Beginning in 1940, thousands of evacuees left Gibraltar as the British Government took over The Rock as a military base. Many came to the United Kingdom but as bombs fell on London, many of them made their way to Northern Ireland in the summer of 1944.
Dunaird (Camp 8) stood on the Buckna Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim. The camp consisted of large Nissen huts making up a school, a kitchen, and a community centre. Families lived in smaller Nissen huts split into male and female bedrooms.
Residents at Dunaird
Some of the evacuees from Gibraltar who lived in the Dunaird Camp, Broughshane, Co. Antrim. If you have any further information on these people, please let us know.
| First Name(s) | Last Name | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Juan | Bagu | Lived at North Front Hutments, Gibraltar. He left on 27th July 1940 on the Ulster Monarch (Ship E) as part of contingent 4UK. Attended school at the camp. |
| Jaime | Ruiz | Attended school at the camp. |
| Jaime | Garcia | Attended school at the camp. |
| Miss | Dalmedo | Attended school at the camp. |
| Thomas | Correa | Lived at 56 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. He left on 29th July 1940 on the Strategist (Ship I) as part of contingent 4UK. Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| J | Garcia | Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| J | Lima | Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| J | Silva | Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| A | Sampere | Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| Henry | Balestrino | Lived at Police Barracks, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| Antonio | Ruiz | Lived at Sir Herbert Miles Road, Gibraltar. Left on 28th July 1940 on the Euryades (Ship J) as part of contingent 4UK. Attended the ceremony in Broughshane Presbyterian Church. |
| Winnie | Collins | Lived at 24 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| Rosie | Collins | Lived at 24 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| Dora | Collins | Lived at 24 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| Miss A | Pitto | Performer at concert. |
| Aida | Penalver | Lived in Spain. Left Gibraltar on 26th July 1940 on the Athlone Castle (Ship D) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Rosa | Penalver | Lived in Spain. Left Gibraltar on 26th July 1940 on the Athlone Castle (Ship D) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Aida | Attias | Lived at 14 College Lane, Gibraltar. Left on 28th July 1940 on the City of Evansville (Ship K) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Eva | Attias | Lived at 14 College Lane, Gibraltar. Left on 28th July 1940 on the City of Evansville (Ship K) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Charles | Macias | Performer at concert. |
| Mario | Finlayson | Lived at 38 Flat Bastion Road, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| John | Macedo | Lived in Spain. Left Gibraltar on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| Eligio | Balestrino | Lived at 12 Rosio Steps, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert who wrote ‘Lamentos De Un Evacuado’. |
| Angeles | Caetano | Lived at 269 Main Street, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert who wrote ‘Lamentos De Un Evacuado’. |
| G | Boscio | Performer at concert. |
| John | Padina | Lived at 15 Chicardo’s Passage, Gibraltar. Left on 19th August 1940 on the Neuralia. Performer at concert. |
| Paco | Galia | Performer at concert. |
| Mario | Glynn | Lived at 4 Harington Building, Gibraltar. Left on 30th July 1940 on the Brittany (Ship H) as part of contingent 4UK. Performer at concert. |
| Mr. | Hermida | Taught at the camp school. |
Life at Dunaird
Mr. J Davidson was warden of the camp. The Ministry of Education sent a teacher to the Dunaird Camp on 1st September 1945. Her journey took her by bus from Ballymena to Broughshane. From there, it was a two-mile walk along country roads. There, she taught alongside a Mr. Hermida from Gibraltar until June 1946.
The classroom consisted of trestle tables and benches in a large Nissen hut. It was clean and provided a blackboard and chalk. On her arrival, there were no books, pencils, or glass in the open windows. Things soon improved although there were language difficulties to get around. The Northern Irish teacher taught the younger children aged 4-8 years old. Mr. Hermida taught the older children.
On Sunday 24th September 1944, residents of the Dunaird Camp attended a ceremony at First Broughshane Presbyterian Church. There, they paid tribute to Field Marshall George White, a former Governor of Gibraltar.
Entertainment at The Braid
On 24th November 1944, the Ballymena Weekly Telegraph reported on a concert staged at Dunaird.
- Miss Winnie Collins and Miss Rosie Collins performed a Spanish quickstep ‘Gato Montex’.
- Miss A Pitto sang ‘Darling’.
- Miss Winnie Collins, Miss Dora Collins, Miss A Pitto, Miss Aida Penalver, Miss Rosa Penalver, Miss Aida Attias, and Miss E Attias sang ‘Please Listen To My Song’.
- Miss Winnie Collins, Miss Dora Collins, and Miss Rosie Collins sang ‘Three Sisters’.
- Miss Aida Attias sang ‘Trinia’.
- Miss Rosie Collins and Mr. Charles Macias performed a tango.
- Mr. Charles Macias and group performed at tango.
- Miss Rosie Collins and group performed a quickstep ‘Limonera’.
- Miss Aida Attias sang ‘It Can’t Be Wrong’.
- Miss Winnie Collins and group sang ‘Sailor With The Navy Blue Eyes’.
- Miss Aida Attias and Mr. Mario Finlayson performed ‘La Paloma’.
- Mr. John Macedo performed a comic sketch ‘Mr. Lyons’.
- Miss Winnie Collins sang ‘Heaven’.
- Eligio Balestrino, G Boscio, John Padina sang ‘Camilleno’.
- A men’s group performed ‘La Chupeta’.
- Eligio Balestrino and Miss Angeles Caetano wrote and sang ‘Lamentos De Un Evacuado’.
- Eligio Balestrino and chorus sang ‘Patio Sevilliano’.
- Mr. Paco Galia played piano and Mr. Mario Glynn played accordion with a chorus on the song ‘Penon’.
Ministry in the Camp
Father Dominic McHugh was Chaplain to the Broughshane camps. He conducted weddings and funerals and ministered to the spiritual needs of the evacuees. On Sunday morning, he said Mass in the Dunaird Camp, where the Drummuck evacuees also attended. He would then conduct a service at Aughacully and people from nearby Breckagh Bridge attended.
Ballymena Borough Council erected a plaque to mark the site of the Dunaird Camp in July 1998. This commemorated the 50th anniversary of the official withdrawal and return to Gibraltar for many evacuees.