Espionage and Assasination with Michael Collins' Intelligence Unit: With the Dublin Brigade (14 page)

BOOK: Espionage and Assasination with Michael Collins' Intelligence Unit: With the Dublin Brigade
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Chapter XXXII

It was in the second or third week of June that I was summoned one day to brigade headquarters at the Plaza Hotel along with the other men of the intelligence department.

We were to co-operate on the following afternoon at six o'clock with a number of Volunteers in surrounding and holding up Grafton Street.

The plan of action was outlined to us. The Volunteers were divided into eight groups. Each group was to be accompanied by an intelligence officer. They were to converge on Grafton Street at exactly six o'clock, each group entering the street by a different side street, so that every person in Grafton Street would be hemmed in.

It was well known to us that at this hour the street was promenaded by Auxiliaries in civilian dress.

I had now made myself familiar with the Thompson gun, and I was told off to accompany two men of the Active Service Unit – Joe Leonard, my companion of the dispensary, and Bill Stapleton, a man of sturdy build and spirit, who had just learned how to drive a Ford car.

We were to proceed to the scene of action in a Ford military van, which had been captured previously, and were to patrol round and attack any enemy cars.

On the following afternoon Joe, Bill and I went to an old stable where we found the van garaged and where the Thompson gun was dumped also. I examined the gun carefully and saw that it was in proper working order. I filled several magazines and left them handy in the back of the van. The van was hooded with canvas, and from behind the curtain at the back I could direct a steady fire.

Bill got the car ready, and from the difficulty he had in getting it started I could see that he knew very little of the art of driving. But what he lacked in skill in this and other directions, he made up for in self-confidence.

We set out at ten minutes to six, giving ourselves plenty of time to reach Grafton Street at the appointed hour. Joe sat beside Bill in front and I sat behind, facing the other way, with the Thompson gun on my knee.

When we came to Butt Bridge to cross the Liffey, Bill slowed up on account of the congestion of the traffic. As soon as we had crossed the bridge, Joe called out to me: ‘Look out, and get ready.'

Quickly turning round I saw a patrol of soldiers right in front of us. I prepared to open fire and Bill kept the car in motion.

But when we drew level with the soldiers, to my surprise and satisfaction, I saw them waving us on, evidently taking us for crown forces from the outward appearance of our van.

Without further adventure we reached Duke Street, which enters Grafton Street midway. Here was our post, and Bill brought the car to a standstill.

It was now six o'clock, and we waited anxiously to hear the firing begin, while we kept on the lookout for the approach of any military lorries. From the car I saw three armour-plated lorries, filled with Tommies, pass down Dawson Street (outside the area of our operations). They were apparently going on a raid, as they continued on their journey.

At five minutes past six we heard shots being fired in Grafton Street.

We got ready for action. Bill had the engine running, and we were ready to engage any car we saw approaching.

The minutes passed and nothing happened. We heard no more sound of gunfire and there was no sign of the enemy.

At last we decided it was useless and dangerous to wait any longer. Bill turned the van and we started to drive away. All hope of an engagement over, we were not very happy in our position, with our barely concealed Thompson gun beside us and the chance of being held up likely at any moment.

We turned round the corner into Dawson Street at a very sharp angle and as we did so I felt a severe bump. The bumping continued and the van was wobbling all over the street. Bill kept it going until we drew round into the next block – Kildare Street – where it came to a standstill. Aghast at this mishap, I jumped out and saw that a front and rear tyre were gone. There we were, stranded in a busy thoroughfare!

Bill could not get the car started again. We all got out and began to shove. By a great effort we succeeded in pushing it into a laneway. There were several unoccupied cars parked on the street, but not one of them was a Ford. Nor was there a driver whom we could have coerced to get us away.

But in the lane we discovered a stable which was unlocked. We pushed the van into it and shut-to the door. I noticed a blue document nailed to the entrance. It was a notice by the Borough Surveyor ordering the stable to be pulled down ‘within seven days'. I wondered how many of the seven had elapsed.

