SNIPPET: The relationship between Ireland, the Irish and Britain has always been complex. Such was the case during WW-II when the South was neutral. At the time there was a fierce defence of Irish neutrality. Indeed, by the end of the war neutrality had become almost a core value of Irish society, certainly among those who supported Fianna Fail. At the same time, a large number of Irish citizens willingly went to Britain during the war, some to work, many others to join the armed forces. On 28 April 1995, then Taoiseach John BRUTON, speaking at the Irish National War Memorial Park, Islandbridge, Dublin, brought full recognisation of the involvement of Irish citizens in the British forces in the Second World War. He spoke movingly of 150,000 Irish people from North and South who volunteered to fight the Nazis. He pointed out that 10,000 had died while serving in the British forces. This had a particular significance he maintained. "In recalling their bravery, we are recalling a shared experience of Irish and British people ... We remember a British part of the inheritance of all who live in Ireland." While such sentiments might not be supported by everyone, the significance of the Taoiseach articulating them at Islandbridge in the company not only of all the political parties in the Republic, but also the Alliance Party, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and Sinn Fein cannot be denied. Such a speech will not remove the divisions among those represented at the memorial ceremony, but the recognition that those who volunteered to fight for Britain in World War II did so for honourable reasons may in the longer term contribute to a fuller appreciation and interpretation of the complexities of Irish and British relations at the time. It was noted also that the most signal honour that any British sailor, soldier, or airman, officer or man could win was the Victoria Cross, and that in WW-II twelve were won by volunteers from Erin. -- Excerpts, "History Ireland" magazine, Spring 1998.