The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (redcoat) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:56:28 PST

A simple message, yet even now it reaches across the years and grabs you.

Steve

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:42:20 PST

Cecil Guthrie was killed on November 28th 1920. Captured and executed by the local IRA, his body was secretly buried and the location of his remains kept from his widow for years afterwards.

On the 27th January 1921 this poignant message was placed in the Irish papers -

(Cecil - Little Dorothy arrived safely - Irene)

His heartbroken widow Irene was never to get over the loss of her husband.

with grateful thanks to the family for this personal and emotive reminder

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:14:15 PST

(And on a footnote to the Kilmichael Ambush, detailed research published on the Great War Form has revealed that Lt Frederick Henry Forde, the only survivor of the ambushed party, made a more or less complete recovery, and was able to give his account of the event).

Yes I saw that Stanley. But David Grant fails to give due credit to Kilfton Snow whose work uncovered this fact and was published on this site last September. Whether or not Forde gave the account is a matter of debate, but the Macroom doctors medical evidence, taken the day after the ambush, corroborate many aspects of it.

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Stanley C Jenkins) — Sat, 14 May 2011 19:58:08 PST

I seem to remember asking this question before, possibly on another forum, and have recently posed the question again on the Great War Forum, but there does not seem to have been a firm answer. Briefly, what happened to the 'Black & Tan' Memorial Tablet in Macroom Parish Church after the building ceased to be used for worship by the Church of Ireland? One suggestion is that it might have gone to one or other of the police museums? I think the building itself is now used as a community centre. (And on a footnote to the Kilmichael Ambush, detailed research published on the Great War Form has revealed that Lt Frederick Henry Forde, the only survivor of the ambushed party, made a more or less complete recovery, and was able to give his account of the event).

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:24:14 PST

The Great War medals awarded to Cecil Guthrie and his wife, Irene Peach (later Guthrie).

British War and Victory Medals - Lieut. C. J. Guthrie R.A.F.

British War Medal, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve Medal (also known as a Cape Badge) - S. Nurse. I. Peach.
Irene has two Medal Index Cards, one in the name of Peach, and one as Guthrie.

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:54:26 PST

The following information was received by me from a relative of Cadet Guthrie:

"The flowers were placed by Cecil Guthrie's only surviving nephew who visited Inchigeelagh with his wife in 2008. Cecil was the driver of the second Crossley Carrier at the Kilmichael ambush on 28/11/1920. He was the only survivior. Although injured he walked over five miles in an attempt to return to the barracks at Macroom but was captured.

He was held captive for two days and then murdered and buried secretely in a a bog at Annahala. Through the efforts of his father and wife Irene his body was -much later- recovered and buried in the churchyard at Inchigeelagh.

He was twenty-one (not 28) when he died as he had falsified his age when volunteering for the Great War where he became the youngest flying instructor in the RFC at the age of eighteen.

His wife Irene was a nurse in Afghanistan when she met Cecil who at the time was serving with the RFC in Afghanistan. Irene...

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:45:50 PST

This brass memorial was erected in the Church of Ireland in Macroom, raised by subscription from members of J and C companies of the Auxiliary Division.

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:26:19 PST

This short video is from a series by RTE. A very good account with interviews of some of the participants including Tom Barry.

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:59:26 PST

(with thanks to Dean Hill)

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 01 May 2010 22:34:05 PST

William Andre Pallister was 26 years old and had joined the army as a private soldier during the Great War. Commissioned to Lieutenant in the West Yorks Regiment, he accepted a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and was made Captain, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry.

Originally from Lincoln, he married Annie 'Nancy' Brookes on April 28th 1920 and lived with his wife and her parents in Sheffield. He enlisted with the Auxiliary Division on 21 October 1920, presumably for financial reasons, and left for Ireland just 3 days before his daughter was born. He was never to see his child, as just 5 weeks later he was to die in "...Kilmichael's bloody fight".

His remains were brought back to his wife's parents house in Sheffield on December 6th 1920; and from there taken to St Cuthbert's Church where he and Nancy had been married just 7 months...

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:15:10 PST

I presume you mean Henry Oliver Pearson? Abbott has him as Horace Pearson, and a native of Co. Armagh. I don't know the source of that info but his name was Henry Oliver, and he was born in Devon. Not sure of his final resting place but he was one of the men brought back to England.

There are two other Temporary Cadets buried in Ireland. There may be other temporary Constables attached to the Auxiliary Division whose graves are in Ireland (viz Redmond, mentioned elsewhere in this forum) but I have no details on them.

Lt Col Smyth was not in the Auxiliaries, but was a Divisional Commissioner in the RIC (although some dispute this and claim he was never officially in the police). His brother Major Smyth was still a serving officer when killed, and likewise wasn't in the Auxies. As you've noted, both are buried in Banbridge.

Re: The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Stanley C Jenkins) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:14:46 PST

It is often said that Cecil Guthrie was the only Auxiliary to have been buried in Ireland - but what about one of the other Kilmichael victims who came from County Armagh? There must be several others, including Captain Smyth, who was given a hero's funeral in his native Banbridge.

The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@yuku.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:51:41 PST

On the 28th November 1920 a patrol of 17 Auxiliary police and one temporary Constable was ambushed at Kilmichael, not far from Macroom in County Cork. By that evening 16 were lying dead in the road, one was in a coma and the remaining survivor was being interrogated by the IRA.
The Macroom Ambush, as it was called, caused a sensation at the time. It was the greatest loss of life suffered by Crown Forces in 1919-1921, and was to be surpassed only by the murder of 18 British paratroopers in an explosion at Warrenpoint, County Down in September 1979.

A useful synposis of the ambush and events can be found in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmichael_Ambush

Of the two Cadets survived the initial ambush one (Frederick Henry Forde) was badly brain-damaged and was never...