RAF

  • For 10 years I worked for Philips and was not aware of this bit of the company’s history, although I worked in a different plant in another city, the links to Eindhoven were substantial because HQ was located there. On 6th December 1942, the RAF mounted Operation Oyster, a daylight low-level bombing raid on the

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  • Some men leave behind legacies so profound that you can only say, “They just don’t make them like that anymore.” Christopher Lee and Sir Alec Guinness were two such men—formidable actors with unforgettable performances and distinguished service in World War II. Christopher Lee Famous for his commanding presence and iconic roles, Christopher Lee enthralled audiences

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  • On October 5, 1942, the small Dutch town of Geleen, located in the province of Limburg, experienced a devastating bombing raid during World War II. This event is significant not only for the destruction it caused but also for the tragic error that led to the bombing of a civilian area instead of its intended

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  • Dresden

    Between February 13 and 15, there were four raids on Dresden. The Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden was carried out by the British Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force (USAAF) in four phases from the night of February 13 to 15, 1945. The photographs included in this blog were

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  • I have written about the bombing of Geleen before, but since today is the 81st anniversary, I thought it a good idea to revisit that awful day. Geleen is a town in the southeast part of the Netherlands. It used to be a mining town. Although the Bombing of Geleen was a devastating event, I

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  • Willem Jacob van Stockum was born on November 20,1910 in Hattem,the Netherlands. Willem moved to Ireland in the late 1920s, Where he studied mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he earned a gold medal. He went on to earn an M.A. from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh. The

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  • We all know Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, or as the Sith lord Count Dooku. Some of you may even know him as the evil wizard Saruman from the Lord of the Rings. Others may know him as the dentist father of Willie Wonka. Few will know of his real life heroic exploits during World

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  • I don’t know why but ever since I moved to Ireland I have found myself explaining my name quite a bit. I have been called Derek,Declan,Kirk and other variations.Nowadays I usually say “Dirk like Dirk Bogarde” it mostly takes another few minutes for people to get my last name right. Most people will have heard

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  • This is one of those men that makes me proud to be Dutch, and like me he has also a connection with Ireland. He was born in Hattem, a small town  in the east of the Netherlands. His father was an officer in the Dutch Navy. Willem studied mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he

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  • The Gloster Meteor

    On this day 75 years ago the Gloster Meteor,  the first British jet fighter and the Allies’ only jet aircraft to achieve combat operations during WWII, made it’s first flight. Neill Michael Daunt was the first pilot to fly the Gloster Meteor on March  5 1943.   Despite Germany’s technological advantage, the Meteor was the first operational

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