Crossbarry Ambush - 19 Mar 1921
The Crossbarry Ambush was one of the largest battles of the Irish War of Independence. It took place at the rural crossroads of Crossbarry, County Cork, around 20 km south west of Cork city. A large body of British troops were attempting to encircle about 100 IRA men.
The British discovered from a prisoner under interrogation that the West Cork Brigade had its headquarters in Ballymurphy and that the IRA Brigade had recently returned to this area. The British therefore mobilised over 1000 men to converge on the area from several different directions. According to Tom Barry, 400 British troops came from Cork, 200 from Ballincollig, 300 from Kinsale and 350 from Bandon. Later in the day about 120 Auxiliaries also left Macroom. At Crossbarry, some of the troops descended from their lorries to proceed on foot or bicycle to try and catch the IRA unaware.
- The encirclement began about 1 a.m.
- Charlie Hurley, the IRA Officer Commanding of the Cork Number Three Brigade, had been wounded at the Upton ambush, and was trapped in a house and killed at about 6:30am.
- Tom Barry was awakened at 2.30 a.m. and told that the sound and lights of lorries were to be heard and seen in the distance. He realised that his 104 men would have to fight their way out of the encirclement. The column was on parade by 3am
- Barry's believed was that his men, who had 40 rounds per man, could not sustain an all day fight
- He also thought that the likelihood was that the column would be trapped if he decided to stand and fight.
- However, Barry observed that one of the British columns advancing towards Crossbarry was well ahead of the other British units. and that this was a weak point in the British line.
- Barry laid out an ambush for the British at Crossbarry cross roads—his men being in position by 5:30 am. The engineering party placed a mine at the eastern end of Crossbarry bridge. A second mine was planted near Harolds Lane at the western end of the ambush area. Only one mine exploded when put to the test, and that was accidentally and killed the IRA man responsible, Monaghan (a British Army deserter).
- Barry had the good luck to have hit the weakest point in the encircling British forces. The lorries that arrived at Crossbarry were nearly empty of troops, as most of their load had been dropped 4 or 5 miles before.
- These troops were under a very junior officer, Lt A F M Tower. He had only been commissioned 3 months previously from Sandhurst. He had in this group 8 Other Ranks with rifles plus the drivers of 8 lorries (armed with pistols)
- Only 3 of the lorries had entered the ambush area when firing started
- The first British lorries came into view of the IRA at 8:00 am. When they reached Crossbarry, they were caught by surprise and hit by a crossfire at very close range—between 5 yards to 10 yards
- They took significant casualties and many of them fled the scene. Barry's men collected the British arms and ammunition before setting fire to 2 lorries.
- At this point, they were attacked again by another British column of about 200, coming from the southwest, but they too retreated after a stiff fire fight.
- Two more British units converging on the area from the southeast tried to dislodge the IRA from their ambush position, but again without success
- Taking the chance offered by his quick victory to get away, Barry then marched his men to safety in the Gurranereigh area, while the British were still disoriented by the ambush.
- There was another brief exchange of fire at long range as the IRA column got away.
- The action had lasted for under an hour.
- There were some further firefights along the IRA column's line of retreat at Crowhill and Rearour but with no further casualties on either side.
- Barry's account does not mention the use of the explosives, but contemporary press accounts reported that the three British lorries were destroyed by a mine planted under the bridge at Crossbarry and detonated as they passed
- Barry reported that three of his men were killed in the fight and another three wounded. British accounts claimed that six IRA men had died.
- The British admitted to 10 killed and three wounded. The RIC memorial records that one RIC constable died.
- The British Inquest is merely an inquest and records how the men died, but does not analyse the ambush.
The British dead were
Also involved were
- Lt Towers - Essex Regt. He died in 1923, undoubted due to wounds from Crossbarry
- L/C White - Essex Regt. Wounded
- L/C Orpin - Essex Regt. Wounded
- Pte Sayer - Essex Regt. Wounded
- Sgt Poole - Essex Regt, probably not wounded
- Sgt Loftus - RASC driver. Wounded
- Sgt Mepham - RASC driver, not wounded. He was driving the last of the 8 empty Crossleys
- Constable Rennie - RIC driver. Wounded
- Pte J. Gardiner , 599628. Essex Rgt. One of the escorts. Not wounded
- Pte CH Moore.65623. RASC Driver of the 5th Crossley
- Sgt Frank Poole got the BEM for his actions here. His citation reads, "Sergeant Poole displayed gallantry in leading a party of young soldiers in action on 19th March, 1921. He also made repeated attempts to bring in a wounded officer lying in an exposed position, under heavy fire".
- Acting Sergeant B. Loftus, 1155 (MT) Coy., R.A.S.C. His citation reads, "This N.C.O. showed great gallantry and initiative in leading men during an ambush on March 19th, 1921. He also made repeated attempts, under heavy fire to rescue a wounded officer lying in an exposed position."
- Acting Sergeant A. Mepham, 1155 (MT) Coy., R.A.S.C. His citation reads, "During an ambush on a convoy of several lorries, the Crown Forces sustained heavy casualties and were forced to leave their lorries and retire on a small farm. Sergeant Mepham seeing the officer in charge of the convoy and several others lying wounded in exposed positions, made his way back to the lorries and drove off one in which he took all the wounded to a place of safety".
British soldiers killed in Ireland