Recalling 'American days' on Cork's Bere Island 

Over the years Bere Island has witnessed many incursions and invasions by foreign forces – from the vikings in the early 800s to an attempted French invasion of Bantry Bay in 1796 which led to a 300-year presence by the British military.

However, it is perhaps the presence of the US Navy on the island during World War One that is more fondly recalled by islanders in the history books.

Following the attempted invasion of Bantry Bay in 1796 by a French Armada, and realising the strategic location of Bere Island as an entry point to Ireland and eventually England for foreign invading forces, the British built four Martello Towers on Bere Island, two of which still remain.

In 1898 the British War Department issued a compulsory purchase order for the eastern end of the island and built extensive fortifications, including seven gun batteries. The primary aim of the gun batteries was to protect the British fleet which lay at anchor in Berehaven Harbour in between patrols.

Not long after the fortifications were completed the first world war broke out in Europe, a war which introduced a new weapon to warfare – the submarine.

In 1917, Germany began a campaign of submarine warfare around Britain and Ireland which resulted in numerous allied shipping losses and threatened food supplies.

This led to the United States dispatching a number of warships to the Royal Naval base in Queenstown, Co Cork, now known as Cobh.

The American flotilla arrived into Cork on May 4, 1917, and when the US Navy commander met with his Royal Navy counterpart and was asked how long the Americans would need to prepare their vessels for patrol operations, the US commander replied, ‘we are ready now sir’, a phrase which would become enshrined in US Navy folklore.

Whilst most of the US warships were based in Cobh, a number were also dispatched to Bantry Bay to join the British fleet at their anchorage in Berehaven.

When the Americans entered the war in 1917, it also necessitated the transport of huge numbers of troops and equipment to Europe to avoid attack by German U-boats.

It was decided to transport the men and equipment by seaplane.

Four seaplane bases were built in Ireland, including one at Whiddy island in Bantry Bay, and with the already strong US and British naval presence in the bay, the seaplane base had added protection.

The US Navy based the USS Oklahoma, USS Utah and USS Nevada in Berehaven, along with eleven submarines.

These three ships would later be sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941.

The Utah was the first to arrive in Berehaven, on September 10, 1917, under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas J Rodgers and would remain there until Armistice Day on November 11, 1918. With her sister ships, the Oklahoma and Nevada, they patrolled the seas around the south of Ireland, as far east as England, France and Spain.

The three ships provided protection to the allied convoys approaching north-west Europe.

Joining the warships and submarines were the USS Amabala, a tanker supply ship, and the USS Bushnell, a submarine tender.

Each of the US warships had a crew of 1,000 men, and with the anchorage already full of British warships, the local population was increased by staggering levels.

A journalist with the Cork County Eagle and Munster Advertiser wrote “the fleet drop anchor and the population is increased by 13,000 men.”

Locals joked that you could walk to the mainland simply by stepping from ship to ship.

However, tensions between the two navies during shore leave on Bere Island resulted in each country being given separate days for leave.

With large numbers of islanders emigrating to the USA over the years, the island population had a particular affection for America and its navy, and looked forward to the days they would come ashore, calling them the ‘American days.’

Having been cooped up on a ship for lengthy periods, the Americans welcomed shore leave and enjoyed the opportunity to explore the island, as well as calling to the village post office to send mail home, and meet with the islanders. One occasion when a number of US sailors were waiting for launches back to the ships, they inscribed their names on a roadside stone wall, which can still be seen today.

The British Admiralty had extensive recreational facilities on Bere Island for their own personnel which included grounds containing a cricket pitch, running track, hockey pitch and football pitch.

A baseball diamond was also marked out in the grounds for the Americans. Each ship had their own team and they held regular tournaments amongst the crews.

The American military had a big tradition of mascots and many US ships kept a pet onboard as a mascot. A group of US sailors are pictured in baseball attire in Rerrin village with a pet monkey.

However, the antics of the mascot from the USS Utah and how he caused havoc amongst the livestock of Beara even received coverage in US media.

An article from the Indianapolis Star from July 1917 told the story of a fox terrier named Dixie who was both mascot and chief rat catcher on the Utah.

“This sea-going dog caused its shipmates their first worry when he went ashore in Castletown, Bantry Bay, Ireland where the Utah had its base. He nearly killed a prize sky terrier belonging to an English officer five minutes after he set foot on Irish soil, to say nothing of engaging in several dozen fights in the next few days. Then the authorities received complaints about a black and white terrier usually seen in the company of American sailors, who had an aversion to Irish sheep, calves, pigs and other livestock.”

Dixie was eventually banned from coming ashore. However, the Indianapolis Star also noted that Dixie held the record for being the only one of the Utah crew to ascend Hungry Hill (the highest peak in the area) twice in one day.

When the last of the American warships left Berehaven in 1918, it would be over 100 years before a US warship returned.

In 2003 the USS The Sullivans anchored in Berehaven, with her crew coming ashore for a welcome event on the island, causing one islander to fondly declare, “the American Days are here again.”

This article originally appeared in the 2024 Holly Bough.