An ambush in which 8 British soldiers, 2 IRA men and 3 civilians died at Headford Junction Station. There were 28 soldiers and 30 IRA men involved. A train with a machine gun truck, carried the soldiers and a fair number of civilians. An unplanned shot strted the ambush. The machine gun truck never got firing, and was never able to be operated again by the British as it was too exposed for an survivors to reach. After that the surviving Bitish soldiers got protection under the train, and the IRA posions could not dislodge them. A stalemate was therefore reach, which was only broken when 50 minutes later another troop train arrived, and the IRA short of men and ammunition, withdrew without any further losses.
Headford Junction ambush in Tuesday 21 March 1921, when IRA units ambushed a train carrying 28 Royal Fusiliers soldiers outside Killarney.The Irish Times described the battle at the time as "one of the fiercest that has yet taken place between crown forces and rebels in the south of Ireland".
The train movements are part of the story and what happened was this
The IRA's Second Kerry Brigade tried unsuccessfully several times to ambush British forces. On 21 March, the IRA party was billeted around four miles from the Headford railway junction when they heard that British troops were returning by train from Kenmare to Tralee. They knew that the British would have to change at Headford, so that an ambush ws possible. Dan Allman was in overall command with Tom McEllistrim as second in command, and under them were 28 volunteers. They reached the junction 12 minutes before the train arrived. They moved 3 open trucks and a van that would have obscured their view of the arriving troop train. Ten men were stationed on the Mallow side of the junction , McEllistrim was in the station-masters house with 4 men. The railway staff just had time to flee the scene before the train pulled into the platform. Trains from Kenmare pulled in on the south side of the platform, the troops would get out and wait for the arrival of the Mallow to Tralee train at the north side of the platform. Once detrained the soldiers would form in two ranks up with two flanking rows of 5 men each side and hold tht position until the Mallow train arrived. The plan was to blast the soldiers in their tight formation, and then seize their weapons, including the Vickers gun
The positions that the 30 IRA took up, some hurridly due to the early arrival of the train, were
The Royal Fusiliers archives yields "On March 21st., Adams and 27 men of B Company were coming into Killarney from Kenmare. B Company was overdue for relief, but it had been postponed several times owing to the difficulty in preventing the news leaking out. Eventually orders tomove half a company that day were issued to C Company ( the relieving company) only an hour before their train left at 9.20. Adams party left Kenmare at 1.50, arrived at Headford Junction at 3.o'clock. As the first men were getting out of the train – they had to change at Headford – fire was opened on them by concealed men from banks on both sides the line and from station buildings. The rebels had a machine gun in the stationmaster's house. Adams and the three senior NCOs were knocked out at once. Eight of the party were killed and eleven wounded. But the few survivors got what cover they could and put up such a stout fight that for 50 minutes the Sinns, who outnumbered them by certainly 10 to 1, and probably much more, did not dare to make a move.
Train with Vickers protection
The train arrived 10 minutes early and Dan Allman, Johnny O'Connor and Dan Healy were in the middle of the main platform, so they took refuge in the toilets. The train was carrying 28 soldiers of the First Royal Fusiliers. As well as the soldiers, the train carried cattle and pig farmers, on their way back from the market in Kenmare. Most of the civilians had already got off when the British soldiers began to disembark. However one soldier, for obvious reasons made a bee line for the public lavatory. There he found Allman and his men, and in the scuffle that followed, Allman shot the soldier with his revolver. That shot started the ambush. Several soldiers at the front of the engine were shot by McEllistrim who recalled that they were only 10 yards from his group. Other soldiers were shot on the platform.
One of the first of the British casualties was their officer, Lieutenant CE Adams DCM, who was shot in the chest when he appeared at the carriage door. The L/Cpl following him, Chandler, was also killed. The surviving British troops opened fire from the train, while those who had got off scrambled underneath it for cover. Once uder the train they were fairly safe, as the IRA men on the embankments could not get a shot at them. The IRA concentrated their fire on the Vickers machine gun on the front carriage manned by a sergeant and four men. The were soon killed or wounded, and the Vickers gun fell silent. Several attempts were made by the British to get to the gun to use it again, but these attempts were prevented by IRA fire from the men on the embankment.
