Richard Doherty (military historian)

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Richard Doherty is a military historian and author from Derry and educated at St. Columb's College, who has authored more than a dozen books about British and Irish military history ranging from the Williamite wars through to World War II.

Doherty gives Eamon de Valera some credit for favouring Britain over Germany during the Second World War behind the scenes, in particular by interning downed German soldiers, while surreptitiously allowing Allied soldiers to cross the border back into Northern Ireland, which, as a part of the United Kingdom, was actively prosecuting the war effort. He also provides larger numbers of Irish volunteers to the British armed forces for the war than are usually cited.

Doherty's father, J.J. Doherty, although a Catholic from County Tyrone (where there is little pro-British sentiment amongst the nationalist majority) served during World War II, as did several uncles. His father died of wounds suffered during the war. His mother, Anna Coyle, originally came from a nationalist/republican background.

Richard Doherty himself lived in danger for almost 30 years, given that he was a Royal Ulster Constabulary reservist and a staunch Unionist, because of his residence in Derry, a "hot spot" during the Troubles.

Works (in alphabetical order):

1. A Noble Crusade: The History of Eighth Army, 1941 to 1945 (ISBN 1885119631)
2. Clear the Way!: A History of the 38th (ISBN 0716525429) -paperback
3. Irish Generals in the British Army in the Second World War (ISBN 0862813956)
4. Irish Men and Women in the Second World War (ISBN 1851824413)
5. Irish Volunteers in the Second World War (ISBN 1851825231)
6. Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross by Doherty & David Truesdale (ISBN 1851824421)
7. None Bolder: The History of the 51st (Highland) Division in the Second World War (ISBN 1862273170)
8. Only the Enemy in Front (Every Other Beggar Behind): The Recce Corps at War, 1940-1946 (ISBN 1871085187)
9. Sound of History: El Alamein - 1942 (ISBN 186227164X)
10. The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II (ISBN 9781846031229/ISBN 1846031222)
11. The North Irish Horse: A Hundred Years of Service (ISBN 1862271909)
12. The Thin Green Line: A History Of The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC 1922-2001 (ISBN 1844150585)
13. The Siege of Derry: A Military History (ISBN 1846820154)
14. The Williamite War in Ireland 1688-1691 (ISBN 1851823751)

[edit] Links

• Works/ISBN numbers of Doherty's works
• Doherty's works
• Biodata on Doherty

Richard Doherty a gentleman, who spent most of his working life as a Road Safety Education Officer serving the Western Education & Library Board area though attached to the DoE (NI). Richard was elected to the UK Chairmanship of the Institute of Road Safety Officers, altho the Department to whom he worked did not fully recognise the contribution that the Institute, and Richard in particular made to Road Safety in Northern Ireland. Many young people to-day should be thankful to the work by Richard and his colleagues in the DoE (NI) R S Branch.