The soldiers who made a brave stand for Ireland
THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS MUTINY IN INDIA: THE TWO DROGHEDA MEN WHO TOOK A STAND AGAINST ATROCITIES BEING CARRIED OUT IN IRELAND BY THE BLACK & TANS IN JULY 1920. LOCAL COMMUNITY HISTORIAN, BRENDAN MATTHEWS, REPORTS
ON June 28th 1920, Soldiers of the Connaught Rangers, an Irish Infantry Regiment of the British Army, delivered the following Order to their British Army Commanding Officers within their Military Base stationed at Jalandhar, India, near the border with Pakistan.
“We bring to your notice the recent trouble committed by British troops in Ireland. The Connaught Rangers are determined to stand by Sinn Féin. Our indignation will be shown by action and not by words. We cannot, as Irishmen, stand by and see our relations murdered. We demand the withdrawal of the military in Ireland until our orders are complied with.”
The soldiers of the Connaught Rangers at the Base had been receiving letters from family and friends back in Ireland telling of the Atrocities that was being carried out on the civilian population by Crown Forces stationed in Ireland and in particular, the beatings, shootings and lootings that had been conducted by the dreaded Black & Tans and the introduction of Martial Law. So, on June 28th 1920, a Company of the Connaught Rangers, under the leadership of a Co. Clare native, Joe Hawes, laid down their arms and refused to `Soldier` as a protest against what they regarded as the oppression of their friends in Ireland.
The Company, numbering over 200, deposited their Arms & Ammunition in the Barracks under the charge of a couple of Guards and expressing regret to their superior Officers, they were willing to hand over the weapons to relieving British Army Troops as a means of a peaceful protest. Many members of the Connaught Rangers also wore, made-up, Sinn Fein badges and rosettes during the protest, along with displaying Sinn Feinn flags and on removing the Union Flag over their quarters, they replaced it with that of the Irish Tricolour; aptly renaming their Quarters `Liberty-Hall`.
This particular mutiny lasted for less than three days before those responsible were rounded up, arrested and subsequently charged with mutinous behaviour.
Meanwhile, two of the mutineers from Jalandhar had, on June 30th travelled to another British Army Barracks, at Solon, situated in the lower ranges of the Himalayas and had spread the word of their mutiny to another Company of the Connaught Rangers before they were promptly arrested.
However, the `seed` had now been planted at Solon and on July 1st 1920, led by a 21-year-old Private James Joseph Daly of Tyrellspass, Co. Westmeath, the Company of the Connaught Rangers at this Barracks decided that they too would raise a similar mutiny and organised a strong contingent of fellow Irish mutineers, including two men from Drogheda.
The soldiers, under Daly, then marched to their Commanding Officer`s Bungalow within the Barracks at Solon and repeated the demands delivered at Jalandhar that the British Military Forces should leave Ireland as a result of atrocities being carried out there. As at Jalandhar, the Company of the Connaught Rangers at Solon under the command of James Joseph Daly, hoisted the Irish Tricolour, displayed Sinn Fein flags, sang Irish Rebel songs and wore badges and rosettes and also renamed their Quarter/ Billet `Liberty-Hall`.
However, unlike the peaceful protest that had taken place at Jalandhar some days beforehand, a large number of Comrades, around 30 in number, joined with Daly and just before 10pm on Thursday July 1st 1920, armed with `naked-bayonets` they made an attack on the Magazine at Solon where the arms & ammunition was stored.
Standing proud on that faithful evening alongside Private James Joseph Daly and their fellow Connaught Rangers mutineers were two young Drogheda men, Patrick Smith and James Fallon.
Patrick Smith was 20 years old and had been born in the Cord Road in 1901, the son of James and Anne Smith. His father passed away in December 1901 and the family then moved to nearby Patrick St. His name was, afterwards, often referred to as Smyth and also recorded as Smythe.
James Fallon was a 28 year old man who was born at Patrick Street in September 1892, before his family moved to St. Mary`s Cottages. He was the son of Michael and Bridget Fallon, who later moved to Francis Street.
As James Joseph Daly and his Comrades advanced toward the Magazine, a couple of warning shots were fired over their heads in order to deter
them from getting near the armoury.
However, despite this, Daly and his men continued and the Soldiers guarding the Magazine then opened fire on the approaching mutineers resulting in the young Drogheda man, Private Patrick Smith, being fatally wounded with a bullet to his forehead, while another Connaught Ranger, Comrade, Peter Sears, from Co. Mayo, was also shot dead having received a bullet to the back of his head.
