Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2022/11/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It originally belonged to my grandmother, Peter, but was given to my? mother at some stage probably after my gran died in 1975. I was busy being a young man about town in those days so had little interest in it. I do remember seeing it at some stage in the late 50s or early 60s, but they all kept very quiet or didn't know about his post army activities prior to the founding of the state. I did know that that my granduncle Sean Connolly - a captain in the Irish Citizen Army - commanded a group that took over Dublin City Hall, and was the first rebel shot in the 1916 Rising. He also acted in the Abbey Theatre alongside Barry Fitzgerald, but died on a grander stage when shot by a sniper hiding in Dublin Castle which was close to the City Hall. Yeats wrote a poem called Three Songs to the One Burden which featured him as "the player Connolly" in one of its sections. Here it is. Come gather round me, players all: Come praise Nineteen-Sixteen, Those from the pit and gallery Or from the painted scene That fought in the Post Office Or round the City Hall, praise every man that came again, Praise every man that fell. From mountain to mountain ride the fierce horsemen. Who was the first man shot that day? The player Connolly, Close to the City Hall he died; Carriage and voice had he; He lacked those years that go with skill, But later might have been A famous, a brilliant figure Before the painted scene. From mountain to mountain ride the fierce horsemen. Some had no thought of victory But had gone out to die That Ireland's mind be greater, Her heart mount up on high; And yet who knows what's yet to come? For Patrick Pearse had said That in every generation Must Ireland's blood be shed. From mountain to mountain ride the fierce horsemen. If you're familiar with Irish history, I had another grand uncle Patrick Swanzy who helped burn down the Custom House during the War of Independence - death and destruction run in the family... No wonder it wasn't discussed lest myself and my brothers displayed similar tendencies. Douglas On 20/11/2022 22:33, Peter Dzwig wrote: > Fascinating Story, Where did the photo come from? > > Peter > > On 20/11/2022 18:37, Douglas Barry wrote: >> My grandfather Tom Casserly, a sapper in the British Army's Royal >> Engineers, is shown? hospitalised on the island of Malta in 1917. He >> was fighting in Greece in the 8th Wireless Section in Salonika when >> he got infected with dysentery and had to be shipped to Malta which >> was known as "The Nurse of the Mediterranean" during WW1. Casualties >> from the campaigns in Salonika and Gallipoli flooded the numerous >> hospitals specially set up there. Photographer and camera unknown, >> but at a wild guess, based on images with similar backgrounds, it was >> taken at St. Georges Hospital near Valletta. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/TFC+Hospital+Malta+1917+b.jpg.html >> >> >> >> Can be seen larger >> >> I intend to tidy this up a bit, but the image print has been a bit >> battered over the last 100 or so years, and is also quite small at 9 >> x 10.25 cm, so it will be a challenge. However, I've just brought >> down my old Epson Perfection 3200 Photo scanner from the attic as >> wrinkled and ragged photos need a scanner, rather than a camera and >> stand setup, and this is the first shot I've scanned. I've loads more >> of these as we were never allowed to hear any family history other >> than generalities, let alone see photos. Remember, In the last 110 >> years, Ireland has seen some very fractious events - the 1916 Easter >> Rising, the War of Independence, the Treaty and division into north >> and south. the Civil War, the euphemistic "Emergency" (WW2 to >> everyone else) and many more culminating in the "Troubles".? It turns >> out my grandfather who died in 1953 at the age of 57 while still >> working as Chief Superindentent and head of the Crimes Unit in the >> Irish police force - the Garda Siochana - was involved in a lot of >> these events. All connections with armed resistance >> >> Tom also contracted malaria out there in Salonika, and much later got >> TB which ultimately killed him. That said he did return to Ireland, >> and, as he had been a radio operator which was cutting edge tech at >> the time, he got a job with the Department of Post and Telegraphs who >> placed him in Dublin Castle. The Castle was the headquarters of the >> British Army in Ireland, but Tom was not deemed to be a security risk >> - with his war record, and the fact that his father was a sergeant >> serving in the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Irish police force >> during British rule. Well, they got that wrong... >> >> Apparently, his position in the Castle was noted by Michael Collins, >> the head of the IRA Intelligence unit, and he was recruited as one of >> Collins's spies. He also evidently became utilised in other ways >> during the War of Independence later on. When I visited the Garda >> museum to check records four? years ago to try to discover just why >> he had been recruited at Inspector level and why then, within nine >> months, had become Superintendent, the written reason for his >> recruitment was "IRA Battalion Intelligence Officer". My mother and >> her two sisters knew nothing of this and it was only in 2020 I got to >> ask my uncle the background on what turned out to be his deathbed. I >> discovered from him that Tom had been in Michael Collins's "Squad" - >> a group of deep cover IRA specialist assassins and when Arthur >> Griffith became President of the D?il - the Irish parliament, he and >> two of my grand uncles Pat Swanzy and Joe McCarthy - also both secret >> (to me) were Griffith's minders when he was a priority target for >> anti-Treaty gunmen. >> >> Anyway, here Tom is receiving succour from the British Army. >> >> Douglas >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >