Ireland, WW2 and Neutrality.
There are 3 elements to this series of this series of 5 composite photographs. Documentation from Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin; an Aircraft Identification book as used by The Coastwatchers (courtesy of Military Archives), combined with landscape images using Tri X film, a Mamiya7 II camera and photographed from the headland, Portacloy, North Mayo, the location of LOP63. Photos ©Amelia Stein.
As a consequence of my reading the logbooks of LOP63, and subsequent research in Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, a series of documents relevant to 1939-1945,were brought to my attention by Archivist Noelle Gothier. In particular those marked “Secret", which of course were intriguing on a first read. As the contents were revealed, a series of documents pertaining to Ireland's Neutrality on the side of the Allies and the actions undertaken by Irish Authorities leading up to the D-Day landings sparked my interest.
A most telling document states “would it be asking too much of you to pinpoint the 82 look-out posts on this map and return it to me. It really seems to be rather an unnecessary request, but the Air Ministry have asked me to to get it ", the British letter writer asks the Irish Dept. of Defence. In another series of documents we read that all the ÉIRE signs and accompanying numbers assigned to each LOP should be clearly visible before the weekend of the 3rd June 1944.
The D-Day landing, code-name Operation Overlord, was scheduled for 5th June 1944. With a weather window identified, it was rescheduled for, and took place on 6th June 1944.
The aircraft identification silhouettes are taken from a copy of the Aircraft Identification Book, as used by the Coastwatchers to identify, report and record passing aircraft in the vicinity of the LOPs located around the Irish Coastline.
Many thanks to all those who helped in making this work possible from initial research to fabrication.
