Rang a 6

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Ireland bombed during World War 2

The first bombing of neutral Ireland by German aircraft during the Second World War occurred on 26 August 1940, when bombs destroyed a creamery at Campile, Co. Wexford, killing three people.

On the first three days of January 1941, German bombs were dropped at a number of locations along the east coast of Ireland, including counties Carlow, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow, but without any loss of life. On successive nights, 2 and 3 January 1941, German bombs were dropped for the first time on Dublin City in the Donore area, around the South Circular Road and in Terenure.

The excuse offered by Hitler’s government for the January bombings, as for the Campile bombing, was that German aircraft had mistaken the Irish east coast for the west coast of Britain. The view most commonly held in Ireland was that the German bombings resulted from aircraft off-loading supplies to ensure a safe return to base.

On the night of 15-16 April 1941, the Dublin Fire Brigade was sent to Belfast on the personal instruction of Taoiseach Eamon de Valera, to assist in the aftermath of German bombing of that city. The Daily Telegraph reported: “A wave of gratitude for Ireland’s errand of mercy has swept the city of Belfast overnight, establishing a bond of sympathy between North and South Ireland which no British or Irish statesman has been able to establish in a generation.”

On the night of 31 May 1941, four high-explosive bombs were dropped by German aircraft on the North Strand area of Dublin City. The casualties were many: 34 dead and 90 injured, with 300 houses damaged or destroyed. On 19 June 1941, the Irish government announced that the German government had expressed regret for the North Strand bombing and promised compensation. The North Strand bombings were the last to occur in Ireland during the Second World War.

Questions: 1. When and where was Ireland first bombed during World War 2?

2. What excuse did Hitler’s government make for the bombings?
3. What did Irish Taoiseach Eamon De Valera do in April 1941 to help the city of Belfast?
4. What happened on night of 31 May 1941?

5 How much damage was done?

6. What did the German government do?

German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the United States. It is friendly, strong, protective, and loyal. The breed originated in Germany and was bred as a sheep dog, hence its name.

German Shepherds are big dogs. They generally grow to around two feet tall at the withers (shoulder blades) and weigh between 50 and 90 pounds. Their ears are large and generally stand up straight. They are longer than tall and are generally well proportioned and muscular looking.

They can be most any color, but most are tan and black or reddish and black. They can be all black or sable as well. Their coat is a double coat which helps keep them warm. The outer coat sheds year round. Mostly the coat length is medium, but there is a variety of German Shepherd that has long hair.

German Shepherds were first bred as working dogs primarily to herd sheep and protect them from predators. Today they are used widely as police dogs and sometimes military dogs. They are also excellent scent dogs where they are trained to sniff out drugs, bombs, and in search and rescue missions.

The German Shepherd is one of the most popular pets in America. This is because they can act as good guard dogs as well as good pets. They are protective and loyal to their owners. They also are intelligent and obedient.

German Shepherds need a lot of activity and exercise. They are highly active dogs and want to please their owners. They are not the most friendly dogs to people they don't know. They can be aloof until they get to know someone. If not properly trained they can be overprotective of their family.


German Shepherds tend to live to around 10 years old, which is about right for dogs of their size. The one health issue they tend to have is hip and elbow problems later in life. They also tend to get ear infections.

Questions 1.Why are these dogs called German Shepherds?

2. What type of coat has a German Shepherd?
3. German shepherds are working dogs. What kind of work can they do?
4. Why are they popular pets?

5 How long can they live and what kind of health problems can they have?

20 May 1927 - U.S.A. pilot Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh who many called the "flying fool" set off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, NY, today flying the "Spirit of St. Louis" on an epic flight from New York to Paris and is a milestone in flying aviation history, he is expected to arrive in Paris sometime late tomorrow. His plane is expected to travel up to 125 MPH as the fuel load decreases.

He completed the 33-hour, 30-minute flight and landed at Le Bourget Airport, Paris on the evening of 21 May.

Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Swedishimmigrants. He grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota. His father, Charles August Lindbergh, was a lawyer and later a U.S. congressman, who was against the United States entering into World War I. His mother was a teacher. While he was young, he was interested in machines. In 1922 he joined a pilot training program with Nebraska Aircraft, bought his own airplane, and became a stunt pilot.

In 1924, he started training as a pilot with the United States Army Air Corps.After finishing first in his class, Lindbergh took his first job as pilot of an airmail route in St. Louis. He flew the mail in an airplane.In April 1923, while visiting friends in Lake Village, Arkansas, Lindbergh made his first ever flight over Lake Village and Lake Chicot.

First solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean

The Spirit of St. Louis on display at the Smithsonian, Washington DC

Lindbergh gained fame around the world as the first pilot to fly solo (alone) and non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. He flew from Roosevelt Airfield (Nassau County, Long Island), New York, USA to Paris, France on May 20-21, 1927 in his single-engine airplaneThe Spirit of St. Louis. He needed 33.5 hours for the trip.

