The 2nd Division, nicknamed "Spearhead", was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

division in the Irish Army during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The division was one of two infantry divisions established by

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

during the duration of the war. The authorisation for the creation of the division, along with the 1st Division, was granted by

Minister for Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

Oscar Traynor on the 9th of May, 1941 as part of military expansion. The division was initially headquartered at

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, but shortly after at

Carton House Carton House is a country house and surrounding demesne that was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years. Located 23 km west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton Demesne is a 1,1 ...

, Maynooth for the duration of the war; tasked with defending the

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

border.

Origins

Following the declaration of state emergency by the de Valera government in 1939, efforts were made for military expansion. However, there was no grave concern until the

Fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

in 1940, after which the neutral status of Ireland was in peril. Prior to the outbreak of war in December 1937, it was estimated that a force of three divisions would be necessary to defend Ireland in the event of an invasion. However, by September 1939, only two reinforced

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s (gravely understrength) were raised. By early 1941, seven brigades were mobilised — just over 40,000 men. The question of divisions was put forth at the start of 1941, and so the decision to authorise the establishment of two divisions was given by Oscar Traynor, then

on the 9th of May, 1941. Six of the brigades would be organised into two divisions, thus leaving an independent brigade (the 5th) to be subordinated to the Curragh Command.

Organisation

The division was organised as follows: * 2nd Brigade, based in

Cathal Brugha Barracks Cathal Brugha Barracks () is an Irish Army barracks in Rathmines, Dublin. A key military base of the Irish Defence Forces, it is the headquarters of 2 Brigade, and houses the Military Archives of the Department of Defence. History The barra ...

** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 5th Infantry Battalion ** 11th (Dublin) Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Field Artillery Regiment ** 2nd Motor Squadron * 4th Brigade, based in Mullingar ** 6th (Dublin) Infantry Battalion ** 8th (Thomand) Infantry Battalion ** 20th Infantry Battalion ** 4th Field Artillery Regiment ** 4th Motor Squadron * 6th Brigade, based in Collins Barracks, Dublin ** 7th (Dublin) Infantry Battalion ** 18th Infantry Battalion ** 22nd Infantry Battalion ** 6th Field Artillery Regiment ** 6th Motor Squadron Hugo McNeill, head and shoulders portrait (27183558122)

Hugo McNeill, head and shoulders portrait (27183558122)

Each brigade also consisted of field companies of engineers, signals, supply & transport; a field medical company; and military police. In addition to these units, the division was given two Armoured Squadrons (which serviced armoured cars and light tanks) as well as several cyclist squadrons (for anti-paratrooper operations).

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Hugo MacNeill, then Assistant Chief of Staff of the Army, was appointed command of the division. Experienced with training from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and head of the Temporary Plans Division, MacNeill was regarded as a "forward-thinker". Being from

, MacNeill was ardently anti-British and, in the 1930s, was among other army leaders in calls for a war with Britain - and even approached German intelligence on several occasions.

References

{{Reflist Irish Army Ireland in World War II Divisions of the Republic of Ireland