An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 21 gratitude. The biggest local newspaper in Katowice (one of the major cities of the region) quotes: "Greetings! Welcome! We will never forget your liberation of Poland. Long live the allied states! ... Upper Silesian people! Rejoice and be proud ... remember at the same time that there is still a great fight ahead of us that we have to fight ourselves." While the local German population became sceptical, Poles assisted the new peacekeepers as their own. While the first British peacekeeping contingent entered the Upper Silesia in early March 1921, the 1st Royal Irish Regiment arrived in May of the same year and remained stationed in Tarnowskie Gory until July 1922. The second tour of troops was much more significant in strength, including the Leinster Regiment, Connaught Rangers and Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, backed up by two artillery batteries and even a tank regiment. All the units came with their full logistics departments, which included an advanced medical post, and motor transport company. This was mainly caused by the start of the Third Silesian Uprising and an increased hostilities between German and Polish population. The two Infantry Brigades contained three Irish Battalions serving as a part of the Royal Irish Regiment, the Connaught Rangers and the Leinster Regiment. The main goal of the British Command was to keep the Irish soldiers as far away as possible from the War of Independence back as home and many Irish Citizens serving within the English forces shared a similar fate, being sent far away from Ireland. When the decision was made to reinforce the peacekeeping force in 1921, two more Irish Battalions from Royal Munster and Inniskilling Fusiliers were dispatched to the region. Soon after the Constitution of the Irish State was set in place, all Irish soldiers were sent back home, replaced by the British troops. During the short stay of the contingent, as many as 41 British died in Silesia including 11 Irish, mainly of sickness, however one particular incident comes to light. As far as records go, backed by an article in "The Cologne Post" (British Army newspaper for the troops stationed in Rhineland) dated 19 February 1922, four Irish soldiers died and a fifth was seriously wounded, when another Irishman opened fire on them in an unprovoked attack. Below is an extract of the original article: "The tragedy in the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish now in Upper Silesia, took place on Saturday 11st inst. About 8.15 hours, a Private soldier suddenly went mad and shot two Privates in his own barrack room, and then proceeded to the Company Dining Hall where he shot dead two more Privates. Later on he shot at and dangerously wounded a Corporal of another company. Twelve shots were fired altogether and several men had miraculous escapes. Fortunately there were very few men about at the time or the result might have been even more terrible. After shooting the Corporal, the madman put down his rifle and gave himself up to the commander of the guard. There was no question of ill - feeling against any particular individual, as letters which he left behind prove that he was merely a homicidal lunatic." While the article gives detail, it fails to name the "crazed soldier" however thanks to correspondence from 1930, between Opole City Hall and the British Ministry of War, concerning the maintenance and upkeep of the graves, researchers were able to identify all four fallen soldiers, by sharing the common date of death (11 February 1922) and the same unit. The fallen Irishmen were: Private Michael Foran (Army No. 7111257) born in the village of Carrickbeg, County Tipperary, Ireland, probably in 1903. A farmer by trade, he took his military oath on 2 November 1920 in the town of Clonmel. His mother Kate Foran lived at Mothel Road, Carrick-on-Suir. Private James Keating (No. 7110968) was born in the town of Swords, near Dublin, probably in 1897. He was a labourer by trade. During World War I, he fought in France, where he was wounded on 22 March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. James' father, Damhnaic Keating, was domiciled in the Dublin suburb of Mulhuddart. Private Martin Murphy (No. 7110952), who came from Wexford, Ireland, was most likely born in 1901. He was a son of Thomas Murphy of Green Street, Wexford. He had worked as a labourer until he took his military oath on 5 January 1920 in his home town. Lance Corporal Patrick Shally (No. 7109064), the eldest of the four, was born in 1886 in the village of Kilbride, County Roscommon, Ireland. A farmer by occupation, he was sworn in on 22 February 1905 in Chester, England, at the age of 19. He fought on the Macedonian Front during the First World War and was wounded on 30 April 1918. Sadly, the Imperial War Graves Commission (since 1960 named the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) does not recognise any of the graves left behind in Poland. According to its policies, only 11 soldiers qualified as casualties of war and their bodies were exhumated and buried again in the CWGC cemetery in Stahnsdorf, near Berlin. The remaining 30 soldiers, including fallen Irish citizens were left behind, without proper care or funds to maintain their plots. After World War II, the socialist government of Poland had no interest in commemorating foreign soldier's graves under its jurisdiction. Throughout the years, their graves became forgotten and destroyed by the elements. Their current exact location of the burial plots of individual soldiers is not known; however, it is thanks to people like Mr. Mariusz Gasior, we can learn more about their time in Poland and their final resting place. Mr. Gasior, a local historian and researcher, is not only taking care of the burial site of both British and Irish citizens, but also ensures that their names won't be forgotten. Mr. Gasior wrote a full research paper on the British soldiers stationed in Silesia region, and works relentlessly not only to preserve their memory but he also actively campaigns to have the graves officially recognised, both by the Polish and British authority. As per the Irish Citizens, buried so far away from home, just recently Mr. Gasior founded a commemorative plaque and organised a remembrance event, attended by members of a local historical recreation groups and a Scottish pipe band.

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