We had to abandon our guns as well as the van, praying they would not be discovered before morning. It was now getting on for seven o'clock and the streets would be alive with troops. It was dangerous to be lingering.

We walked to the Shelbourne Hotel and, seeing a hack outside, we engaged the jarvey to drive us, directing him by a route in the opposite direction from Grafton Street.

We decided not to report our loss. We went to the dispensary, where we all spent a sleepless night. I thought morning would never come, so consumed with anxiety I was for the safety of our arms, now, owing to their scarcity, of such paramount importance to us.

Very early Bill was up and out to get two new tyres. He made his way with them to the stable, which had not been demolished in the meantime, fitted them on and drove away the precious cargo to safety.

We learned that the attempted hold-up had not been a success. Only two of the groups had been able to make their way to the street in time. These engaged some Auxiliaries, two of whom were killed. The other groups all encountered military foot patrols and were unable to get to their respective positions.

Chapter XXXIII

On Sunday morning, 26th June, Joe and I walked down to Howth to get Mass. We had spent the night happily with some Volunteers who had rented a cottage on the summit of Ben Eadar.

It was a peaceful, sunny morning, and the little fishing town was crowded with people who had come out from the city to enjoy the sea air.

We walked down towards the harbour. On our way we met a newsboy carrying a placard. Almost snatching a paper from him, we tore it open.

‘Letter from Lloyd George to De Valera Calling a Conference.'

‘Truce to be Arranged Immediately.'

We could not believe our eyes. I thought maybe it was a joke, or a trap to catch us off our guard. But we decided to hasten into town and find out the truth.

In the city we met some of our comrades who assured us that the news was authentic. We continued, however, to move about with our usual caution as there had been no Cease Fire Order issued by either side.

Immediately we got into touch with our superior officers and put in a request for leave. This was granted.

We were in such a state of excitement and exultation that we could do nothing but grin and make over and over again the same remarks. We could not settle to anything. We kept running round, meeting and re-meeting, and always repeating the same exclamations.

We spent the whole week preparing for our holiday, though, in fact, we did very little. Our preparations consisted mainly in talking about it and anticipating its pleasures.

It was so wonderful a thing – to go away from all the fear and danger, and the hunted life, into freedom and leisure, that it took a whole week for us to prepare ourselves for such a change.

We had decided on the Isle of Man as a place in which we could find an atmosphere sufficiently unrestricted. We hardly slept at all on the Sunday night, 3rd July. Boldly, we had ordered a taxi to be at the dispensary at eight o'clock the next morning. While I was dressing I realized that it was the 4th of July – Independence Day in America. It seemed a good omen.

We were out through the door before the driver had time to knock. There were Joe, Bill and Jim Slattery of the Squad, or Active Service Unit, and Joe Dolan and myself of the intelligence staff. Jim was bandaged up, having lost an arm as a result of the wound he received at the Custom House.

We drove to Westland Row Station in the highest spirits. I did not feel any longer that I was in the world of everyday things. There seemed a radiance.

We took tickets for Liverpool.

As we were about to get on the boat we saw some Auxiliaries standing at the gangway scrutinizing the passengers. We mingled amongst the crowd, anxiously, fearing disaster on account of Jim's bandages. I was on tenterhooks until the boat started. It seemed hours until a siren was blown and she pulled out from the pier.

Then we could hold ourselves in no longer. Looking straight towards the Auxiliaries we raised a cheer. They could not stop us now.

This was my first voyage and fascinated with the ship I set out to explore it. In the dining saloon I found writing tables with notepaper and postcards bearing a picture of the ship. Delighted, I sat down and wrote postcards and letters to a large number of my friends and relatives. I thought of how they would envy me, and I pitied everyone who was not, like myself, on a mailboat making a journey into the unknown.

