Sir, - After the end of the second World War, the Irish Red Cross Society brought 1,000 German, French, Austrian and English children to Ireland for a period of rest and rehabilitation. Many of these stayed at the society's summer holiday home in Glencree, and many were also fostered by Irish families.
In 1946, over 400 German children participated in this scheme, some of whom remained in Ireland but most of whom returned to Germany in 1949 to be reunited with their families. On the 50th anniversary of the arrival of children from Germany the Irish Red Cross Society, in conjunction with the German Embassy, is anxious to trace the children and families who participated in this scheme. The society will shortly be contacting the last known address of the Irish families, and the embassy will seek to trace the whereabouts of the children in Germany.
Both the society and the embassy invite anyone who was involved in the scheme to contact the Irish Red Cross Society at 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, phone (01) 6765135, Fax (01) 6614461 or the German Embassy, 31 Trimbleston Avenue, Booterstown, Co Dublin, phone (01) 2693011, fax (01) 2693946 with the objective of putting the families and the children involved in touch with each other. Anyone with knowledge of the children or families involved in the rehabilitation programme for children from France, Austria and England is invited to contact the Irish Red Cross Society directly. - Yours, etc.,
Secretary general,
Irish Red Cross Society, 16 Merrion Square,
Dublin 2.
First secretary
German Embassy,
Dublin