Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2020/03/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Very worthwhile as everybody shelters in place; at least those of us in the northern hemisphere. On Sun, Mar 15, 2020 at 9:05 PM Douglas Barry <imra at iol.ie> wrote: > Now that we're all more or less at war with CoVid, it reminded me of > "The Emergency" between 1939 and 1945 which was what we in neutral > Ireland euphemistically called World War Two. My grandfather who was the > Chief Superintendent in charge of the Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park was > given the task of managing the Local Security Forces (LSF) for the > Dublin area for those years. > > Here's a picture of him taken during this time - found in a family album > and taken by photographer unknown > > > http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/TFC+in+LSF+1939-45.jpg.html > > My grandfather in the greatcoat, and Garda helmet, surveys the damage > the morning after the German bombing of Dublin's North Strand while in > command of the Dublin LSF during the Emergency 1939-1945. His children > remember him leaving the house on the night of 31st of May 1941 dragging > the great coat over his civvies to rush over the 2 miles to the North > Strand as the Heinkels dropped their bombs. He looks exhausted after the > all nighter in the photo. Printed in the Irish Independent but > photographer unknown. Recommended to be seen larger. > > > http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/Chief+Supt+T+F+Casserly+LSF+in+Garda+helmet+at+1941+Strand+bombing+with+ARP+warden+lrge.jpg.html > > Sadly 28 people were killed and 90 injured, while 300 properties were > either destroyed or damaged. Ironically, one of the destroyed properties > was my grand-uncle's bakery at 5 Shamrock Place. His name was Patrick > Swanzy and like my grandfather was an ex-IRA man. Pat was used to > destroyed property as he had burned down Dublin's iconic Custom House in > 1921 and most of the Irish Nation Records stored there. Very frustrating > for people researching their families' history like me :-) > > I'm also involved a cultural, literary and historical society locally, > and we had to cancel a promising lecture on this bombing on the 26th of > this month due to our current "Emergency". > > Anyway, my grandfather was five years older than Pat and the son of an > RIC Sergeant. He joined the British Royal Engineers in WW1, saw action > in Salonika, and was invalided out with malaria after six months trying > to recover in a hospital in Malta. He joined the Dept of Posts and > Telegraphs and initially was recruited by Michael Collins as an > intelligence officer, then as a member of Collins's "Squad". Before > joining the Gardai as an Inspector, he was one of Collins's most trusted > men and the bodyguard for Arthur Griffith (President of Dail Eireann). > He met my grandmother (Pat's sister) at Sinn Fein TD Walter Cole's house > as Cole was the best friend of Griffith. Cole had fallen in love with > and had proposed to my grandmother's sister Chris after her husband the > Abbey actor Sean Connolly had been killed in the 1916 Easter Rising. > > My lasting memory of him is getting a gift of a gardening set at > Christmas 1952. I was two and a bit. He died a month later. > > Douglas > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Don don.dory at gmail.com