At Holyhead we were directed by a porter to a train that would take us to Liverpool. When I saw the train, I stood still in amazement. It was painted cream. It was quite unlike our trains at home. This had the greatest effect upon me in making me realize fully the joy of liberty. I was in a new country and had left behind everything that was a danger and a terror to me.

We reached Liverpool at about three o'clock. We took a taxi to the house of a friend whose address had been given to us. He welcomed us warmly and asked us what were our plans. We told him that we were going to the Isle of Man.

He came with us into the city and booked rooms for us in a hotel for the night. There was a boat leaving for Douglas at 10.30 the next morning.

We spent the evening looking round Liverpool, and when we could remember that we need not look at every passer-by in the light of a possible enemy, we wondered at the change in our situation. We went to a theatre and laughed immoderately at the not very humorous antics of a comedian. I envied the people of Liverpool their peaceful life, fancying they must be some special favourites of Providence.

When we went to bed it was almost impossible to realize that we need not talk in whispers. We turned on all the electric lights. We pulled up the blinds, wishing the whole world outside to see the glare in which we dared to reveal ourselves.

Perhaps that waking-up the next morning was the best of all – the slow, gradual realization of our new happy circumstances.

We decided to have breakfast in bed, to sample every luxury and to do all things contrary to what we were accustomed hitherto.

I pressed a bell. A maid appeared and I gave an order. And it was a good breakfast! We could not stop laughing.

‘What would they say at home to see us now? What are they doing?'

But we did not want to think of home.

When we got to Douglas we took rooms in a private hotel – the Broadway. The landlady told us that all guests must be in by eleven o'clock.

We were delighted with Douglas. But then any place outside Ireland would have delighted us. We bought flannel trousers, cigarette holders and walking sticks. We swaggered about, drawing attention to ourselves – tasting to the full our emancipation from everything furtive, cautious and retired. We spent our evenings on the helter-skelter and the switchbacks. We had our photographs taken. We hired a car and drove round the island, which I admired extremely. And, of course, we took no notice of the rules of the establishment, but roamed the streets till the early hours of the morning. To be out during curfew! To meet no patrols! Never, never could we get used to the delight of that experience.

We were able to get the
Irish Independent
each morning. We read that a Truce was signed on the 11th July.

And when I read that announcement, suddenly Douglas had no more charm for me. I was no longer interested in the island. Dublin and home called me once more. I said goodbye to my companions and took the first boat that sailed from the island direct for home. As we drew near the North Wall I was moved with far deeper feelings than those which I had carried with me on departing.

I saw our tricolour flag waving from every window. I am not going to describe my emotions. I felt like a kid, a lump in my throat, trying not to burst out crying.

I jumped on a car. I bade the jarvey drive me through all the principal streets of the city. Dublin! The city was
en
fête.
Flags everywhere! Could it be old Dublin!

I went home and enjoyed a warm reunion with my family.

But I could not stay indoors. I was restless. Again I wanted to see everything.

I went out, wandering through the streets. Unbelieving, blissful!

Bureau of Military History, 1913–21
Witness Statement 434

Charles Dalton

Member of ‘F' Company 2nd Battalion

Irish Volunteers, 1917–.

Member of Intelligence Squad 1920–.

Subject

Activities of ‘F' Company 2nd Battalion

1917–1921;

Intelligence Squad 1920.

Publisher's Note: All spelling, capitalisation and punctuation have been left as in the original.

STATEMENT BY CHARLES DALTON
(Colonel, retired)

86 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin.

I joined the Volunteers, F/Company, 2nd Battalion, in December 1917. My company officer at that time was Frank Henderson. Henderson afterwards went up to the battalion and Oscar Traynor then became company captain.

After some preliminary company jobs, I was sent for by the brigadier, Dick McKee, and attached to the H.Q. Squad on an assisting basis.

THE INTELLIGENCE SQUAD.

