An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | BRITISH SPECIAL FORCES DURING THE IRISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE BY PAUL O'BRIEN MA D uring the Irish War of Independence, the rank and file of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and Dublin Metropolitan Police bore the brunt of attacks by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). A campaign of intimida- tion and violence against policemen and their families had, in a short period of time, forced many of- ficers to resign from the force. In order to bolster the police in Ireland, the British Government hastily advertised for recruits. The recruit- ment of the Black and Tans, an ancillary force with a mixed uniform of police and military attire, were rapidly de- ployed to augment the dwindling ranks of the police. Their interven- tion did little to stem the death and chaos. In the aftermath of the Great War and the conclusion of the Versailles peace talks in 1919, the British Empire found itself overstretched by ever increasing demands to police its interests in places such as Germany, the Middle East, India and Ireland. The govern- ment was concerned that the unrest in Ireland would have a domino effect and spread to Britain's other colonies. The authorities were unprepared and under equipped to deal with the large number of nationalists demanding indepen- dence, and the possibility of increased numbers of violent and bloody insurgencies that might occur. In Ireland the government depended on the civil administration based in Dublin Castle and the Royal Irish Constabulary to deal with the situation. As the unrest in Ireland intensified, Sir Winston Churchill suggested a Gendarmerie to restore law and order in Ire- land. In July 1920, a new force, a specialist force, that of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC) were raised. These ex-military personnel, all ex-officers, were assigned by Prime Minister Da- vid Lloyd George to do a rough and dangerous mission – to take the fight to the IRA. Special Forces are units which conduct military opera- tions by specially designated, trained and equipped forces, manned with selected person- nel, using unconventional tactics, techniques and modes of employment. Rather than aligning the new force with the army, it was decided to incorporate them into the police, with the new recruits being called Temporary Cadets. It was envisaged that the Auxiliary Division was to be main- tained as an autonomous force and was to be deployed into areas where the IRA was most active, with the mission of find, fix and destroy. The first recruits arrived at the North Wall Dock, Dublin where they were then transferred to Hare Park camp at the Curragh Training Camp in County Kildare. Here they underwent a brief, yet inadequate training course consist- ing of the rudimentary skills of policing. They also received a refresher course in weapons training consisting of firing and bombing practice, for which they pro- vided their own instructors. Beg- gars Bush Bar- racks were later to become their depot headquar- ters. The unit were equipped with up to date weaponry and an array of vehicles Auxiliaries searching civilians on Amiens Street, Dublin. (Michael Curren) Members of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland.

• Cover