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In Fermoy, Ireland |
 Private James Daly
The 88th was originally established in Connaught, Ireland, in 1793 and it bore on
its colours and appointments a harp and a crown with the motto
 88th Regiment As England used the irregular "Black and Tan" police force in an attempt to browbeat and coerce loyalty from the Irish population, the soldiers of the 88th, many veterans of World War I, got up every day and helped the English maintain their grip on another colony: India. During the Black and Tan war, England's Irish Regiments were intentionally posted far
from home, the 88th was in Punjab, India. As far as remoteness was concerned, they couldn't
have got a more remote place.
 Map of the Punjab, India Finally, on June 28, 1920, a small group of the "Devils Own" could not bear to support the government that was oppressing their people any longer. Five men in Julllundur barracks informed an NCO that they could no longer obey orders. One soldier relented, but the other four were sent to the guard house.  88th Regiment Badge Soon word of their actions spread throughout the Regiment. By that afternoon 200 Rangers refused orders, telling their commanding officer they were done soldiering for England until all British soldiers left Ireland. The mutineers in Jollundur (Jalandhar) sent word of their refusal up to the Ranger units up in the hills and soon another group of 70 at Solon had refused to continue their army duties, there were now approximately 390 mutineers. However, after peaceably giving up their arms, this group of mutineers, lead by James Daly, became fearful of attack and reprisals from other troops and stormed the magazine that night attempting to retake their arms. The soldiers in the magazine opened fire and two mutineers were killed and another wounded. The mutiny soon lost steam after this incident and most of the mutineers were court martialed. When the trials were over 61 Rangers had been found guilty, 47 were given prison sentences and 14 were sentenced to death. In the end 13 of those death sentences were commuted to prison sentences. Later, after the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, many of those in jail were given early release. There would be no commutation of the sentence for James Daly, however. He was executed by firing squad. Daly and the other men who put their lives on the line to make a political state thousands of miles from Ireland are not mentioned often in the history books. I wonder if it is a silent rebuke on the fact that they worked for the British Army. In 1970 the bodies of the two mutineers killed at Solon, Sears and Smyth , and that of James Daly were brought home to Ireland. They were interred in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, with a proper memorial over them. They had received some form of justice at last. Ar dheis De go raibh siad. (May they sit at the right hand of God.) |
