Jerome O'Connell, 7 Jul
A FASCINATING sequel featuring Limerick doctors will be published this
July.
Irish Doctors in the Second World War features a roll of honour
recording Irish doctors who served, were decorated, and lost their
lives. This beautiful fully illustrated hardback also includes
harrowing first-hand accounts from Irish doctors detailing the horrors
of the Atomic Bomb and the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.
Written by Patrick J Casey, Kevin T Cullen and Joe P Duignan, the
sequel to Irish Doctors in the First World War charts the vital
contributions of Irish doctors in the Second World War, a conflict that
demonstrated to the world how military warfare had changed utterly
since the Great War.
While advancements in medical care during the inter war years made
field medicine almost unrecognisable compared to 1918, this was
tempered by vast innovations in the destructive power of the machines
of war. From the Maginot Line to the Far East, Irish doctors risked
their lives in a terrifying new landscape.
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This richly illustrated book tells the stories of Irish medical
personnel who served, and includes excerpts from first-hand accounts,
such as that of Aidan MacCarthy, a Japanese POW who was present when
the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, as well as heart-rending
reports from Irish doctors arriving in liberated concentration camps.
Combined with its meticulously compiled Roll of Honour commemorating
those who served, it is a powerful tribute to their humanity and
indomitable spirit.
Patrick J Casey is a founding member of the Medal Society of Ireland.
He is a life-long military medal collector, with a keen interest in the
profiles of those awarded military honours. Patrick has written
numerous articles on the history of Irish regiments, their insignia,
uniforms and awards.
Kevin T Cullen is a retired geologist and past president of the
Institute of Geologists of Ireland. He compiled and self-published the
World War One Roll of Honour for County Monaghan, his native county, in
2010.
Joe P Duignan is a retired surgeon and former Council Member of the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He has lectured on the nature and
treatment of wounds and diseases of past military campaigns from the
Crimea to World War Two, and on the medical advances during this
period.