I have recently been reading transcripts of British House of Commons parliamentary debates for the period 1919-1921 in search of information relating to the Irish War for Independence and came across the following:

On 12 May, 1921, the Member of Parliament A.E.Newbould asked how many Irish prisoners had been killed or wounded by the forces of the Crown while attempting to escape from custody since 1st January, 1920. The Attorney General for Ireland, D. S. Henry, stated that 48 prisoners had been killed and 8 had been wounded!

During the recently ended Great War, history's first mechanised conflict when rifles, machine-guns and artillery spewed death on an unimaginably barbaric scale, roughly 3 soldiers were wounded for every 1 soldier killed. Yet in Ireland, 1 prisoner was wounded for every 6 prisoners shot dead "while attempting to escape." British marksmanship must have dramatically improved since the Great War ended.

Murder by any other name is still murder!

More on the Irish War of Independence

Irish Rebel Maurice Meade: May You Live in Interesting Times

"The Blacksmith" Hammers the Auxies at Clonfin, Longford

Dillon’s Cross Ambush and the Burning of Cork City

Corkmen Capture Mallow Barracks

Ballymahon Barracks Attack: Arming the Boys of Longford

The Listowel Mutiny: “Shoot on Sight”

The Ballymacandy Ambush: "I would not turn off my road for any Shin...

Seán Treacy at War: Tipperary 'Far Away'

“Paddy” O’Brien and the Rathcoole ambush: Vengeance Is “Mine”

The Scramogue Ambush: Roscommon Steps Up

The 1st Brigade Cork Volunteers and the Coolnacahera Ambush

Michael Brennan and the East Clare Brigade at the Glenwood Ambush

100 Years Ago: The Piltown Ambush (1 November 1920)

Liam Lynch, Civil War Martyr: “It never should have happened”

Tipperary’s Dan Breen: The Hardest Hard Man.”

'Greyhound on Train': Rescuing Seán Hogan at Knocklong

The Clonbanin Ambush: “To Hell With Surrender!”

George Lennon: Waterford Rebel

George Lennon & the Piltown Ambush

The Kilmallock Barracks Attack: Burning Down the House in Limerick

The Tureengarriffe Ambush: Cork & Kerry Strike a Blow

The Tourmakeady Ambush: Shrouded By the “Fog of War” in Mayo

The Headford Ambush: Time Runs Out in Kerry

Cataclysm in Cork: The Battle of Clonmult

“The Scourge of Tralee”: Stalking the “The Major”

The Dromkeen Ambush: Down Into the Mire in County Limerick

The Rineen Ambush: Hell Comes to County Clare

The Carrowkennedy Ambush, June 2, 1921: Revenge is a Dish Best Serv...

Tom Barry: 'We May Have Great Men, But We’ll Never Have Better'

The Battle of Crossbarry: ... 'Who Piped Old Ireland Free'

The Kilmeena Ambush, May 19, 1921: Seeds of Victory in a Defeat

'Nigh Comeragh's Rugged Hills': Ambush at The Burgery

The R.I.C. In An Untenable Position, Part 1: Trauma at The Burgery

The Lispole Ambush -- Averting Disaster on the Dingle Peninsula

Patrick White: A Clareman's Tragic Death on Spike Island

'And To Watch the Sunbeams Dancing O’er the Wicklow Mountains High'

Always Remember ~ Cumann na mBan

War of Independence -- How the Nuns of Kylemore Saved My Father's Life

Terence MacSwiney: Irish Martyr

Walking to Work Through a Battle Zone

Review of 'Emmet Dalton - Somme Soldier, Irish General, Film Pionee...

Ballinalee, County Longford: The Village of Generals

The Anglo-Irish Treaty: Seed of 'The Troubles'

Shot While Attempting To Escape

Easter Rising to Irish Civil War Archive Available Online

Michael Collins: Saga of Heroism Against Daunting Odds

A Short History of Michael Collins, Ireland's 'Big Fellow'

Great Irish Romances: Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan

Kitty and Michael: a revolutionary courtship

The Tan Who Was Hanged By His Own Side

Liam Lynch: Victim of the Irish Civil War

1916 and the Rebels' Priests

After The Rising … 'Fron-goch and the Birth of the IRA'

Ernie O'Malley: Mayo-Born Freedom Fighter and Writer

The Wild Geese Virtual Síbín with Cormac O'Malley

Evidence Abounds: British Leaders OK'd Mayhem

The Price of Freedom

The West Cork Trail: Scenes From the Anglo-Irish and Civil Wars, 19...

How I Learned That Grandad Executed Erskine Childers

Leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising: Éamon de Valera

Erskine Childers: Author, Irish Gunrunner, Churchill's Bête Noire

The Scum of England, or Ordinary Men? A Review of DJ Kelly's 'Runni...

The Forgotten Ten:

Views: 518

Tags: Irish Freedom Struggle, Irish War of Independence, War

Comment by Andy Newbould on November 30, 2023 at 4:00am

The AE Newbould who asked this question was my grandfather. He was a liberal MP for a brief period from 1919

Comment by The Wild Geese on November 30, 2023 at 10:42pm

Fascinating, Andy! What more can you share about your grandfather, particularly in the context of Anglo-Irish relations?

Comment by Kieron Punch on December 1, 2023 at 4:09am

That's very interesting, Andy. Thanks for providing that additional information!

Comment

You need to be a member of The Wild Geese to add comments!

Join The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese Shop

Get your Wild Geese merch here ... shirts, hats, sweatshirts, mugs, and more at The Wild Geese Shop.

Irish Heritage Partnership

ZenBusiness:
Start a Business Today!

Adobe Express:
What will you create today?


Adverts

Extend your reach with The Wild Geese Irish Heritage Partnership.

Congrats to Our Winners

© 2024   Created by Gerry Regan.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service