Chemical weapons

Published: 19 November, 2010

• ROISIN Ni Corrain reminds readers that many Irish fought in the British forces during World War II and that many of them died in action (The Irish fought too, November 12). 

She informs them that Churchill favoured forming an Irish wing of the RAF from among the many Irishmen and women in that service. Considering Churchill’s prominence in the British government I’m amazed that it didn’t happen.

Some years ago an October 1940 British Cabinet minute was publicised in Ireland. Had it been public in 1940 perhaps fewer Irishmen would have served in the British or other allied forces.

It was decided that if the Germans landed in Ireland the RAF would use chemical weapons there. 

An experiment with anthrax on an uninhabited Scottish island had proved promising, and the island was lethally contaminated for the following 50 years.

The Germans had been in France, Holland, Belgium and Norway for some months by October 1940 without the British using chemical weapons.

 At the end of the war Churchill lavished praise on an RAF hero, calling him “Paddy” Fincane when his name was Finucane. Now the name Pat Finucane has a familiar ring to it, and should not be forgotten.

DONAL KENNEDY
N13