An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir July / August 2020 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | BY LAR JOYE PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LAR JOYE W hile World War II broke out on 1st September in response to the invasion of Poland by Germany and Russia it was not until the invasion of France on 10th May 1940 that the Irish Government decided to commit all the resources of the state to the defence the island. In April 1940 the Irish Defence Forces consisted of 14,454 all ranks and a year later had increased to 40,607. Indeed in a 5 week period from June to July 24,000 men offered their services after a 'A Call to Arms' and 'Step Together' publicity appeal. Throughout the year as the Army grew it prepared for invasion, from May 1940 as mobile columns, then into 4 Brigades and by 1941 it would have 2 Divisions led by Major General MJ Costello, the founder of the An Cosantóir magazine and Major General Hugo MacNeill. In preparation for war 2 plans were developed in 1940 one against a German invasion and the other a British inva- sion. The LSF (Local Security Force) was established on 24th May 1940 under the control of the Gardaí Siochana and this would later become the Local Defence Forces in 1941. 1940 also saw the ap- pointment of new Chief of Staff, Lt General Daniel McKenna took over from Major General Michael Brennan who had served since 1931 as COS and had found fame as a guerrilla leader in the War of Independence. McKenna threw himself into his new job but com- plained "I've got the manpower but what I need is the firepower" and this proved a problem for the Army throughout the duration of the War, in particular a lack of light machine guns for each section. There were however enough rifles for each soldier and on 21st September 1940, 20,000 Springfield rifles arrived from US for the LSF. An Anti-Aircraft Battalion was created in June 1940 of perma- nent and reserve soldiers with 3.7 inch heavy anti-aircraft guns at Ringsend and Clontarf, backed up with searchlights and sound locators around the city. While older 3 inch anti-aircraft guns were at Booterstown and Ballyfermot. All these were connected to a control room in Dublin Castle while lighter 40mm Bofors guns were used for local defence of Baldonnel aerodrome and Dublin Airport. At the outbreak of the war for the first time the Irish govern- ment created the Marine and Coast Watching Service, which were the beginnings of the Naval Service. Later a Navy Reserve called the Maritime Inscription was formed in Dublin Port to assist port authorities with port control and examination on 20th September 1940. The following year its new members marched in the Easter Parade in Dublin. From a HQ base in Portobello Barracks (now Cathal Brugha Barracks) the Maritime Inscription developed and by 1943 had 14 officers, 137 NCOs and 992 men in 14 shore companies. EASTERN COMMAND No 1 Company - Dundalk, Drogheda, Sherries. No 2 Company - Dublin and Howth. No 3 Company - Dublin and Dun Laoghaire. No 4 Company - Bray. No 5 Company - Wexford. No 6 Company - Waterford and Tramore SOUTHERN COMMAND. No 7 Company - Cork City. No 8 Company - Bantry, Schull and Castletown. No 9 Company - Cork City. No 10 Company - Cobh and Crosshaven. No 11 Company, Limerick and Foynes. WESTERN COMMAND No 12 Company - Silgo and Raughley No 13 Company - Westport. No 14 Company - Galway. T H E D E F E N C E F O R C E S I N 1 9 4 0

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