Thousand of evacuees from Gibraltar arrived in Northern Ireland in July 1944. Military action in their homeland had forced them to leave for the United Kingdom. Luftwaffe attacks on London saw several thousand of them cross the Irish Sea.
Drummuck (Camp 9) stood on the Buckna Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim. The camp consisted of a series of large Nissen huts used as a kitchen, a school, and a community centre. Each family lived in a smaller Nissen hut on the site.
Residents at Drummuck
Some of the evacuees from Gibraltar who lived in the Drummuck Camp, Broughshane, Co. Antrim. If you have any further information on these people, please let us know.
| First Name(s) | Last Name | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Albert | Baw | Lived at 23 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. He left on 21st July 1940 on the Avoceta (Ship A) as part of contingent 4UK. He continued to live in Broughshane after the war. |
| Miss M | Bejerano | Performer at concert. |
| F | Rocca | Performer at concert. |
| W | Vinet | Performer at concert. |
| P | Gole | Performer at concert. |
| W | Mascarenhas | Performer at concert. |
| Francisco | Spiteri | Lived at 3 Lime Kiln Steps, Gibraltar. He left on 28th July 1940 on the City of Evansville (Ship K) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Moses | Bensusan | Lived at 95 Main Street, Gibraltar. He left on 27th July 1940 on the Royal Scotsman (Ship F) as part of contingent 4UK. |
| Victoria | Monteverde | Lived at 2 Forty Steps, Gibraltar. She left on 29th July 1940 on the Strategist (Ship I) as part of contingent 4UK. She was the wife of Baldomero Monteverde. Performer at concert. |
| Mrs. A | Martinez | Performer at concert. |
| Mrs. P | Villa | Performer at concert. |
| Hortencia | Casey | Lived at Arengo’s palace, Gibraltar. She left on 30th July 1940 on the City of Windsor (Ship P) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Rosa | Pons | Lived at Prince Edward Road, Gibraltar. She left on 30th July 1940 on the Britanny (Ship H) as part of contingent 4UK. |
| Miss C | Viagas | Performer at concert. |
| Miss A | Bejerano | Performer at concert. |
| M | Macias | Performer at concert. |
| A | Ferro | Performer at concert. |
| Mrs. L | Spiteri | Performer at concert. |
| Herminia | Lucas | Lived at 24 Lower Castle Road, Gibraltar. She left on 28th July 1940 on the City of Evansville (Ship K) as part of contingent 4UK. |
| Mr. J | Lenia | Performer at concert. |
| Baldomero | Monteverde | Lived at 2 Forty Steps, Gibraltar. He left on 29th July 1940 on the Strategist (Ship I) as part of contingent 4UK. He was the husband of Victoria Monteverde. Performer at concert. |
| Mr. S | Buggia | Performer at concert. |
Entertainment at The Braid
On 8th December 1944, the Ballymena Weekly Telegraph reported on a concert staged at Drummuck. The organising committee consisted of Mrs. P Villa, Mr. J Lenia, Mr. M Bensusan, and Mr. D Monteverde. The pianist was Mr. S Bugga.
- The cast performed an operetta ‘La Dolorosa’.
- Cast:
- Nicasia – Miss M Bejerano.
- Perico – F Rocca.
- Rafael – W Vinet.
- Padre – W Mascarenhas.
- Padre – P Gole.
- Jose – Mr. Francisco Spiteri.
- Bienvenido – Mr. Moses Bensusan.
- Juanico – Mrs. Victoria Monteverde.
- Mrs. A Martinez sang ‘Silver’.
- Mrs. P Villa sang ‘Mi Mare’.
- Miss Hortencia Casey and W Mascarenhas sang ‘Tatuaje’.
- Miss Rosa Pons performed a rumba.
- Miss C Viagas performed a pasodoble.
- Mrs. Martinez and chorus sang ‘Mario De La O’.
- Miss A Bejerano and chorus sang ‘Talaverano’.
- M Macias sang ‘Ranchera’.
- Mrs. Martinez and A Ferro performed ‘Wus Comico’.
- Mrs. Villa sang ‘Salome’.
- Mrs. L Spiteri sang ‘Malavena’.
- Miss A Bejerano and W Vinet sang ‘Oigami’.
- Mrs. Martinez and W Vinet and chorus sang ‘Morena’.
- Miss Hortencia Casey sang ‘Manojo De Claveles’.
- Miss Herminia Lucas sang ‘That’s The Moon’.
- Miss Viagas and W Mascarenhas sang ‘Los Claveles’.
- Mrs. Villa recited a poem.
- The cast sang ‘Agua del Mediterraneo’ and ‘God Save The King’.
Ministry in the Camp
Chaplain to the Broughshane evacuee camps was Father Dominic McHugh. Early on a Sunday morning, he said Mass in the Dunaird Camp. People from Drummuck would also attend this service. The people of Breckagh Bridge would attend a later Mass service at Aughacully.
Father McHugh attended the spiritual needs of all the Gibraltar evacuees in Co. Antrim as well as performing funerals and weddings.
The 50th anniversary of the official withdrawal and return to Gibraltar was in July 1998. Ballymena Borough Council marked the occasion by erecting a plaque at the former Drummuck Camp.