Ireland's Secret War

Dan Bryan, G2 and the Lost Tapes that Reveal The Hunt for Ireland's Nazi Spies

Marc McMenamin

• Publisher: Gill Books
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9780717192892
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World War II
• Index: History

A thrilling account of the true extent of Irish–Allied Co-Operation during World War II.

Ireland's Secret War reveals strategic Nazi intentions for Ireland and the real role of leading government figures of the time, placing Dan Bryan and G2 – the military intelligence branch of the Irish Defence Forces – at the centre of the country's battle against Nazi Germany.

With the help of over thirty-five hours of previously unpublished audio recordings that were held in storage in northern California for over fifty years, Marc Mc Menamin reveals the extraordinary unheard history of WWII in Ireland, told from the point of view of the main protagonists.

Fascinating and entertaining, Ireland's Secret War reassesses the legacy of the Irish contribution to the Allied war effort through the voices of those involved at the time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Sources

Oral History Interviews, Carolle J. Carter – Private Collection:

Colonel Dan Bryan, Dublin, Ireland, August 1969 and August 1971

Helmut Clissmann, Dublin, Ireland, August 1969 and August 1971

Corporal John Dillon, Moate, Ireland, August 1971

Dr Richard J. Hayes, Dublin, August 1969 and August 1971

Stephen Hayes, Enniscorthy, Ireland, August 1969

James O’Donovan, Dublin, Ireland, August 1969

Commandant James Power, Athlone, Ireland, August 1969 and August 1971

Sergeant John Power, Athlone, Ireland, August 1969

Günther Schultz, Arklow, Ireland, August 1969 and August 1971

San José State University:

The Burdick Military History Project, San José State University History Department. http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/history

Charles B. Burdick Military History Collection, MSS-2010-03-01, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives

Charles B. Burdick War Poster Collection, MSS-2010-02-02, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives

Hugh T. Carlisle Collection, MSS-2011-09-16, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives

Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series:

Fanning, Ronan, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. V: 1937–1939, vol. 5, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2006.

Kennedy, Michael, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. VI: 1939–1941, vol. 6, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2008.

Fanning, Ronan, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. VII: 1941–1945, vol. 7, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2010.

Fanning, Ronan, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. VIII: 1945–1948, vol. 8, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2012.

Crowe, Caitriona, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. IX: 1948–1951, vol. 9, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2014.

Kennedy, Michael, et al, (eds). Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Vol. X: 1951–1957, vol. 10, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2016.

Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University California, United States of America:

James A. Healy Collection on Irish History

National Library of Ireland:

Dr Richard Hayes Papers – MS 22, 981–22, 984

Florence O’Donoghue Papers – MS 31, 344–31, 351, MS 31,347/4/1

James O’Donovan Papers – MS 21, 155, MS 22, 307

Private Collections:

Prof. Carolle J. Carter (personal archive)

Dr Richard Hayes Papers (family possession)

Brian D. Martin, Interviews with Spike Marlin and Douglas Gageby

Captain John Patrick O’Sullivan Papers (family possession)

National Archives of Ireland:

Department of Foreign Affairs Files:

Parachutists (Joseph Lenihan) – A27

Hermann Görtz –A34

O’Reilly/Kenny – A52 I, A52 II

Bryan – Liddell Correspondence –A60

Francis Stuart – A72

Jewish refugees – D/T S11007B/1

Óbed, Tributh and Gärtner – S/12013

Charles McGuinness – S/12860

Hermann Görtz – S/13301

Hermann Görtz – S/13963

Public Record Office for Northern Ireland:

German U-Boat Surrender Londonderry – CAB/3/G/21

Flying Boats at Killadeas, Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh – CAB/3/G/6

Irish Military Archives:

Directorate of Irish Military (G2) Intelligence Files:

