I see on the RTE news there is a small campaign on to have a number of Irish army deserters pardoned more or less because they joined the British army or Americans or French and fought against the Nazis in WW2. While it was great courage to fight against Nazism, and I respect their sacrifices, I don't think they should be pardoned by Ireland for deserting the Irish army. I think that the Irish army officers who deserted should not have been treated more favourably than the enlisted men who deserted also. Some of these soldiers are still living, and as I said I respect their motives and sacrifices, but I just don't see it as being right to officially pardon them for desertion.
I honestly don't understand this attitude. It sickens me that the brave Irishmen who went off to fight during the the World Wars are still not being properly honoured to this day. This shouldn't even be up for discussion. It should have been done decades ago. They could have stayed here in our nice neutral armed forces polishing their shoes but instead of that they went off to fight against an enemy that would have thought nothing about invading Ireland if it suited them. And we thank them by stigmatising them and their families for decades.
What do people think is going to happen if we pardon them? Every soldier down in the Curragh will simply go walk about?
for me desertion is running away from war
these guys volunteered to go to war and risk death (cowards they were not)
they should be pardoned
they may have got unofficial off the books approval to join
like the sweds who went to fight with the finns against the russians back in 39-41
That's fine now 60 years later with a history book in your hand.
At the time they deserted Ireland when there was plans from both sides to invade us. They abandoned their posts during the biggest threat to Ireland since the Civil war.
That's fine now 60 years later with a history book in your hand.
At the time they deserted Ireland when there was plans from both sides to invade us. They abandoned their posts during the biggest threat to Ireland since the Civil war.
Those that joined the Allies were the ones that did most to allay the risks faced by this country. The position taken by the IRA was very understandable just as it was utterly misguided and wrong. The real risk we faced was that Britain would fall and we’d be next or that Germany would invade as a stepping stone into Britain.This is more of the "touchy touchy its all in the past rubbish"
As posters corrrectly stated Ireland was at risk of invasion itself either by the British or the by the Germans ( aided by the anti British I.R.A.)
Of course doing your duty at home may not have been so exciting for young men as fighting overseas but that is not the point. Thousands stayed at home and served the country.
Deserters made their choice and let them pay the price. Whether they went to Berlin or London it soes not matter. They can be recognised by whichever army they joined but if at a time of risk to your own country you desert you can't really expect to be honoured for your desertion.
There actions must be judged by the time they committed the action not 60 years later.
Spain Portugal Switzerland all remained neutral. So did the U.S until attacked at Pearl Harbour. It is readily acknowledged now that Ireland was very cooperative with the Allies except to take part in military action
Nobody was planning a general invasion of Ireland. The Allies had a plan in place to cease strategic ports if necessary, i.e. if there was an imminent threat that the Germans were about to do the same thing, and the Germans intended to carpet bomb our population centres and reduce the country to a subsistence agrarian state. We had some chance of a token resistance if our ports were ceased but we could have done nothing at all to stop a air campaign.And as for posters who fail to acknowledge the efforts of our own Defence Forces I'm sure they are the type who would be the first out to welcome any invasion.
I'm not into restrospective revisionist history. What happened has happened - it is fact. I dont think pardoning people will change what is already done and dusted & I dont believe anyone is languishing in jail due to doing this 60 years ago. With the hindsight of time and knowing the history, people are well able to make their own minds up.
This is more of the "touchy touchy its all in the past rubbish"
As posters corrrectly stated Ireland was at risk of invasion itself either by the British or the by the Germans ( aided by the anti British I.R.A.)
Of course doing your duty at home may not have been so exciting for young men as fighting overseas but that is not the point. Thousands stayed at home and served the country.
Deserters made their choice and let them pay the price. Whether they went to Berlin or London it soes not matter. They can be recognised by whichever army they joined but if at a time of risk to your own country you desert you can't really expect to be honoured for your desertion.
There actions must be judged by the time they committed the action not 60 years later.
Spain Portugal Switzerland all remained neutral. So did the U.S until attacked at Pearl Harbour. It is readily acknowledged now that Ireland was very cooperative with the Allies except to take part in military action.
And as for posters who fail to acknowledge the efforts of our own Defence Forces I'm sure they are they type who would be the first out to welcome any invasion.
So if your father or grandfather had died fighting the Germans, you wouldn't mind that the State still considers them traitors? You wouldn't be angry that those that returned home were treated like pariahs?
I am not aware of the Irish State casting public judgement on the reasons why these, or any army deserters, left or labelling them as traitors (and to be honest, at the time they deserted, the Irish Army would not have known where they went). I dont know how you can make the connection that someone who deserts is automatically a traitor - to desert means to leave without giving notice or asking permission - which is what these people did. People desert armies for many reasons, in times of peace as well as times of war. And being a deserter is not a comment on bravery. In WWII, those German soldiers who deserted because they objected to committing attrocities were very brave.
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