Northern Ireland in WW2

• Industry and Agriculture:

  • Companies such as Harland & Wolff and Short Brothers boosted Northern Ireland's industry, as 140 warships, 123 merchant ships and 1600 aircraft were produced between 1939-1945. Unemployment dropped from 20% to 5%.
  • Agriculture benefitted heavily from war, as in 1941, over 17k gallons of milk were being exported daily. Compulsory tillage farming led to an increase of farmland being used for crop growth.
• Belfast Blitz:

  • Due to the amount of industry in Belfast, the Germans targeted it. Defence was not well as the government thought it was far away for the Luftwaffe
  • Belfast was bombed 4 times in April to May of 1941
  • Harland & Wolff and Short Brothers factories were seriously damaged, with 1100 killed and 56k homes destroyed.