Volume 7 1941~1945


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 91  NAI DFA 221/147E

Telegram from William Warnock to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

BERLIN, 5 June 1941

Your telegram 112.1 I had heard of incident2 from British wireless and brought matter to the notice of Under Secretary of State Woermann3 unofficially on Saturday afternoon. He said they had heard of incident and had instituted enquiries at once.

I called officially and presented aide-mémoire,4 as instructed. Under Secretary of State stated German Government is deeply concerned at the incident, which he described as terrible, and is making all possible investigations to determine whether German aircraft could have been involved. He stated Air Force is confronted with 'puzzle'. He assured me, if German aircraft were responsible, German Government would not hesitate to give us full satisfaction, and he asked that we should, on our part, furnish them with all available evidence which would assist in clearing up the matter as early as possible.

He said they wish to make it clear that there could be absolutely no question of German aircraft having bombed Dublin on purpose.

1 See No. 87.

2 German aircraft dropped bombs on Dublin on the night of 30-31 May 1941.

3 Ernst Woermann (1888-1979), Director, Political Division, German Foreign Office, with the title of Under-Secretary of State (1938-43).

4 See No. 87.