September 22.
A Wellington member of the Fleet Air Arm, Sub-Lieutenant Bruce Girdlestone, who is interned in Eire, recent]y made his second attempt to escape. He was one among 20. He helped to lift off the main gates at the second barrier, and 10 men got away, but all were finally rounded up, Girdlestone being discovered last. He spent five days in Dublin before being retaken. Lieutenant Girdlestone was interned as a result of being forced down in Eire during an aircraft-carrier's training operations.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 20, 2019 23:26:03 GMT 12
I'd never considered that people tried to escape from neutral internment, interesting.
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Post by ErrolC on Nov 21, 2019 6:15:42 GMT 12
The Vichy French were quite nasty in North Africa, one of the books by a Swordfish pilots goes into this.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 21, 2019 7:10:19 GMT 12
Yes that is true. I'd forgotten that they were considered as neutral.
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Post by errolmartyn on Nov 21, 2019 9:33:41 GMT 12
ESCAPE ATTEMPT
WELLINGTONIAN IN EIRE(By Telegrapher-Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, September 22. A Wellington member of the Fleet Air Arm, Sub-Lieutenant Bruce Girdlestone, who is interned in Eire, recent]y made his second attempt to escape. He was one among 20. He helped to lift off the main gates at the second barrier, and 10 men got away, but all were finally rounded up, Girdlestone being discovered last. He spent five days in Dublin before being retaken. Lieutenant Girdlestone was interned as a result of being forced down in Eire during an aircraft-carrier's training operations. From some notes I have about him: Lost in bad weather, 21 Dec 1941, whilst delivering a new Grumman Martlet aircraft (AM975) to a base in Scotland, from HMS Illustrious prior to docking at Greenock. Force-landed at Cloughfin, half a mile south of Carrigans in County Donegal, Eire, and only 200 yards south of the Northern Ireland border. During his period of internment he was involved in numerous escape plans or actual escape attempts, on one occasion being free for four days before being recaptured in Dublin. Along with 20 other Allied internees he was freed on 18 October 1943 and sent to Northern Ireland. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 21, 2019 9:43:14 GMT 12
I wonder if all the people in Eire felt neutral and would have been happy to turn in any escaped or evading Allied pilot? Or were there sympathisers there who helped the Allies get back across the border?
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Post by ErrolC on Nov 21, 2019 10:54:52 GMT 12
I wonder if all the people in Eire felt neutral and would have been happy to turn in any escaped or evading Allied pilot? Or were there sympathisers there who helped the Allies get back across the border? People living in Eire would have ranged from actively helping them to get to Northern Ireland to wanting to string up any Brit they got their hands on. Even the Government ranged from superficial over-accommodation of the Axis to letting flying boats overfly and providing navigational assistance. Once the Yanks were in the war, they applied pressure to be more favorable to the Allies. |
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Post by Mustang51 on Nov 21, 2019 12:21:52 GMT 12
Nice to read that Swordfish pilot's manuscript.Anyone know its title?
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Post by ErrolC on Nov 21, 2019 12:42:54 GMT 12
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Post by Mustang51 on Nov 22, 2019 7:20:33 GMT 12
Cheers and Thanks............ Ordered.
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