Author John P McCann grew up in the small Co. Londonderry town of Castledawson where uncovering "treasures" in the family garden led him to research the 82nd Airborne Division, in particular, their short time in Northern Ireland.
The first troops of 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Ulster on 9th December 1943. By the end of the day, 12,000 men had arrived on Northern Ireland’s soil and set up camp. Rigourous training took place, and McCann’s book gives a feel for what it was like for these young Americans in a strange place. In a little over 4 months, the airborne troops were on the move again to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. They left a lasting impact on the people of Northern Ireland including on the poet Seamus Heaney, who contributed his work ‘Testimony: Anahorish 1944’ to the foreward.
Buy ‘Passing Through: The 82nd Aiborne Division in Northern Ireland 1943-44’ on Amazon.