Joseph Andrews – G2/3261

Sgt Codd – G2/4949

Hermann Görtz – G2/1722

Stephen Hayes – G2/3048

Stephen Held – G2/0077

John Kenny – G2/X/1263

Helena Moloney – G2/3364

James O’Donovan – G2/3783

Maisie O’Mahony – G2/3997

John O’Reilly – G2/3824

Seán Russell – G2/3010

Günther Schütz – G2/X/0703

Walter Simon – G2/0207

Francis and Iseult Stuart – G2/0214

Unland/Wilhelm Preetz – G2/0265

Jan Van Loon – G2/3748

Ernst Weber-Drohl – G2/1928

UCD Archives:

Papers of Frank Aiken (1898–1983) – IE UCDA P104

Memoir of Colonel Daniel Bryan (1900–1985) – IE UCDA P109

Papers of Colonel Daniel Bryan (1900–1985) – IE UCDA P71

Papers of Moss Twomey (1896–1978) – IE UCDA P69

Papers of Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) – IE UCDA P150

National University of Ireland, Galway Archives:

Paper-based material in the collection, relating to the work and interests of Col. Éamon de Buitléar and that of his son, Éamon de Buitléar, G48/1

University of Georgia: School of Law Archive:

Doetzer, Karl, ‘Closing Statement on Behalf of Dr Edmund Veesenmayer’, (1948). Trial 11 – Ministries Case. 5.

https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/nmt11/5

British National Archives Kew Gardens:

Criminal Files:

Hermann Görtz – CRIM 1/813

Dominions Office Files:

Hermann Görtz – DO 121/86

Reports on German Legation in Dublin – DO 121/87

Foreign Office, Government Code and Cypher School, 1922-1946 Files:

Government Code and Cypher School: ISOS Section and ISK Section: Decrypts of German Secret Service (Abwehr and Sicherheitsdienst) Messages (ISOS, ISK and other series) – HW19

Travel to Éire: Ewald Heindrich; Helmut Clissmann – FO 940/49

MI5 Records:

Joseph Gerard Andrews – KV2/3119

Hermann Görtz – KV2/1321

Stephen Carroll-Held – KV2/1450

Helmut Clissmann/Elizabeth Clissmann – KV6/81

Karel Richter – KV2/31

O’Reilly and Kenny – KV2/119

Joachim Wilhelm Canaris – KV2/167

Wilhelm Eberhardt Preetz – KV2/1303-6

Newspapers, Magazines and Periodicals:

The Banner

An Cosantóir

Donegal Democrat

History Ireland

Impartial Reporter

Irish Independent

Irish Press

Irish Times

Sunday Chronicle

Sunday Dispatch

Sunday Press

Sunday Tribune

The Bell

The Evening Herald

The Evening Mail

The People

Interviews:

Captain Daniel Ayotis – Irish Military Archives, Dublin

Prof. Carolle J. Carter – Los Altos, California

Brian Costello – Roscommon

Faery Hayes – Dublin

Dr Mark M. Hull – Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Marcel Krüger – Dundalk

Gerry Long – National Library of Ireland

Michael C. Murphy – Ex Deputy Director Military Intelligence, Dublin

Professor Eunan O’Halpin – Trinity College Dublin

Joe O’Loughlin – Belleek, Co. Fermanagh

Dónall Ó Luanaigh – National Library of Ireland

Professor Gary McGuire – University College Dublin

Christine O’Sullivan – Killarney

Sheila O’Sullivan – Killarney

Dr Chris Smith – Coventry

Parliamentary and Official Publications:

Dáil Debates

Seanad Debates

House of Commons Debates

US House of Representatives Debates

US Senate Debates

Histor...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Prologue: an old box of tapes
• i The Storm Clouds Gather
• ii Forging Alliances
• iii The Art of Diplomacy
• iv Upping the Ante
• v The Parachutist
• vi Neutrality Under Pressure
• vii Our Friends and Allies?
• viii Prisoners of War
• ix Endgame
• x Unsung Heroes
• Epilogue: a journey west
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Copyright
• About the Author
• About Gill Books
• Photo Section