After participating with the squad in the seizure of the Castle mails at Dominick St., Dublin, in February 1920, I was again sent for by the brigadier who asked me would I join the G.H.Q. Intelligence Unit, which I did. I reported for duty to the Deputy Director of Intelligence, Liam Tobin, at an office in Crow St. which was used as our headquarters.

My duties were outlined to me by the Assistant Director of Intelligence, who was in daily communication with Michael Collins. They consisted of tracing the activities of enemy agents and spies, keeping records of enemy personnel, contact with friendly associates in government and Crown service, organising and developing intelligence in the Dublin Brigade as an adjunct to headquarters Information Service, and participating in active service actions arising from our duties.

Our Department was strengthened from time to time by the inclusion of selected officers, and, with the growth of duties and the increase of activities by the Crown forces, it was later found necessary to set up an additional office to house the Intelligence Department. This office was located over the Brunswick St. Cinema.

In those years of activity, the sources of our information were very limited, due to the fact that all Government Civil Servants, including the members of the Metropolitan Police, R.I.C. and other Crown forces, had taken an oath of loyalty to the Crown. The fact that they occupied pensionable positions, even though they had mild national leanings, did not induce them to be of help to the Republican movement.

One of the most fruitful sources of information to our Department would have been the Post Office, which controlled the delivery of correspondence throughout the country, the dispatch of all telegrams and the working of the telephone system. In those days the Crown forces depended mainly for inter-communication on the telephone and telegraph systems. We possessed the key to the R.I.C. code, which was changed monthly. Through this channel we were able to forestall Crown forces' raids, impending arrests, etc., but, due to the fact that our helpers in this department were so few, the results obtained were far from complete. Similarly, in the postal dispatch departments and letter sorting offices, we had very few helpers, and, although the members of the Crown forces used the mails freely, the amount of information gathered through interception, raids on mails, etc. was rather limited, due to lack of co-operators. In the Central Telegraph Office, Liam Archer, and in the principal Sorting Office, Paddy Moynihan (nom-de-plume 118) were the most important aides.

The Post Office aides invariably left their information for Michael Collins's perusal at addresses in Parnell Street, viz: Jim Kirwan, publican, Knocknagow dairy shop, and Liam Devlin, publican. They were the principal rendezvous for these people.

Before leaving the subject of postal assistance, it is well to mention that the Director received valuable information from some postal officials he personally dealt with who were engaged on the mail boats, and from London through Sam Maguire, who was in charge of that city on his behalf.

Amongst the important information that was supplied were particulars of the Castle mails, including Lord French's mails and how they were transmitted, and the plan of the Sorting Office in the Rink, from which Government mails were subsequently seized. In certain cases, copies of telegrams in code were forwarded to us, and in some instances, letters going to a particular individual who was a suspect came into our hands likewise.

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE.

Counter Intelligence was organised traditionally through the police. In Dublin city the ‘G' Division controlled all political information, and in the country the Special Crimes Branch of the R.I.C. did likewise. In addition to these two sources of information, the British army had a military Intelligence Service which was conducted in Dublin by Major S.S. Hill Dillon. During 1921, the British Secret Service established an independent Intelligence Unit principally in Dublin, which worked, it is believed, directly with the Cabinet in London through the War Office. Agents of the latter body were identified by us, as these lived as civilians in the City, following fictitious occupations and participating, to a limited degree, in what was their final objective – the elimination of active I.R.A. leaders through secret murder. Many of these Agents were executed on 21st November 1920, before their operational plan was put into effective action.

In Dublin the ‘G' Division operated with open contempt for the Volunteers until some of their members had been shot. After these shootings ‘G' Division were ‘confined to barracks' in the Castle and were thus immobilised from active detection work.

In this body there were two or three officials who co-operated with our Department and supplied valuable information to counteract the activities of the Crown forces. These were Jim McNamara, David Neligan, whom I met frequently and Ned Broy, whom Collins himself met. These men had channels of contact through very reliable intermediaries. In many instances, I or another member of our staff had, at short notice, to meet them adjacent to the Castle in the street. There we learned of intended raids, the location of prisoners, etc. The assistance of those men cannot be sufficiently recognised, due to the fact that they alone were able to confirm beyond doubt the activities of suspects whom we had under observation.

