Email from Ger Murphy on 9 Jun 2014
You might be interested in this. I am doing some stats on disappeared persons for an article I am writing. I think I may have come across some missing soldiers that you may not have picked up. Attached is the full list from A/07304 covering all the country for Pre-Truce absentees.
Also from the Irish Dept of Justice file H 147:
Pte Duff Chalmers, Royal Scots – executed.
Dead body of soldier, Smith, found near Coachford on lands of a Mr McCarthy. This may Roughley but I’m not so sure. (I think Rougley was found in Ovens.)
Others for which no info could be found were
Gunner GJ Jones Royal Artillary
Peter McCluskey, Welsh Reg
JF Harrison R. Navy
Gunner Jas Lynch RA
Gunner Thomas White
Joseph Leith, Inniskilling F.
J Sheehan RASC
E Collins R Munster F
Patrick J Whelan Ox and Bucks
McKeown – ditto
Marringley – ditto
Twomey, Crowfoot and Pte Samuel Edwards – not traced. (I know you believe these lived.)
I am particularly interested in the RA people here since they were mostly stationed in Cork Harbour and were in terror of leaving their bases in fear of being kidnapped – and this was 1922.
Also the commemoration ceremony at Kilmainham in late 1922 mention the following who I can’t find in other lists of the dead:
Pte HL Jarvic 1 POW Volunteers
Pts Minnion 2 Loyal Reg
Pte RG Brown RASC (MT) – missing.
(And possibly G Thomas 1 POW Volunteers – though you have found a G Thomas.)
A letter from GHQ Portobello to South Western Command dated 24 July 1922 (Mulcahy Papers P7/B/21) states that the B. Army issued the following list as having disappeared in the South West of Ireland and looking for info on same.
Pte E. Jones Welsh Reg – 6/7/1921 – Limerick
Pte J. Cintwitz, 2nd Green Howards – 15/11/1920 – Listowel
Pte Saunders, 1st Essex – 6/9/1921 – Courtmacsherry
Pte Oxby, 1st Lincoln Reg – 7/10/1921 – Tipperary
Pte Atkin 1st Lincoln Reg – 7/8/1920 – Tipperary
All Loyal Reg – All Tralee:
Pte H Hargreves – 14/4/21
Pte G Gray – 15/10/1921
Driver W Bennett – 31/10/1921
Boy W Smith – 4/10/1921
Sapper G Still, 33 Fortress Coy RE – 2/11/20 – Cork. This guy may have deserted as you suggest but I can’t find a D.C. for him on Ancestry.
Pte R Marland 2nd Loyal Reg – 31/10/1921 – Tralee
Pte G Williams 2nd R. Welsh F. – 31/5/21 – Limerick – is this the Bunratty bridge man?
A/Cpl Belchamber 1155 Coy RASC – 15/2/1922 – Buttevant.
If this reflects true disappearances then it looks like the Tralee area was a dangerous spot for British troops in the post-Truce period. (Knowing North Kerry, I’d say this might be true.)
British Soldiers missing in Ireland