The Children from Operation Shamrock: Historical Context, Testimonies and Fictionalized Memory Fragm

ContentsAcknowledgements 7Preface 91. Context: The circumstances of Operation Shamrock and the perceptions of the German participants 131.1. The start of Operation Shamrock 131.2. The conditions in post-war Germany and the Irish invitation 191.3. Selection of Irish foster families 291.4. Arrival in Ireland 321.5. Life in Ireland 331.6. The language barrier 351.7. Perceived differences between Ireland and Germany 361.8. The return 391.9. Contributing factors to emotional well-beingand a sense of belonging in the Shamrock children 431.10. Negative factors 441.11. Long-term effects 471.11.1. Identity 481.11.2. Grassroots connection and relations between Ireland and Germany 512. Testimonies: the interviews with THE CHILDREN FROM OPERATION SHAMROCK 532.1. About the interviews 532.2. Agnes Thevis, née Hammel 552.3. Dorothea Cooney, née Masur 592.4. Eddy (Edward) Werder 612.5. Elisabeth McNicholl, now Elisabeth O'Gorman, née Lilli Kohlberg 652.6. Friedhelm Krüll 692.7. Gertraud Roßbach, née Westphal 732.8. Hans Peter Boden 772.9. Heidi Schwandt-Boden 812.10. Heinz Kampas 852.11. Helmi Saidlear, née Wilhelmine Hubertine Pütz 892.12. Helmut Robert Erb 932.13. Herbert Remmel 972.14. Hildegard Jones, née Grabsch 1012.15. Josef Kauerauf 1052.16. Karl-Heinz Hantsch 1092.17. Klaus Armstrong-Braun 1132.18. Luzie Weber 1172.19. Theodore Edward Kavanagh, née Theodore Hermanns 1213. Fictionalized memory fragments: the short stories 1233.1. First Girl 1253.2. First Boy 1273.3. Second Girl 1293.4. Second Boy 1313.5. Third Boy 1333.6. Third Girl 1353.7. Fourth Girl 1373.8. Fourth Boy 1393.9. Fifth Boy 1413.10. Fifth Girl 1433.11. Sixth Girl 1453.12. Sixth Boy 1473.13. Seventh Boy 1493.14. Eighth Boy 1513.15. Ninth Boy 1533.16. Seventh Girl 1553.17. Tenth Boy 1573.18. Eighth Girl 1594. Sources 1614.1. Interviews 1614.2. Archival sources 1614.3. Printed Sources 162