The Director of Intelligence was in touch with contacts in the prison service, warders in Mountjoy Jail – Daly and Peter Breslin. In the R.I.C. he received valuable intelligence from Sergeant McCarthy, stationed in Belfast in the County Inspector's office.

In the Auxiliary Division of the R.I.C. we had assistance from an Englishman, Sergeant Reynolds of ‘F' Coy. stationed in Dublin Castle. He supplied information through a friend of his, Bríghid Foley, whom he first met during a raid.

As regards the R.I.C., this Force did not operate in the city of Dublin, but a few friendly members were contacted in the counties where they were stationed. Their headquarters were located at the Depot, Phoenix Park.

The British Military Intelligence Department operated from the Dublin District office at Royal Barracks. Contact was never established with this body other than through the efforts of a typist, Miss Mernin, at a late stage in the struggle.

From the Intelligence Officer of the 1st Southern Division (Florrie O'Donoghue) copies of radiograms intercepted were forwarded to our office for decoding, but, as all these were in the British Naval numerical code, we were unsuccessful in decyphering [sic] them until after the Truce.

In Dublin city at any rate, the main sources of information to the Castle, in addition to police reports, were anonymous letters, telephone calls which we were unsuccessful in intercepting, and material supplied from what was known as the loyalist element.

The ‘G' Division depended, as also did the Secret Service, for much of their information on particulars supplied, mainly about individuals, by newsvendors, hotel porters, policemen, as well as the ordinary police reports. For instance, Barton of the ‘G' Division was held in the highest esteem by the publicans, pawnbrokers and other commercial men, due to the fact that he had established a unique method in the tracing of petty larceny and illegal pawning of stolen goods. In carrying out his routine police duties, he had many newsvendors and minor thieves of the pickpocket variety in his power, and he utilised this type of informer for checking up on the movements of prominent wanted Volunteers. After Barton's demise, informers of this type were contacted by other members of the counter Intelligence Service, and became commonly known as ‘touts'. It was one of these ‘touts', Pike, who followed Dan Breen and Sean Treacy from Fleming's of Drumcondra to Fernside, and it was another of these, ‘Chanters' Ryan, who successfully discovered the hideout during curfew hours, of Dick McKee and Peadar Clancy, from which they were taken prisoner and subsequently shot. At the time of this occurrence, Ryan was serving as a military policeman, but lived in a disreputable neighbourhood in Dublin.

TYPE OF CONTACTS.

Outside those already referred to, the services of friendly waiters, hotel porters, railway officials and, in fact, anyone in a position to supply or confirm information relative to the activity of Crown agents was solicited and utilised. In this connection the elimination of spies was assisted through the medium of reports thus received. This type of helper was contacted by members of our staff. In reality, the number of dependable assistants in this category was strictly limited. The receipt of information was important, but more important still was the necessity for complete silence on the part of our informants, as failure to observe this would have frustrated the work of our Department, as well as possibly leading to the elimination of ourselves. Offers of assistance were many, but the integrity and resourcefulness of the would-be informants in many cases did not qualify them for inclusion in our network of helpers.

If, as a result of information supplied by a hotel aide, shooting accrued, this individual, as well as other members of the hotel staff, was subject to a ‘grilling' by the Crown forces. Anyone known to have sympathies with Sinn Féin would receive special attention by the Authorities. Such an examination could possibly result in the informant double-crossing us, with unhappy results.

When we got offers of assistance we first had to make up our minds whether we could trust them or not, and then we could only tell them very little. There was the danger that, in their enthusiasm to give information, they would go and ask other people for information without exercising proper caution.

