Some information related to ww2, Ireland and those who served and did not serve.
"Irish soldiers faced stigma and shame when returning home from fighting in World War II.
The book "Returning Home" (2012) is by the Galway historian Bernard Kelly, and investigates the shameful way the estimated 12,000 Irish veterans who returned to Ireland after the end of the Second World War were treated."
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"You would think that after fighting Hitler's armies, the returning ex-servicemen would have gotten a hero's welcome home.
But they didn't.
Instead, they came back to a country that was scornful of, ignorant of, and indifferent to what they had been through. In many cases, they faced open hostility. Their service in the British forces was seen by many at home as anti-national, almost traitorous.""
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"But at the very least, the sacrifice made by thousands of Irish people who volunteered to fight Hitler should have been recognized when they came back. After fighting the Nazis the 12,000 Irish veterans deserved that much.
Instead, they came back to a country where their attitude to them was so poisonous they quickly learned to keep their war service secret.
Even worse, of the 12,000 Irish veterans, an estimated 5,000 had deserted from the Irish Army to join the British and fight Hitler, and they faced potentially severe punishment when they returned home.
All of the veterans also had a practical reason for keeping their mouths shut – they came back to a country that was severely depressed, and being an ex-serviceman did not help in the search for a job."
Subject: World War II – Irish soldiers faced hostility arriving home
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In addition:
"In the aftermath of World War II, Ireland became a refuge for an estimated 100 to 200 former Nazis and collaborators. While most major war criminals fled to South America via "ratlines,"
Ireland served as both a permanent sanctuary for some..
Notable Individuals
Several high-profile figures settled in Ireland, often living openly and even becoming respected members of the community:
Otto "Scarface" Skorzeny: Once called "the most dangerous man in Europe," this SS commando famously rescued Mussolini. He bought Martinstown House, a 160-acre farm in County Kildare, in 1959. Although never granted permanent residency, he was a celebrity figure in Dublin's social circles.
Andrija Artuković: Known as the "Butcher of the Balkans" for his role in the genocide of up to one million people in Croatia. He lived in the Dublin suburb of Rathgar in 1947 under a false name, posing as a history professor, before moving to the U.S..
Albert Folens: A Flemish SS collaborator who fled a death sentence in Belgium. He settled in Ireland and founded Folens Publishers, which became the country's leading educational textbook company.
Pieter Menten: A wealthy Dutch Nazi who committed atrocities in Poland. He lived in a mansion in County Waterford starting in 1964 until he was eventually tried and imprisoned in the Netherlands decades later.
Helmut Clissmann: A former German spy who had worked with the IRA during the war. He returned to Ireland after the war and became a successful businessman."
