3 Officers shot at Fethard - 19 Jun 1921

According to the evidence at the inquest

Ernie O'Malley in "On another man's wound" reveals that he ordered their execution and was present at it. The 3 officers had been captured by 2 IRA scouts. One of the IRA men saw the 3 officers, and raised his rifle and ordered them to halt. The men started to run away, so the IRA man fired a shot wounding one slightly. They stopped and surrendered. Each man had an automatic and identity card. Local people reported that the officers had been searching hedges and asking about IRA dugouts at a house on the hillside where they were caught. O'Malley informed that that they would be shot at dawn the next day, on the grounds that the British executed IRA man that they captured bearing arms. They were moved on and held overnight in a farm house, allowed to write a letter each to their families, and one to Major King at Fethard. They were then taken to the road near a church, and the officers were placed on the grass at the edge of the road.

 

 

 

British soldiers died in Ireland