gerardkenny

The weapon shown is a US .45 Caliber Thompson Sub Machinegun with drum roll magazine. The photos are great. Cheers Captain Albert

Cheers for that & it sure is, I made a mistake on the captions of pictures. I captioned all of them then cleverly renamed a few which accidentally wiped all of the captions from every picture, and so had to start over. I must have missed that one when I re-did them.

Btw there is a very interesting article on these guns in Ireland here ;

http://www.historyireland.com/volumes/volume17/issue4/features/?id=114408

Also an excellent & very well researched site here too ;

http://thompsongunireland.com/

As an FYI these guns were showing up being used in places like Belfast as recently as the 1970's.

Also a smaller article here

http://mysite.verizon.net/colt1927/thompson/ireland.html

I remember Kilmainham Jail in the 1970's/80s as having a lot more handguns & firearms than it does thesedays. If I recall correctly possibly even a 'Peter the Painter' (German Mauser C96 pistol) though it's possible this one was moved to Collins Barracks when it was re-juvenated as a military museum in about 2007

http://militaria-archive.com/Collins%20Barracks%20Museum/index.html

Just read this thread now and have to say it's one of the most interesting threads I have read on any militaria forum. Splitting groups like that is horrific, words fail.

Art Sculptures in honour of the executed 1916 Rebels (outside Kilmainham Jail)

Part of the Art Sculptures in honour of the executed 1916 Rebels, depicting the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. The most important document in Irish history.

The rest of the collection of 114 photos are here (including some of Dublin sites relevant to Independence era Dublin) ;

http://www.militaria-archive.com/museums/kilmainham/index.html

War of Independence Propaganda Card

Veterans Armband issued at a ceremony held at the Rotunda Rink, Dublin, on Sunday 21 April 1935 to mark the 19th Anniversary of the Rebellion - Kilmainham Jail Museum

Serial number 232 of 1921 one of about 50 acquired by the IRA - Kilmainham Jail Museum

.303 Calibre Lee Enfield Rifle, taken in an IRA ambush of RIC in Rathmore County Kerry 6th May 1921 - Kilmainham Jail Museum

Prison art made by Irish Easter Rising veterans who were prisoners at Frongoch concentration camp Wales - Kilmainham Jail Museum

Portrait of Padraig Pearse

Medals

(Left to Right) The 1916 Active Service Medal, Irish War of Independence medal with Comrac bar to designate combat, this medal is also known as the 'Black and Tan medal', 1966 Commemorative 50th Anniversary Medal - Kilmainham Jail Museum

(Left to Right) The 1921 - 1971 Survivor Medal, Irish War of Independence medal with Comrac bar to designate combat, this medal is also known as the 'Black and Tan medal', 1966 Commemorative 50th Anniversary Medal - Kilmainham Jail Museum

(Left - Right) The 1916 Active Service Medal, 1921 - 1971 Survivor Medal, Irish War of Independence medal with Comrac bar to designate combat (also known as the 'Black and Tan medal'), 1966 Commemorative 50th Anniversary Medal - Kilmainham Jail Museum

Museum pieces

Letter from the executioner

Several prisoner autograph and photo books :

Staircase

Cell door

Above several doorways are messages such as 'Hotel _____' & this one

The crosses mark execution spots where the leaders of the 1916 Rebels were executed

The stone breakers yard was also the scene of Irish Civil War free state executions

Here are some pictures taken at the Kilmainham Jail museum a couple of weekends ago. I was going to put these in the collector showcase forum as there is no Irish section but on second thoughts here is probably better.

Here is the background to the place (for anyone not familiar with it); the prison opened it's doors in 1796 and closed in 1924. The period of time during which Kilmainham Jail was in active use saw the Wolfe Tone United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798, the rebellion of 1803 under Robert Emmet, the Great Famine of 1845 – 1848 (which reduced the population of the country by 2 million dead and emigrated), The Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 and the 1867 I.R.B. Fenian rising. The prison was most famously kept busy throughout the period of the Easter Rising 1916 and War of Independence 1919-1921 followed by the Irish Civil War 1921-1923. Famous prisoners include Robert Emett (taken out to be hanged and beheaded), Charles Stewart Parnell (the uncrowned King of Ireland), The 'invinvibles' (Fenian group of Phoenix Park killings fame). More famously from the 1916 Rising ; Patrick Pearse (Commander in Chief of the Irish forces in the G.P.O. during the Easter 1916 Rising, executed on 3 May 1916), Thomas James Clarke (executed on 3 May 1916) , Thomas MacDonagh (executed on 3 May 1916), Joseph Mary Plunkett (married Grace Gifford while in Kilmainham Gaol and was executed the following morning 4th May 1916), William Pearse (executed on 4 May 1916), Edward Daly (executed on 4 May 1916), Michael O'Hanrahan (executed 4 May 1916), John MacBride (executed on 5 May 1916), Michael Mallin (executed on 8 May 1916), Seán Heuston (executed on 8 May 1916), Con Colbert (executed 8 May 1916), Éamonn Ceannt (executed on 8 May 1916), Seán MacDiarmada, (executed on 12 May 1916), James Connolly (Unable to stand to during his execution due to wounds received during the Rising - executed while sitting down on 12 May 1916), He was the last of the leaders to be executed (Thomas Kent was executed in Cork and Roger Casement in London). Eamon DeValera was a Kilmainham prisoner who escaped execution and later led Ireland through the formative years including the emergency period, writing the Irish Constitution in 1937. This prison has also featured in several movies including the 1967 Michael Caine 'The Italian Job', Jim Sheridan's Guildford Four film 'In the name of the Father' and the Neil Jordan 1996 film 'Michael Collins'.

Among the museum exhibits are prison art from Frongoch in Wales (where many 1916 Rebels were deported to after Kilmainham and then Stafford Jail), prison art from Kilmainham, autograph books, Weapons including Thompson sub-machine gun, Irish independence Medals, 1916 Veteran armbands, paintings of Pádraig Pearse and Sean MacDiarmada, photographs, documents, caricatures, pro and anti treaty propaganda, Irish Civil War period mass/death cards along with 1966 Rising anniversary materials and 'Kilmainham Restoration' campaign paraphernalia.

Graffiti written by a Cumann na mBan member apparently (From Padraig Pearse, The Rebel )

And I say to my people's masters: Beware Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people Who shall take what ye would not give. Did ye think to conquer the people, or that law is stronger than life, And than men's desire to be free? We will try it out with you ye that have harried and held, Ye that have bullied and bribed. Tyrants… hypocrites… liars!"

Victorian interior

I love that quote about Butt Bridge & can well believe that tank would look pretty unbelievable if you had never seen or heard of one before I saw the footage of the tank in Limerick - I actually posted a link to it in the previous post on the thread. The 'riddling' one I have heard in a few different versions at this stage.

I have been reading up quite a bit on this period lately, 'The Squad' by R .Ryle Dwyer, 'On Another Man's wound' by Ernie O Malley and a few others & am finding that whole period fascinating again.

I picked up a collection the other night composing of a period scrapbook, photograph/postcard and document collection that belonged to the youngest 'apostle' of Collins' Squad Vinny Byrne - (purchased from the family direct).

He was 16 in 1916 and fought in the Rising, War of Independence in Michael Collin's Squad (taking out 2 of the Cairo gang on bloody sunday) and also in the Civil war and left the army during the Mutiny of 1924 as a Vice Commandant. From then he headed the 1916-1921 club and the Old IRA 2nd Batallion group.

The earliest item in it is an unpublished photo of him in primary school and the latest I think is a 1983 colour photo at an Easter Rising comemoration with a lot in between including (as far as I can gather) unpublished photos of various rebels in Stafford Jail before heading to Frongoch, pictures of Sean Lemass with Vinny Byrne, L.Hogan chief of Staff etc.

Was surprised to find a copy of the 'Irish War News' pasted into the pages of the scrapbook too - from what I can see these have gone for for very silly money in recent years. There are also all sorts of original and carbon letters including one to Vinny Byrne refusing him permission for time off to marry a few days before Collins was killed. Also a letter congratulating Tom Keogh for his 'Wexford Expeditionary Force' action of the Civil War - also days before he was killed. As well as a wealth of an t-Oglach and other publications etc.

I will have to post up some pictures from the collection when I have researched it a bit more, photographed it and put it online in order (which will take a couple of months).

Thanks for that. I am told a thread on The Great War Forum may shed further light on this too

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=87199&

There is also this link of footage of another (what appears to be MkI) in use as a kind of portable cabin/roadblock in Limerick also during the Irish War of Independence

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=77302

I was researching some items this evening and came across this link here

http://www.adams.ie/BidCat/detail.asp?SaleRef=7025&LotRef=346

a set of 6 photo plates including one of a Tank deployed on the streets of Dublin during the Irish War of Independence and was wondering if anyone knew more on this ? Or, might know where there are more images like this one ? The only ones remotely like that I have seen are WWI victory parade pictures by College Green and this certainly does not appear to be one of those.

I didn't realise there were handwritten notes with these. That's a very nice and interesting group.

More marches 1933

SS Medic

SS Medic 2

There are lots more here if anyone wants to check them out :

http://www.militaria-archive.com/AlbumsII/early-ss/index.html

If anyone can add details/locations unit information etc please let me know.

Here are some formation marching ones;

More election marches/demonstrations 1932

Election posters

Taking the posters down;

Included is the well known 'Wir' poster

Detail showing SS & SA insignia

This page here if you scroll down shows the colour version of the Wir poster

http://www.calvin.ed...pa/posters1.htm

http://www.calvin.ed...posters/wir.jpg

Here are some SS group unarmed exercises

Detail a)

Detail b)

Here is an early SS photo album I picked up several months ago

http://www.militaria...y-ss/index.html

It comes from the period of the 3 reichstag elections between 1932 and 1933.