Allman, Healy and Jim Coffey (an ex-British soldier) decided to make a dash for the guards van at the rear of the train, with the intent of eliminating the soldiers hiding under the train. They launched a Mills bomb at soldier who showed himself. At this point Coffey was wounded in the arm, and Allman died from a shot in the chest. The Healy Story book contains an account of the Headford Ambush. Danny Healy, took part in the ambush. Dan Allman edged out from the shelter of the ramp to fire at the enemy, a hidden sniper sent a bullet through his lung. He was immediately pulled him back into cover by 2 of the IRA men, but it was obvious to them that he had been fatally wounded for blood gushed from his mouth, ears and nostrils and a green and gold resetter worn on lapel of the coat was dyed a vivid red. They heard him gasp ‘water’ and he tapped his breast. They knew that the dying man was referring to the little bottle of holy water which he always carried in his vest pocket. Healy took out the little black bottle and sprinkled him with the water. Reluctantly, they left Allman’s body lying on the platform as they were not able to take it away with them.
Bailey was killed on the embankment by shots from the train. Coffey made his way to the station master's house to tell McEllistrim of the two deaths. McEllistrim called on the British to surrender, but the answer was "Never". At around this point the Mallow train arrived (remember that there were 45 minutes scheduled as the gap between the trains, so the implication is that the fight lasted about this length of time). It was pushing a heavily sandbagged machine gun truck in front of it. The British de-trained and engaged the IRA, who decided to withdraw. They came under heavy fire from the British, but do not appear to have suffered any further casualties
From the Royal Fusiliers archives. On March 21st., Adams and 27 men of B Company were coming into Killarney from Kenmare.B Company was overdue for relief, but it had been postponed several times owing to the difficulty in preventing the news leaking out. Eventually orders to move half a company that day were issued to C Company ( the relieving company) only an hour before their train left at 9.20. Adams party left Kenmare at 1.50, arrived at Headford Junction at 3.o'clock. As the first men were getting out of the train – they had to change at Headford – fire was opened on them by concealed men from banks on both sides the line and from station buildings. The rebels had a machine gun in the stationmaster's house. Adams and the three senior NCOs were knocked out at once. Eight of the party were killed and eleven wounded. But the few survivors got what cover they could and put up such a stout fight that for 50 minutes the Sinns, who outnumbered them by certainly 10 to 1, and probably much more, did not dare to make a move. At 3.50 another train from Mallow was due. By a lucky chance Clarke who had escaped by a miracle in the Millstreet ambush was on this train with fourteen men who had been on escort duty to Cork. Hearing fire ahead he stopped his train, got his men extended out across the line and beat up towards the station. That was quite enough for the rebels, who fled precipitately. They left their leader – a battalion commander – and one other man – a bomber – dead behind them, and two other bodies were seen during the persuit. From the number of funerals which took place in the neighbouring churches during the few days following it is surmised and hoped that they may have lost even more. The “I” Branch have put it as high as fourteen Burials
From an IRA account by Denis Prendiville After the Clonbanin ambush a brigade was formed. Myself Michael O’Leary, David McCarthy were brought in. We spent time in training at the gap of Dunloe under the joint command of Dan Allman and Thomas McEllistrim. The strength of the column was about 30. The first fight of the column was Headford in March 1921, I think the 21st. We were billeted some miles from Headford and when word came we ran all the way to the station. We were moving some wagons from the line when the train from Kenmare came in. We had no prepared positions and scrambled in to position as best we could. I was in a section commanded by Davit McCarthy. We were on the railway embankment with very little cover, but a good field of fire. I think most of the military were put out of action early on, but some two or three got down on the tracks under the train and kept up a continuous fire. No doubt they could have been dislodged but a full train of troops entered the station and we had to withdraw. I understand that 26 of the 30 British soldiers were knocked out. Two of Ours, Dan Allman, and Jim Bailey – were killed, and Jim Coffey was wounded.
The Court of Inquiry, which was presided over by a Colonel in the Gunners, brought in a Finding which included the following passage “The Court, before proceeding to finding desire to place on record their admiration for the gallant fight put up by a small party of the 1st.Battalion Royal Fusiliers, against very heavy odds, and in spite of their unfavourable position and the loss of their Officer and senior Non-Commissioned Officer’s at the very moment of the fight.”
The British casualties were
Other British Soldiers
IRA casualties
Civilian deaths - three civilians were killed
1921 Jun 14 Compensation awards
British Soldiers killed in Ireland