bofors manuals

[Andrew Morrison]

Have been reading a book called the Lost Years - the emergency in Ireland 1939-45.

In the book the author decides to join the southern Irish army to defend the country against the expected German invasion. He joins a unit which operates a bofors anti aircraft gun in Dublin.

Where this becomes more interesting is that he states on page 50 - 'trying to explain the complexities of the anti aircraft guns and range finders which we would have to use through the medium of Irish, translated by a not very bright non-commissioned officer, working from a manual originally written in Swedish and translated, presumably by a Swede, into extremely stilted pidgin English.'

I read this as saying that the manual was in English which was being read out in Irish. Or were the manuals translated into Irish ?

There was a policy in the Irish army at this time that all communication was to be in Irish not English. This was though for political reasons rather than like in New Zealand where Maori was used as a code. As politics were involved .......... were maunals translated ?

As there has been some comment on here over the years in regard to the Bofors 40mm gun thought I would put this question here to see if anyone knows more.

[Ed Storey]

I only have one Irish manual from the period, and it is in English. An interesting story, but when you think of the logistics behind translating every manual, especially when everyone would know English, then you really have to wonder.

[Andrew Morrison]

Tend to also think that manuals were not translated however as the use of Irish was for political reasons thought it might have happened if not totally perhaps at a small or perhaps local level.

I believe the policy was introduced in the late thirties and removed in late 1941 early 1942. It was introduced by the politicians in an attempt to make people think of themselves as southern Irish with a seperate identity.

A change back to English was only done due to the war going on around them with the significant expansion of the military and the need to have clear and effective communications. Without the war there is no reason to think it would not have continued.

With this background and where nation building politics are involved some strange things which make no apparent sense can be done.

While the bulk of the population speaks English as a first language there are still plenty of places on the west coast where even today English is a second language. A tourist would be spoken to in English however a local would have to use Irish. Some of these are only 30 minutes drive from the border with the north.