Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Hi guys

You may have missed my earlier enquries:

At Dakar in September 1940 was a French GCI/4 pilot named Patrick O'Byrne - what was his background? Obviously of Irish extraction but was he Irish or French? What was his fate? Any info would be appreciated.


Also, hopefully, someone will be able to confirm whether D.520s of GCII/3 did participate in the action against the Skuas on 6 July. FAA reports suggest that two were claimed damaged. Any info?


Cheers
Brian

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Hi Brian: O'Byrne was WIA on the first day of the French campaign ( 10.5.40) I'm not sure if it was in the Air ,or during a bombing raid on his Airfield.Sorry.thats all I have. Cheers Dean

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Hi,

he was wounded while flying with CH-75 No.71 between 05-06.00 hours. His plane was hit over Wez-Thuisy by defense fire coming from Do 17 from the 6/KG2. I think he managed to crash-land.

Regards

Robert

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Thanks Dean and Robert

That's a start! What about his ancestry?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Douglas Pitcairn flew Me 109s, while Hugo O'Brien de Lacy - Yaks. Neither of them born near UK, and the latter definetelly did not spoke English at all.

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

..first thought - no, since the aircraft apparently weren't serviceable.....but hopefully the SHD will confirm either way

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Wild geese? There was considerable emigration from Catholic Ireland after the Protestant victory in the Battle of the Boyne. These became known as the wild geese: there are a number of folk songs on the theme.

Napolean had a general (Marshal?) with a Scottish name. Macdonald, I think. Presumably he left as part of the Stuart/Jacobean unpleasantnesses. Catholic again.

Not so sure about Pitcairn: surely Scottish but not necessarily part of the major emigrations.

De Lacy sounds pretty Norman to me, but with the O'Brien link that again suggests the wild geese.

Yes, further information would be interesting.

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Well, there was actually quite substantial Scottish immigration to Poland after their homeland was conquered by Englishmen, and they got quite a bad reputation here. Most of them melted down, their names being gradually Polonised, and often only a family tradition reminded of their past.
O'Brien de Lacy - I only know that his father served with Polish forces in UK and spoke no English at all, much surprising the Royal Family.

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

Mythical romantic history again, I'm suspect. There were as many Scots on the side of the central government in the suppression of the Highland clans, as there were on the Stuart side. Unless this emigration dates back to Edward 1st? (Athelstan being pre-"Scots" as understood today).

My own ancestors were Grahams, who operated on both sides of the Borders. When the Borders were finally "sorted" they were forcibly emigrated to Ireland, only to be sent back later as too troublesome for the Irish to cope with.

Re: Patrick O'Byrne GCI/4
 

With the "protestant" forces receiving the backing of the Pope IIRC!