When he arrived back in the United States, many warships and aircraft escorted him to Washington, D.C. where President Calvin Coolidge gave him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Lindbergh's act won him the Orteig Prize, which was 25,000 US dollars. A parade was held for him on 5th Avenue in New York City on June 13, 1927.[1] At the end of the year, he was named Time's first Man of the Year.

Questions: 1. Where was Charles Lindbergh born?

2. What did he do in 1922?
3. What was his first pilot job?
4. Where did he fly off from on his famous journey and what date was this?

5 Where did he land and how many hours had he been flying?

6 Who was the president of the USA at the time and how much money did Charles get?

7 What was the name of his plane?

Story - On this date in history:

11 May 1916, during the House of Commons debate on the Irish Rising/ crisis, John Dillon MP urges an end to the executions. The 8^th of May 1916 had seen the execution of Irish leaders Eamon Ceannt, Con Colbert, Sean Heuston and Michael Malin.

Eamonn Ceannt was an Irish nationalist and rebel.

He was born in Ballymoe, Co Galway on September 21 1881. When he was young his family moved to Dublin where he became interested in the Irish cultural movement. He joined the Gaelic League/Conradh na Gaeilge and learnt Irish so well that he became a Conradh na Gaeilge teacher.

He was also an excellent piper. A master of the uilleann pipes, even putting on a performance for Pope Pius X. He was employed as an accountant for the Dublin Corporation. He was married to Aine and had one son Ronan.

Sometime around 1913 he joined the IRB, and later was one of the founding members of the Irish Volunteers. As such he was important in the planning of the Easter Rising of 1916, being one of the original members of the Military Committee and thus one of the seven signatories of the Easter Proclamation.

He was made commandant of the 4th Battalion of the Volunteers, and during the Rising was stationed at the South Dublin Union, with more than a hundred men under his command, notably his second-in-command Cathal Brugha, and W.T. Cosgrave.

His unit saw intense fighting at times during the week, but surrendered when ordered to do so by his superior officer Patrick Pearse. Ceannt was held in Kilmainham Jail until his execution by firing squad on May 8.

Questions:

1. What Irish MP stood up in the House of Commons saying to stop the executions of the 1916 leaders?
2. What Irish leaders and fighters were executed on the 8^th May 1916?
3. Where and when was Eamonn Ceannt born?
4. What musical instrument did he play?
5. Where did he fight in the 1916 Rising?
6. Name two men he commanded that went on to become well known after the Rising?

7 Where and when was Eamonn Ceannt executed?

The Blitz

On 15th August 1940 the Luftwaffe (German air force) bombed Croydon airfield on the outskirts of London by mistake. This was followed on 23rd August 1940 by the accidental bombing of Harrow, also on the outskirts of London. These raids went against Hitler’s direct instructions not to bomb London.

To take revenge, Churchill ordered the British RAF to bomb Berlin, the capital city of Germany, on 25th August 1840. Hitler was very angry. On 31st August 1940 he then gave orders for the invasion of Britain (codenamed ‘Operation Sealion’), although no date was set, and ordered a massive air-raid attack on London.

At about 4pm on 7th September 1940, over 350 German bombers and 650 German fighter aircraft flew across the English Channel. They dropped 300 tonnes of bombs on the docks and streets of the East of London in just two hours. Big bombs exploded with a loud bang and blew buildings apart, whilst small bombs called incendiaries started fires. At 8pm, another wave of bombers then attacked the city, guided by fires started by the earlier bombs. The fire fighters struggled to tackle the blazes from the huge rum warehouses in the area as they quickly burnt out of control. More than 450 people died and another 1,600 were injured.

London was then bombed for 76 consecutive nights and about a third of the city was destroyed. Lots of other places in Britain were bombed by the Germans too, including industrial cities and ports:

• town centre and cathedral of Coventry was attacked on 14th November 1940;
• Manchester was attacked on 22nd December 1940 for a full 36 hours turning the city into a raging fire storm;
• out of about 12,000 houses, only seven remained undamaged in the town of Clydebank in Scotland following attacks on the nights of 13th and 14th March 1941;
• Liverpool was attacked from 1st-7th May 1941 putting half of its docks out of action.

These heavy and frequent bombing attacks on Britain were known as the Blitz (from the German word ‘lightning’). Children living in big cities were moved temporarily from their homes to places considered safer, usually in the countryside.

It is estimated that 43,000 died during the Blitz across Britain. Thousands lost both their homes and possessions. Streets became covered in rubble, water pipes were shattered and electricity cables were damaged. The Bomb Disposal Squad had the dangerous job of putting out any unexploded bombs.

Most people who survived the attacks were determined to carry on as normal though and show their ‘Blitz spirit’. Postmen scrambled through the rubble to make their deliveries, religious services were still held in bomb-out churches and shops put up notices boasting “business as usual”.

Questions:

1 Who were the leaders of Germany and the United Kingdom during the Second World War?

2 On what date was the first major bombing of London?

3 How many nights in a row was London bombed?

4 What other cities were bombed?

5 How were the lives of children affected?

6 How many people dies in Britain during the Blitz?

7 How did people carry on with life during the Blitz?

8 What were the German Air force called and what does Blitz mean?