When the US 'Invaded' Northern Ireland
Warfare
History Hit
4.5 • 943 Ratings
🗓️ 24 June 2022
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With 300,000 US troops stationed in Northern Ireland between 1942 and 1945 - Northern Ireland soon became overrun. Known as the 'Friendly Invasion', why was Northern Ireland chosen as the site of the first US deployment in Europe during WW2? Poitín, information pamphlets, and lasting social impacts - what happened when the Americans came to stay?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It was known as the friendly invasion the day when the first US servicemen docked in Northern Ireland in 1942 |
| 0:08.0 | But by 1945 around 300,000 US troops had landed, making a lasting impact on the social and political fabric of the region. |
| 0:17.0 | But why were so many US soldiers in Northern Ireland? |
| 0:20.0 | Why was it that the first place in Europe that American soldiers set foot during the Second World War was Belfast of all places? |
| 0:28.0 | And did they only bring with them good humour, gums and nylon tights? |
| 0:32.0 | Or was there a darker side to this American invasion? Well this is the |
| 0:36.4 | warfare podcast. I'm your host James Rogers and to find out I'm joined by Dr Simon |
| 0:40.3 | topping of the University of Plymouth. |
| 0:42.6 | Simon is the author of a new book, Northern Ireland, |
| 0:45.0 | the United States, and the Second World War, |
| 0:47.1 | out now and published by Bloomsbury. |
| 0:49.3 | And this makes him the perfect person |
| 0:51.1 | to take us through this little known but fascinating chapter of Second |
| 0:55.4 | World War history. |
| 0:57.0 | Enjoy. Hi Simon welcome to the warfare podcast how you doing I'm doing very well |
| 1:15.9 | thanks for having me on not a problem at all here at the warfare podcast we are |
| 1:20.3 | still aiming to reveal those hidden or forgotten histories of war and today the chat with you is no different |
| 1:27.0 | Especially in terms of your research on northern Ireland the United States and the Second World War. |
| 1:33.0 | So take us back to the start of this fascinating slice of World War II history. |
| 1:38.0 | Back to that point in the wake of Pearl Harbor. |
| 1:42.0 | And my question for you, you Simon is what made Northern Ireland a place |
| 1:45.7 | that the US wanted to or needed to start to station troops? I think there are a number of reasons for this some political some military |
... |
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