One of our greatest sources of information in the tracing of movements of prominent personages was the society columns of newspapers, covering banquets, dinners, etc. Also ‘Who's Who', which enabled us to trace the clubs, hobbies, etc. of these people, as well as Press photographs taken at Castle or similar functions. In our Crow St. office we kept an alphabetical card index of all known enemy agents, Auxiliary Cadets, R.I.C. men, etc. Any information as to their movements, whereabouts or intentions obtained from the Press in this manner was tabulated and circulated to the country Volunteers, if it concerned them. Photographs were studied by our staff, and in many instances our identification, on the street or elsewhere, of these individuals was made possible through a study of their photographs.

G.H.Q. PERSONNEL, CROW ST. AND LATER BRUNSWICK STREET.

Michael Collins was Director of Intelligence. He operated from his own personal office in the daytime and saw his lieutenants at night. Liam Tobin was Deputy D.I., and Tom Cullen was Assistant D.I.

The staff consisted of Frank Thornton, Joe Dolan, Joe Guilfoyle, Paddy Caldwell (later transferred to ‘An t-Oglach' staff), myself, Frank Saurin, Charlie Byrne, Peter McGee, Dan McDonnell, Ned Kellegher, James Hughes, Con O'Neill, Bob O'Neill, Jack Walsh and Paddy Kennedy.

Jimmy Murray was, I believe, a member of 6th Battalion and acted as Battalion I.O. Murray resided in Kingstown and was at one time employed on the boats.

Shortly before the Truce, Murray and Dan McDonnell were our contacts with Dave Neligan, who was then residing with another Secret Service man (Woolley) in Kingstown, having left the ‘G' Division, on the instructions of Michael Collins, to join the British Secret Service proper.

THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE AND HIS STAFF.

During the daytime Michael Collins worked from an office of his own, and at no time did he visit the Crow St. or Brunswick St. offices. Inter-communication was maintained by his special messenger, Joe O'Reilly. In the evening time Michael Collins used to meet Liam Tobin and Tom Cullen at one of his numerous rendezvous in the Parnell Square area – these were Jim Kirwan's, Vaughan's Hotel and Liam Devlin's.

In the earlier years Michael Collins used to meet these men at 46 Parnell Square and at McCarthy's in Mountjoy St. They were all on the run and on many occasions they stayed together, sometimes at Joe O'Reilly's lodgings, Smith's of Lindsay Road, and on other occasions at Paddy O'Shea's house in Lindsay Road.

Michael Collins used as his personal office Miss Hoey's house in Mespil Road; also Mary St., and finally Harcourt Terrace. I was on duty at the Harcourt Terrace office, which was an ordinary dwelling-house, furnished as such, and in the front bedroom the D.I. had his papers. These were concealed in a secret cupboard on the landing, in which he himself could take refuge should the house be raided while he was in occupation.

It was from his personal office that Michael Collins dealt with all the Brigade and country Intelligence reports.

ENEMY AGENTS AND SPIES.

Following the death in action of Sean Treacy, we received information through our contacts in the Special Branch in the Castle that Sergeant Roche and Constable Fitzgerald were in Dublin. They had come to Dublin from Tipperary to identify the remains of Treacy, and, evidently, to be available, if required, in the search for Dan Breen who had escaped, wounded.

On 17th October 1920, I was in touch with Dave Neligan, who told me that the wanted men would probably be dining in the Ormond Hotel that day, having left the Castle to do so. Neligan first arranged that he would take them to lunch and would indicate to me that they were the wanted men. Something went wrong with this arrangement, but nevertheless, the squad took up positions around Grattan Bridge. Neligan came along on his own and bumped into the two R.I.C. men who had left the Ormond and were on their way back. He conversed with them, and after parting from them, he gave the pre-arranged signal by waving his handkerchief. Those of the squad nearest to the R.I.C. men opened fire on them, fatally wounding Roche, but Fitzgerald escaped by running up Capel Street. Both men were wearing civilian clothing.

BOOK: Espionage and Assasination with Michael Collins' Intelligence Unit: With the Dublin Brigade
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