![]() Other units were established in Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway.Ībove: The German-style helmet of the Irish Army at the outbreak of war in 1939. A navy reserve called the Maritime Inscription was formed at Dublin Port to assist the port authorities with port control and examination services. Based at the old navy yard at Haulbowline in Cobh, the Marine Service comprised two fisheries protection vessels and six motor torpedo boats unsuited to ocean patrols. At the same time the Irish government decided to establish a small naval force to patrol Irish waters. ![]() Watchers were trained to note the distance and direction of all ships and airplanes, and to report these observations by telephone (often via specially constructed lines) to headquarters in Dublin. Their members were equipped with American Springfield rifles, wore brown denim uniforms and were trained to defend their local areas in the event of invasion, reaching a peak of over 100,000 volunteers in 1942.Īt the outbreak of the war a coast-watching service was established, making use of 88 concrete lookout posts manned by c. In January 1941 most of the force was transferred to army control to become the Local Defence Force (LDF). Reflecting the lack of equipment, grenades and land-mines were made by army engineers, including one called the ‘de Valera land mine’, believed to have been designed by Dev’s son, Major Vivion de Valera, who served in the army during the Emergency.Ī Local Security Force (LSF), under the control of An Garda Síochána, was formed on after the invasion of France. Naturally the army, which had become very small during the 1930s, was underequipped and relied on the British and American governments to provide equipment when they saw fit. Many Irishmen joined the army in 19, when invasion seemed a strong possibility, allowing the forces to grow to nearly 40,000 men by early 1942, creating two divisions. ![]() The Irish Army expanded to several times its pre-war size, and trained to repel any attack. ![]() Between 19 Ireland remained neutral, although many Irish men and women joined the British Army. ![]() This September marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War and the passing of the Emergency Powers Act 1939 by Dáil Éireann. Above: The brown denim uniform of the Local Defence Force (LDF). ![]()
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