1901 born Belgium
1915 Nov 25. Became a British citizen when his parents nationalised.
1920 Dec 24. Commissioned from Sandhurst. S. Stafford R. — Adelin Eugene Paul Firmin Marie Ghislaine van Outryve d'Ydewalle
1921 Jul 8. Death of Denis Spriggs. Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc sent me
Sprigg’s family home in Strawberry Hill, on the northern side of Cork city, was raided by the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment about midnight on 8 July. According to the British military inquest into the killing the British army had planned the raid after receiving specific intelligence information, and had launched the operation specifically to capture Spriggs. Spriggs was asleep in his bed when the raid began. He was unarmed, and, upon being confronted, immediately surrendered to the raiders without offering any resistance. The British officer who led the raiding party, 2nd Lieutenant A. d’Ydewalle, told the military inquest that Spriggs had been shot dead whilst attempting to escape:
‘On the night of the 8th inst, at about midnight, acting on information, I proceeded to the house of Dennis Sprigg[s] at Strawberry Hill and arrested him on suspicion. He was placed in a Crossley Tender under an escort. When the Crossley had proceeded about 200 yards down Blarney Street, the tail board either fell down or was released by Dennis Spriggs. Spriggs then leaped out of the Crossley and started to run up Blarney Street. The escort on the Crossley opened fire & he fell. He was apparently dead when picked up. Before putting Dennis Spriggs in the Crossley, I personally warned him that he would be shot if he attempted to escape.’
Accordingly the inquest ruled that Spriggs was killed whilst trying to escape ‘and that the deceased was to blame, in as much as he attempted to escape from Military Custody, after having been warned of the consequences.’
(PMCILCI on Dennis Sprigs ( NAUK, WO 35/159A ) )
..... Denis Spriggs was the ninth unarmed IRA prisoner killed by the British forces in Cork city whilst allegedly trying to escape. One of the other eight IRA Volunteers killed, only one, Tadhg O’Sullivan had been killed during a genuine escape attempt. Six of the remainder had been killed after surrendering at Kerry Pike, and another Charlie Daly, was arrested and beaten to death by British soldiers at Victoria Barracks just twelve days before Spriggs’s death. The same night that Daly was beaten to death at Victoria Barracks, British soldiers also killed an unarmed civilian named William Horgan. Horgan a twenty year old fireman on the Great Southern & Western Railway was arrested at 2 am in his parent’s home at Dillon’s Cross, and was shot dead a short time later. The British military inquest into Horgan’s death ruled that Horgan had assaulted a British officer who was searching him, and was killed whilst attempting to disarm this officer in an effort to escape.
Apart from the explanation that both men were shot ‘whilst trying to escape’, there is another connection between the killing of Horgan in late June and Spriggs on the night the truce was announced - both were taken prisoner by British soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire regiment who were acting under the direct command of Lieutenant A F d’Ydewalle. ( PMILCI on William Horgan ( NAUK, WO 35/152 ). ) It is unknown how many other similar killings Lieutenant d’Ydewalle man have been involved in. Given the circumstances of Denis Sprigs arrest, the track-record of the British officer involved and the explanation proffered for the killing, the probability is that Spriggs was summarily executed by the British military because of his republican activities and not because of any resistance, or attempt to escape on his part.
1923 Jan.Mar Married Middlesex to Violet M Morrogh
1924 A daughter born Joan van Outryve d'Ydewalle (1924-2009)
1930 Feb 15 Restored to S Staffs establishment
1930 Dec 26. Lt. A. E. P. F. M. G. van. Outryve d'Ydewalle retires, receiving a gratuity. 26th Dec. 1930
1936 Sep 14 Files for bankruptcy
1937 Feb 4. Discharged from bankruptcy
1943 Apr 30. London Gazette CORPS OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. Movement Control Section. Lt. A. E. P. F. M. G. Van Outryve d'Ydewalle (851), from S. Stafford R., to be Lt. 30 th Mar. 1943 retaining his present seniority.
1943 Jul 16, Died Cardiff ADELIN EUGENE PAUL FIRMAN MARIE GAISLAINE van Outryve d'Ydewalle. aged 42. Son of Clement and Madeleine Van Outryve D'Ydewalle. Husband of Violet Van Outryve D'Ydewalle, of Thursley, Surrey. Father, Clement Marie Paul Ghislain, of Belgium, was naturalized 25 Nov, 1915, together with his children, Adelin and Suzanne. Clement was a military interpreter of Folkestone.