The bulk of this album is immediately before this, in the run up to and during the elections. There are election posters, marches/demonstrations throughout

There are also a lot of early SS uniform pictures, (including early SS Medic with backpack) also of them in formation with the SA and also one of the SS/SA and hamburg police posing with weapons and hound.

This photo album is from an Schutzstaffel (SS) man involved in the organisation throughout the period 1932- 1933. This album covers the period of June 1932 through November 1933 when the NSDAP party participated in 3 General elections. The first election increased their mandate, the 2nd slightly decreased it and the third facilitated their rise to power in Germany. Included are interesting early Schutzstaffel (SS) and Sturmabteilung (SA) uniform designs (including an SS Medic with backpack), also pictures of election posters of the period (including the famous 'wir' one and the black and white Hitler face one) and marches by the SA & SS through Hamburg and to a local party headquarters. There are also pictures of SS And SA men posing with members of the Hamburg police with weapons and hound. The cufftitle appears to be '1', the SA collar tabs appear to be numbered '9/45' or possibly '5/45'. If you can provide any further information on this album please use the email link below.

Civilian

It seems that this pic may be free to display for non profit purposes after all if you read the licence info so here for your viewing pleasure is the Now pic

(If you go to the link above it is a higher resolution version).

Here is a then and now of the Taras Shevchenko statue in Kharkov, Ukraine

Apparently this was a much photographed statue by the Germans as it broke the monotony of the Lenin/Stalin Soviet statues.

Here is the Now one - I wont link it directly as it's not my pic - it is a good clear colour picture though if you click on the image itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Taras_Shevchenko_in_Kharkov.jpg

That is pretty amazing. I think completely random & unexpected things like that can really show the bright side of the internet.

I make the name to be Johannisberger. Was there such a ship in the fleet?

Alternatively, if it is a man's name, keep in mind that many nations sent observers to this war. (I have a delightful set of journals kept by Sir Ian Hamilton, who served with the Russian Army.) That may be what's going on.

Best,

Hugh

I have been checking that and it's hard to tell for sure - I brightened up the image and sharpened it a bit :

To captain of

&

the word I thought was home but may be something else

I have also uploaded the higher resolution - brightened and sharpened version here (its 1.1 mb so I wont attach it here).

Thanks for that. I think you are right about Diego Suarez, I was just googling it there and came across this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antsiranana

The Second Pacific Squadron of Imperial Russia anchored and was resupplied at Diego-Suarez on its way to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.

So it does seem to tie in with the above. I also agree that Johan is the firstname in the above. Looking at it again now I am not 100% sure that 'Home' is the correct word from the document. I have a feeling it may be the name of a place rather than the word home. Thanks again for those - I had no idea Diego Suarez was there but looking at it again it is obvious that is what it is. If anyone else can add anything to this please fire away.

I have just found out what the stamp appears to be -

" Флагманский интендантъ штаба 2-й эскадры флота тихого океана"

Superintenant of second squadron,pacific fleet hq"

So it appears to be a Russia-Japaneese war related document after all! I would still love to work out the names if anyone has any ideas please let me know.

I now think the part

'To Captain of ______________________' is the name of a ship possibly in the 2nd Squadron Pacific Fleet. So to work out the name of that ship and also the name of the Captain (the one it's addressed to or the one it is from) and if they were involved in the battle of Tsushima would be very interesting !!

*

Also heard the end name may be ''Superintendent Captain, Mr Witte'' ??

I have been told that the notepaper heading means 'For Memory' or 'For Notes'.

Also that the upper right quadrant of the stamp possibly says '2й эскадры флота' - '2nd squadron of fleet'.

If anyone else can add to the unravelling of this it'd be appreciated. Especially an explanation around why a Russian officer writing in English discharging an apparent German back to Hamburg in christmas 1904.

Thanks for that, does help a lot If anyone can add to the names that would be a great help too.

Also if anyone has a theory why a (presumably) British officer would be discharging a German on Russian notepaper ? I am completely stumped on that side of this too (though there is probably a blindingly obvious explanation for that !).

This arrived recently (included unexpectedly with WWW2 & WWI items) and I was wondering if anyone can help to decipher the writing on it ?

I appears to be an notification from a Russian or possibly British officer, I believe to a German (in English), however it's on Russian headed & stamped note paper from 1904/1905.

I was wondering if anyone can make out some of the more difficult to read words and figure out the context for this ? From the dates it's possibly a christmas leave notice.

24 Dec (23 Dec) 1904 _______________ 1904/2

6 Jan (7 Jan) 1905 5

To Captain of ______________________

Dear Sir,

I am honoured to inform ________

That you can go to _______

(to __________ if __ ________,)

This day. -

Superintendent

Captain __________