#OnThisDay 1942 Lt Cmdr Edward ‘Butch’ O’Hare became the @USNavy‘s first flying Ace when he singlehandedly shot down five Japanese bombers. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Chicago Airport is named in his honour. O’Hare was of Irish descent. O’Hare’s father was a lawyer for Al Capone and eventually helped convict Capone of tax evasion. O’Hare senior was gunned down by Capone’s men in Novermber 1939.
#OnThisDay 1921 Twelve IRA men of the 4th Batt. Cork No. 1 Brigade were killed when the cottage they were in was surrounded by RIC, Auxies, Black & Tans & British Army at Clonmult. Six of the ten men in this photo died. 4 wounded, 4 captured & 2 executed later.
The deceased are: James Ahern (pic),Jeremiah Aherne, Liam Aherne, Daniel Dennehy, David Desmond, Michael Desmond, James Glavin, Michael Hallahan, J.J. Joyce, Joseph Morrissey, Timothy O’Sullivan & Richard Hegarty.
Maurice Moore & Patrick O’Sullivan are executed in Cork on the 28th April.
#OnThisDay 1939 Taoiseach Éamon de Valera proclaimed that Ireland would be neutral if a World War broke out. When war did break out 7 months later, he made this speech: rte.ie/archives/2014/ Ireland was never strictly neutral, like Switzerland during WW2.
#OnThisDay 1921 Brigadier General Crozier, Commanding Officer of the Auxiliary Division, RIC resigned his post. He dismissed 21 Auxies after their raids on Trim, Co. Meath & Drumcondra, Dublin that left several dead. Henry Hugh Tudor ordered them reinstated.
#OnThisDay 1917 Sergeant Augustine Hackett, Connaught Rangers, from Dublin, was killed in action near Kemmel. Nearly 200 men set out on the raid, “cheerfully tucking green miniature Irish flags into their caps” but did not make it into the German lines. #Ireland #History #WW1
The Irish at War 