"One Yank and They’re Off": Interaction between US Troops and Northern Irish Women, 1942-1945

The first american troops came to Northern Irish shores on 26 January 1942. Their numbers peaked at 120,000 in December 1943, which represented the equivalent of one tenth of the total population before the start of World War II and, in some areas, even more. Troops were stationed all over Northern Ireland. The U.S. Air Force was based at Langford Lodge on the shore of Lough Neagh, with airbases across the province, including at Toome, Greencastle near Kilkeel, and Maghabery. Londonderry served as naval headquarters and was the main U.S. communications base in Europe during the war as well as being the largest convoy escort base in the U.K. Finally, the army was stationed all over Northern Ireland, often in rural areas. The arrival of these troops was code-named Operation MAGNET.