The Second World War in Northern Ireland

Victor Long Royal Ulster Rifles and Special Air Service.

Victor Long was from Kimberley Street in the Ballynafeigh area of Belfast.

He was one of Four Brothers, Fred, Victor, Nigel and Jack who served during the war.

Victor C. Long, Service Number 7021988, was initially with 1st (Airborne) Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles before becoming a member of 1st Special Air Service Regiment on 17th March 1944.

Victor was 21 years old and had just recently arrived at Darvel in Scotland for Training with the S.A.S.

They were on the Mull of Kintyre and 'We raided the Home Guard's Armoury which caused a bit of a rumpus' 'We then got back to the mainland and pinched a few vehicles to get home, one of which was an R.A.F. Officers bus loaded with supplies. We nicked the lot'

He held the rank of Sergeant in 'T' Troop, 1st Special Air Service and saw action in Northwest Europe.

Victor took part in Operation Archway which had been was planned to support the XVIII Airborne Corps 'Operation Varsity' parachute landings across the River Rhine. 

The force from the Special Air Service was known as Frankforce after Lieutenant Colonel Brian Franks who was in Command of the Operation.

Two reinforced Special Air Service Squadrons, one each from the 1st and 2nd Special Air Service Regiments numbered about 300 all ranks carried in 75 armed Jeeps.

The 1st Special Air Service squadron was led by Major Poat and consisted of three troops, each consisting of three sections with three Jeeps. They had a 3 inch Mortar Section at Squadron Headquarters which also kept a reserve of 12 Jeeps.

Victor was one of the first British Troops who liberated Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp on the afternoon of 15th April 1945.

The first two British Soldiers to reach the camp were Special Air Service Officer, Lieutenant John Randall and his jeep driver who were on a reconnaissance mission and discovered the camp by chance.

Shown above is a Silk Escape Map which was sewn into his uniform.

Victor later recalled that 'After we entered the Camp one of the first things we came across was a huge open grave that was almost full of dead bodies.

There were lots of dead bodies everywhere and the people that were alive were in a bad way.

We weren't allowed to leave the Camp until we'd been fumigated because there was so much disease around.

Sergeant Long was involved in 'Operation Gain' which was a British Special Forces operation by D Squadron, 1st Special Air Service. The purpose was to cut rail communications in the Orléans region to the south-west of Paris in German-occupied France in an effort to prevent German forces from other parts of France from reaching the Normandy area in substantial numbers.

Operation Gain began on 16th June 1944 under the command of Major Ian Fenwick who was later among ten men who were killed in a number of ambushes.

He had arrived by parachute on 17th June 1944 and after lying-up for some time they made contact with Major Fenwick and his 6 strong Headquarters Section who had landed the previous day.

As a member of Lieutenant Bateman's Section Victor recalled that 'We didn't really allow the Maquis into out Camp because Major Fenwick said you couldn't trust them.

Victors first action was blowing up the Orleans to Pithiviers Railway Line on 20th June.

Captain Pat Garstin and his men dropped on the night of 4th /5th July south of the village of La Ferte-Alais. Among these men was Victors Friend Corporal Thomas 'Ginger' Jones.

On 12th August Captain Riding sent Vic Long and John Morton on a Road Watch and the following morning Leslie Packman and John Ion set off in a Jeep to collect the pair.

When their Pick-up did not arrive Victor and John Morton walked for about an hour before they heard shooting. The two men watched as there was more rifle fire before about forty or fifty Germans moved onto the road and pushed the Jeep into a ditch at the side of the road.

Having hears nothing from Packman and Ion the two men returned to their Camp where they reported what had happened to Blair Mayne.

Victor remembers 'That about two or three days later one of the Maquis came to say that they had found the bodies with the hands cut off'

The bodies were later recovered and Victor made a statement regarding what had happened and his observations which was to be used at a later War Crime Investigation.

On leaving the Special Air Service Regiment on 16th November 1945 he received his 1st Special Air Service Regiment Service Certificate which is signed by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair 'Colonel Paddy' Mayne.

The Special Air Service wanted to ensure that public knowledge of their operations was kept as secure as possible.

Victor recalled that on his return from an Operation in France 'There was a slip of paper in our Pay telling us not to divulge any information to Journalists whatsoever'

Victor was Mentioned in Despatches and has an Oak Leaf attached to his 1939-1945 War Medal. He was also awarded the 1939 - 1945 Star, France and Germany Star and The Defence Medal as well as the General Service Medal with 'Palestine 1945 - 1948' Clasp.

(Thanks very much to Francis Nige Long)

William McKeown, Royal Ulster Rifles

This is William McKeown from Rosebery Road in East Belfast. 

He joined the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1939 aged 19, Service number 7020821 before transferring to the London Irish Rifles.

He was wounded by shrapnel at Monte Cassino in January 1944 and spent rest of war as POW in Germany. 

 Strangely his service records don’t mention his wounds but on return home he spent a year in the Military Hospital in Southport recovering from his injuries and illness. He was 6 stone. He was discharged as being unfit for any future military service and lived until he was 87. (Thanks very much to Will Johnston)

John "Jackie" Harris from Belfast

This selection of photographs shows an Ulster Home Guard Unit from Belfast who are involved in a Training Exercise. (IWM Pictures)

The Men are first seen being Inspected before boarding Trucks which have a Motorcycle Rider in front of the convoy.

A wheel needs to be replaced on one of the vehicles and in the picture above right a Lance Corporal receives his Work Ticket from a Sergeant (IWM Photographs)

Motor Transport Company, Ulster Home Guard Office receives a new sign for the Door 1st November 1942. (IWM Pictures)

The Men of the Ulster Home Guard. Photographed on 1st November 1942 (IWM Pictures)

Photograph below shows Soldier of Ulster Home Guard. (Photographs above from Ebay)

This selection of photographs relates to the work of the Army Post Office. Mail is seen arriving at the Army Post Office in the pictures above.

I do not have a precise location although the photographs were taken in Belfast on 8th February 1941.  (IWM Pictures)

Following its arrival the Mail is checked by the Censors

Following any censorship the Mail is bagged up and prepared for despatch. Shown on the right is one of the very popular "Mail Call" as well as others being delivered to Civilian addresses. (IWM Pictures)

Young Belfast Boy serving in Merchant Navy Murdered in North Africa

I have been contacted by Billy McGee who is trying to trace photographs of these six young lads for a revised version of his book "They Shall Grow Not Old...."

CARSON, Deck Boy, JOHN, S.S. Victoria City (Bideford).
Merchant Navy. 2nd December 1940. Age 15.
Son of John and Josephine Carson, of Belfast.

GIBSON, Ordinary Seaman, KENNETH JOHN, M.V. Otaio (Plymouth). Merchant Navy. 28th August 1941. Age 16, of Belfast.

LOUGHRAN, Cabin Boy, JOSEPH, S.S. Kervegan (Cardiff).
Merchant Navy. 9th February 1941. Age 16.
Son of Daniel and Mary Loughran, of Belfast.

MEHARG, Mess Room Boy, LAWRENCE MCIVOR, S.S. Agnete Maersk (Belfast). Merchant Navy.
24th March 1941. Age 16. Son of Andrew and Isabella Meharg, of Belfast.

MOORE, Deck Boy, WILLIAM A., S.S. Victoria City (Bideford). Merchant Navy. 2nd December 1940. Age 16.
Son of William and Annie Moore, of Belfast.

OSBORNE, Mess Room Boy, JAMES, S.S. Kervegan (Cardiff). Merchant Navy. 9th February 1941. Age 16, of 3 Short St, Belfast.
(Thanks to Billy McGee)