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British Army communications during War of Independence

  • 21-10-2013 1:29pm
    #1
    jamesdiver
    Registered Users Posts: 372 ✭✭


    Hi,

    Does anyone know any good sources of information on the communications networks that the British Army had in Ireland during the Irish war of Independence? Good books, records, archives, or even someone you may know that specialises in this field will all be welcome,

    thanks,

    James


Comments

  • #2
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    Anecdotal evidence that the GPO was a routing office for some communication and that several 'plants' were there to intercept/read/copy messages. Some were encoded.


  • #3
    Santa Cruz
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Santa Cruz


    pedroeibar1 wrote: »
    Anecdotal evidence that the GPO was a routing office for some communication and that several 'plants' were there to intercept/read/copy messages. Some were encoded.

    From the Volunteer side the GPO was riddled with Collin's agents, messages transported via the railways to Volunteers working in the various railway stations. A number of telephonist staff were also working with local Volunteers and intercepted telephone messages between the various British army barracks.
    There were of course pro British staff working in these areas too who identified Sinn Fein and IRA supporters


  • #4
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    During the WoI both sides stopped trains and mail vans to obtain mail as part of their intel gathering operations e.g.

    http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1015.pdf#page=3

    The RAF were used as an alternate means of delivering mail to British outposts. There is a widely circulated photo of an RAF aircraft from No 2 Squadron which crashed onto a house in Waterford while delivering mail to the barracks there :

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/5730990316/

    In some instances, the BA would put down panel/ground markers for the RAF to drop the mail onto. One instance of the IRA putting down decoy markers to obtain the mail from an RAF aircraft :

    http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1455.pdf#page=11


  • #5
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    Read somewhere that one British army company were so isolated that they got messages by carrier pigeon.

    Assume they may have had 'runners' on bicycle or motorcycle? Imagine that would be far too risky getting held up and/or picked off in some parts of the country.

    I'd say if you contacted the Imperial War Museum or if you're in London for a weekend..visit the Public Record Office in Kew they might help.


  • #6
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    one of the last casualties of the WoI was a motor cycle despatch rider, drowned at Bunratty, Co Clare.


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  • #7
    Balaclava1991
    Registered Users Posts: 510 ✭✭✭Balaclava1991


    The Royal Engineers Signal Service of the British Army communicated by wireless radio sets, telegraph, telephone, dispatch riders on motorcycles, mail trains and air mail and if all else failed by carrier pigeon. In each major barracks there was probably a communications hut.
    I presume the IRA listened in to wireless communications, could tap or cut phone or telegraph lines, intercepted dispatch riders, held up trains and I supposed tried to shoot down planes and I would imagine they released falcons to catch pigeons.


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