This is the story of 32 merchant seamen from Ireland who were held in conditions of great hardship in an SS slave labour camp from 1943-45. They were being punished for refusing to join the German war effort, and they became part of a slave work force that was used to construct an enormous bunker near the village of Farge in northern Germany. The Nazis believed they could build a 'miracle boat' in this bunker which they thought could win the war. To achieve this, they were prepared to work thousands of their slaves to death, including five of the Irishmen who died in one of their camps. Despite the savage regime they were subjected to, and unlike some other Irishmen, they steadfastly resisted all attempts by the SS to turn them into collaborators with the Third Reich. This engrossing and dramatic book explores the fascinating and tragic story of hardship and struggle, and has been updated and expanded by the author following the huge response from readers of the previous edition, Suddenly While Abroad. *** "A fascinating account of a neglected aspect of Irish involvement in the Second World War...." --The Irish Times Subject: WWII, Irish Studies, History]

Knox, David Blake

Little Island

Place of publication not identified, 2017

United Kingdom and Ireland, Ireland

Dublin, Republic of Ireland, 2017

Bookwire GmbH, London, 2017

Hitler's Irish Slaves tells the shocking story of 32 merchant seamen from Ireland who were held in conditions of great hardship in an SS slave labour camp from 1943 to 1945. Mercilessly punished for their refusal to join the German war effort, and ignored by their own government, they became part of a slave workforce that was used to construct an immense bunker. The Nazis believed that they could build a'miracle boat'in this bunker: a new type of U-boat that could win the war for Germany. To achieve that goal, many thousands of slaves were worked to their deaths.Despite the savage regime to which they were subjected, and unlike some other Irishmen, they steadfastly refused all attempts by the SS to turn them into collaborators with the Third Reich. In this engrossing and dramatic book, David Blake Knox explores the fascinating and tragic story of the hardship endured by these men, as well as the reasons why that narrative, like the men themselves, has been unjustly neglected. Previously published as Suddenly While Abroad.

"[This book tells the shocking story of 32 merchant seamen from Ireland who were held in conditions of great hardship in an SS slave labour camp from 1943 to 1945. Mercilessly punished for their refusal to join the German war effort, and ignored by their own government, they became part of a slave workforce that was used to construct an immense bunker. The Nazis believed that they could build a 'miracle boat' in this bunker: a new type of U-boat that could win the war for Germany. To achieve that goal, many thousands of slaves were worked to their deaths. Despite the savage regime to which they were subjected, and unlike some other Irishmen, they steadfastly refused all attempts by the SS to turn them into collaborators with the Third Reich."--Back cover

2024-03-28