Micheal Collins and 'The Squad'.

[capel street man]

Welcome to the site Honour - Guard, you do not say how far you have looked into your grandfathers past, the best and most productive is to apply for a copy of his army file- pre-truce as he is mentioned as being a member of G.H.Q.Intelligence Staff, if he applied for a pension, this again will say when he joined and which Battalion he was a member of, this takes approx 2 years to get a reply but is well worth the wait.
I checked my list of Witness Statements but he does not appear to have made one.
What about medals or old photos, this site is most helpful and there may be other members on it who have come across the name.
Let me know how far you have got.
I can provide details and addresses for you to contact, you have started your quest, stay with it
Good luck
CSM.

[HONOUR-GUARD]

MANY THANKS  Capel Street Man for your prompt reply, I do have some information and photos , but not a huge amount around  that period, he was born 1885 and passed away in 1970. As you know he was working for Collins in GHQ in parkgate during the day and was contributing to chaos at night  along with Martin Hoare,  helping to earn Camden Street ,Thomas street and the surronding areas the name of the Dardenell's to the crown forces.He was also in the Dublin Metropolitan Police and then later as a detective in An Garda Siochana, based in Dublin  Castle. He's mentioned briefly in David Nelligans book The Spy in the Castle. But apart from a few other snipets thats all i have of that period.

[capel street man]

That's good information what you have there, you could start a new post to see if anyone  else can help you.
Have you read the books dealing with the period, they will give you a feel and insight. You could also check out the Witness Statements at the National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin, look at the names I posted in G.H.Q.Intelligence , some of them made W.S. and they might have mentioned your grandfather, they will definitely give you an insight in to what they got up to.
CSM

[capel street man]

Good morning Corisande, I came across a William E. Crewe 79043 "F" Co. Auxiliary Intelligence  Officer and it says he joined the Palestine Police, 7th March, 1922, I notice from your link to the British Agents that some of these had also joined the Palestine Police ( Carew and King ? ), can you tell me any more about Crewe, I have not come across his name before, could he have been on the original list of "35" alleged British Agents ref - Bloody Sunday.
We know Carew was on the list but G.H.Q. Intelligence were not aware he was residing opposite 38 Upper Mount Street. The more I think of it the more I cannot believe how he was missed or not exposed by the landlord / landlady, or the maids/servants. I said on an earlier post that the house must have been one of the safest in Dublin but Carew was involved in the majority of raids and searches in Dublin 1920/21 and he would have been well known to the I.R.A. Intelligence. He must have been the master of disguises and his cover bomb proof and water tight, he must also have been a very clever and brave adversary, I think his part needs further investigation. Is there any way of knowing who owned the house.
CSM

[corisande]

Good Morning from Sunny Spain 

You want to know about Crewe, I am sure you would be surprised if I did not have a page on him on this link here

I would be surprised if he had been on Bloody Sunday list, as he only joined ADRIC on 1 Oct 1920.

The IRA were not aware the Carew was there as he had only moved there literally the day before Bloody Sunday. I still have not got a photo of Carew, other than a tiny shot on a F Coy group photo, which is too small to make him out properly. He was actually shot in the arm by an assassin in a Dame St Cafe,

1921 Feb 3. Severely wounded and gets gratuity of £104 for his wound from the army, plus £1500 from a Civil Court in Ireland for "malicious injury". His army wound gratuity was later increased to the maximum allowed of £250, but he did not get a wound pension. He was sitting in a tea shop in Dame Street in Dublin, when a man approached him and deliberately fired at Carew with an automatic pistol. A friend with Carew, attempted to grapple with the assailant, but the man escaped. Sturgis has the incident in his diary, saying that Carew was meant to be giving evidence at a court -martial the next day (does not say which case) and that that trial had to be postponed. In fact this was Moran's trial for the murders at 38 Upper Mount St opposite Carew's lodgings. The trial, due to start on 4th February, had to be postponed, and it started on 15th February 1921.

[capel street man]

Thanks for that Corisande, I knew you would have something, much appreciated. I never knew Carew had moved the day before, I know Ames and Bennett had moved from Lower Mount Street the day before, can you confirm where the information on Carew has come from ?, I think I have asked you that question before but you were going on holiday.
I have the W.S. no.445 by Colonel James J.Slattery
Member of "F" Co. 2nd Battalion Dublin Brigade 1914-;
Member of "The Squad" 1919 - 1921.
He gives a brief report on the shooting of Ryan and would you know, a page was censored and a name removed in 2003.
He also gives a detailed account of the operation at 22 Lower Mount Street
If you want this information let me know
CSM.

[corisande]

 I am afraid that it comes from a WS which I cannot put my finger on. One of the participants explained in his WS that they did not know it was Carew, because he had just moved in. Had they known then .....

The Paddy Moran Book, "Executed for Ireland", is worth reading if you have not done so - for obvious reasons it concentrates on the murder that Paddy Moran did not do (Mount St) rather than the one that he did (Gresham Hotel)

I would like that stuff you refer to. Do you have my email if you need to email it?

[capel street man]

I will order that book about Moran.
W.S.445 Col. James J. Slattery, page 10 ref -  the shooting of John Ryan quote -
There is a page inserted relating to the National Archives Act 1986, Regulations,1988.
Part (v) of the form - Reasons why the part has been abstracted for retention.
(c) Would or might cause distress or danger to living persons on the ground that they contain information about individuals, or would or might be likely to lead to an action for damages for defamation.
It has been signed by a Colonel J. Maloney, department/office/court, date 7th March 2003.
A name has been removed from the following  paragraphs.
John Ryan was, in one way or another, an agent of the Dublin Castle authorities. As far as I can recollect it was he who was responsible for the arrest of McKee and Clancy. He knew them and he was supposed to have tracked them that night to the place where they slept, somewhere around Gloucester Street.
Early in February, 1921, instructions were given to have Ryan executed. Four or five of us proceeded to the Gloucester Diamond, where it was known Ryan used to frequent.------------ a member of the Intelligence Section. entered the public house there and shot Ryan. Five or six members of the Squad, including myself, acted as covering party for------------ un-quote
Off out for a few pints, will post details of Lower Mount Street tomorrow.
CSM

[corisande]

Thanks, I have added that snippet to my page on Ryan, it does not contradict any of the others, but there again it only mentions himself!

Odd really that there are a number of other WS which have not been edited, so I wonder if he mentioned yet another man who was stated to be the assassin.