A reinforcement of British Army Officers & Soldiers quickly rounded up the remainder of the mutineers including the second Drogheda mutineer, James Fallon and all were placed under arrest.
An Inquiry into the deaths of both Patrick Smith of Drogheda and Peter Sears of Mayo was conducted on July 18th 1920 at the Barracks at Solon.
The Enquiry concluded that: `Death was instantaneous with both Smith and Sears and that the shooting dead of both of these soldiers was justified on account of their mutinous behaviour in attacking the Barrack Magazine on July 1st 1920 with naked bayonets and in refusing to halt when challenged`.
In the aftermath of the killings at Solon, it was also widely believed that the young Mayo man, Private Peter Sears was not involved in the mutiny but was returning to his billet at the time of the attack and was hit by a stray bullet. This suggestion may also be substantiated by the fact that Private Sears, according to the Army Medical Officer`s report to the Enquiry, `was shot in the right occipital region`, which is an area at the lower right-hand-side of the back of his head!
A third mutineer was later to die from gunshot wounds received during the attack. He was John Miranda from Liverpool who had an Irish mother.
Following a Court-Marshal Hearing, Private James Joseph Daly was executed at 6am at Solon on November 2nd 1920 for his part in orchestrating the attack on the Magazine depot at Solon; he was 22-years-old. Private Daly was the only member of the mutineers to be executed and he was also the last member of the British Armed Forces to be executed for mutiny. The bodies of Private Smith and Peter Sears were buried at Solon.
In the aftermath of the events at both Jalandhar and Solon, around 70 mutinous Connaught Rangers were placed on trial; a number of which were given the Death Sentence but which was later commuted to various terms of imprisonment. The second Drogheda man that took part in the mutiny, Private James Fallon, received a sentence of two years.
In 1936, after a long Dail Eireann Debate, which initially began in 1930, the Connaught Rangers (Pensions) Act was passed. It provided for the payment of pensions, allowances and gratuities in respect of certain former members of the 1st Battalion of the Company and this, in effect, was to give the mutineers parity of esteem with the veterans of the Irish War of Independence.
On June 26th 1949, the Irish National Graves Association erected a memorial to the mutineers of the Connaught Rangers at Glasnevin Cemetery, while in November of that same year, Private James Fallon, who had subsequently returned to Drogheda after his release, passed away and was laid to rest in St. Peter`s Cemetery in Drogheda.
In 1970, the National Graves Association finally received permission to take home the remains of James Joseph Daly, Patrick Smith and Peter Sears. The bodies were repatriated and a Memorial Service was held on the afternoon of Friday October 30th October 1970 at 4pm when the plane carrying the bodies of the men touched down at Dublin Airport.
The following morning, Saturday October 31st 1970 (Halloween), a Full Funeral Mass was held and in attendance at this particular service was Patrick Smith`s nephew Thomas Powderly and his niece Theresa Lee, both of the Windmill Road in Drogheda.
Patrick Smith`s older sister, Margaret Powderly, nee Smith, who was now in her late 80`s, unfortunately could not attend the repatriation of her brother`s remains to Glasnevin. Margaret was to pass away some two years later in 1972.
Also in attendance at the repatriation on that faithful Saturday in 1970 was the then Mayor of Drogheda, Councillor Eugene Hughes and another Drogheda man, Mr. Larry Grogan, who was a member of the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle. The Funeral Mass Service was held at Adam & Eve`s Church at Merchants Quay in Dublin, celebrated by Fr. Antonine Kelly O.F.M., after which the coffins, draped in the Irish Tricolour, were carried from the Church by members of the National Graves Association.
The funeral cortege was then led to Glasnevin Cemetery by the Irish Transport & General Workers Union Brass & Reed Band. The President & Taoiseach were both represented at the Ceremony.
The remains of James Joseph Daly were taken back to the family burial-plot at Tyrellspass Co. Westmeath for burial on Sunday November 1st 1970.
In Remembrance of the Drogheda natives, James Fallon who, although was stationed within a British Army Barracks more than seven-thousand kilometres away from home, took part in the Mutiny in India with the Connaught Rangers in 1920 and to the Gallant Patrick Smith who took a leading stand against the oppression and atrocities being carried out on his fellow-countrymen back home and who bravely gave his life for Ireland at Solon in the Himalayas 100 years-ago this very week.