Capt Jocelyn Lee Hardy, DSO, MC and bar

[corisande]

I have been researching the Bloody Sunday shootings in Dublin on 21 Nov 1920, both the men that died and those that were on the list but survived.

One of the men who survived was this man Capt Jocelyn Lee Hardy, DSO, MC and bar and I have a web page on what I know of him click here

Extraordinary story of a man

• commissioned into Connaught Rangers Jan 1914
• captured 1914
• several abortive efforts to escape (his book is out of print, nobody has it do they?)
• eventually got back to Britain awarded MC
• goes back to front, wins second MC and get leg blown off
• also awarded DSO and at least 1 MID
• after the war goes to Ireland in Intelligence, apparently to F Company of Auxiliaries in Dublin Castle
• is on Collins list for assassination, but was not at home when they called looking for him on Bloody Sunday
• was involved with Capt King in some very suspect deaths of men in captivity and particularly brutal interrogations
• retired to England on independence and wrote a number of novels

If we can avoid the discussions on whether he was right or not in interrogation methods - the thread will disappear in flames - I know those arguments on both sides, and stifle proper discussion. Can anyone add to what I have on his military career either in Prison Camp, in the army after his escape, or his time in Ireland, or indeed his civilian life before or after the army.

[mhifle]

Hi,

This is from 'The Connaught Rangers' by Jourdain & Fraser Vol 3

When he landed in France he was a 2nd Lieutenant with 'D' Company.

Regards Mark

[Carmania]

This is his entry in Who Was Who:

HARDY, Major Jocelyn Lee

DSO 1919; MC

Born 1894; m 1919, Kathleen Isabel, d of Alec Hutton Potts; died 30 May 1958

Connaught Rangers (retired)

Career Served European War, 1914–19 (prisoner, despatches, MC, and bar, DSO)

Publications Escape!, 1927; Everything is Thunder; The Key, a play with Robert Gore-Browne; Never in Vain, 1936; Recoil, 1936; The Stroke of Eight, 1938; Pawn in the Game, 1939

Address Chancery Lane, Wells-on-Sea, Norfolk

Aled

[corisande]

Thanks Mark

Though you would have something on him. I had just hit the WW1 button on LG and forgotten to look further

It would appear that he was still a serving soldier in Ireland, though the half pay thing looks odd given his job there in Intelligence, unless another budget was paying the rest of his salary.

[mhifle]

He was captured on 27 Aug 1914 as part of a party of 19 men led by Captain Roche that was after entering a house used as an English hospital in Le Grand Fayt village.

'The men were hardly inside the house when the town filled with Germans, who entered from two different directions.' 'At 6am the enemy discovered their presence. They had to surrender and were made prisoners, afterwards proceeding with the Germans as far as St. Quentin. From there they were sent off to Germany'

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Aled

Thanks, always humbles me the places I never think of looking.

I have never cracked ILN, they don't have a photo of him do they?

[Carmania]

I have never cracked ILN, they don't have a photo of him do they?

I'll have a look.

Aled

[corisande]

Mark

Thanks,

Did the Germans send him to Limburg, or because he was English send him elsewhere.

[mhifle]

The village was actually Maroilles where they where captured. The fighting had been in Le Grand Fayt.

Lieutenant Colonel Abercrombie with Captain Roche, Lieutenant Hardy and some 50 men got through the villsage of Le Grand Fayt at 6pm.

They took up a position about 500 yards to the west of Le Grand Fayt, which they held until 7.30pm.

They were outflanked and retired to the North West.

At 8.30pm they were fired on from a wood to the south, they continued to the North West.

They reached Maroilles as it was getting dark, and expected British troops to arrive there in the morning, so entered two Hospitals for the night.

The Germans then arrived that evening, 26 Aug 1914

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Thanks Mark, I have updated the web page.

[mhifle]

Hi,

Just checked the Army Lists

28 Nov 1918 Army List

Connaught Rangers

1st&2nd Battalions

Captain

Hardy JL, MC 1Jan17 attached 6th Battalion

27 Nov 1919 Army List

Connaught Rangers

1st&2nd Battalions

Captain

Hardy JL, MC 1Jan17 (War Office)

29 Nov 1920 Army List

Half-Pay Officers on the Active List

Captain

Hardy JL, DSO, MC 1Jan17

Regards Mark

[Doug Johnson]

Corisande,

I Escape!; Captain J L Hardy; Dodd, Mead & Co; New York; 1928; Escaped from Halle, Neu Brandenburg, Magdeburg and Ft Zorndorf before making a home run from Schweidnitz with Loder-Symmonds. A copy is in my library.

He was not sent to Limburg as he was an officer. There was a half-hearted attempt to recruit Irish officers (at Magdeburg) by the Germans but it failed.

Doug

[Doug Johnson]

I have checked my database and he is also mentioned in;

In the Hands of the Enemy; Benjamin G. O'Rorke; Longmans Green and Co; London; 1916

Within Four Walls; M C C Harrison and H A Cartwright; Edward Arnold and Co;

I don't think there is much more than a mention in these other books.

Doug

[corisande]

Doug and Mark

Thanks.

"making a home run from Schweidnitz with Loder-Symmonds. "

Do you have a date for when he actually got back to UK. I am having a bit of difficulty in seeing when it was. The web source I saw said 1918, but it mus have been much earlier than that.

It appears that he went to the War Office - presumably as a desk job, then went back to the front where he won the MC

(sheesh, Google never fails to impress me, I have just looked up Loder-Symmonds, and they have your post indexed already!)

[mhifle]

The last Army List I have

29 Nov 1922 Army List

Half-Pay Officers on the Active List

Captain

Hardy JL, DSO, MC 1Jan17

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Mark

Thanks.

he seems therefore to have been on half pay from the Army from Jan 1920 until he retired in April 1925, whilst doing a full time intelligence job in Dublin

In other words, the army, per se, never put him back on full pay

[Doug Johnson]

He boarded at boat at Rotterdam on the 5th March after 3 1/2 years as a PoW. That would make it 1918. The boat sailed a week later. His leave expired mid April and he received orders to return to his unit in France after one month (he does not state whether these were concurrent). After six months in France (five weeks from the end) he was back in England with a bullet in his stomach and his leg in France.

Loder-Symmonds was tragically killed.

He made one escape attempt with a guy named Baschwitz who later made a successful attempt. In April 1918 he travelled to German territory in a balloon where he organized espionage.

Doug

His book has a portrait photograph of him.

Doug

[corisande]

In April 1918 he travelled to German territory in a balloon where he organized espionage.

Just to clarify, this refers to Hardy, not to Baschwitz ?

and..

If Aled cannot find one in ILN, next time you have the scanner out could you do one of his photo for me, please,

[Doug Johnson]

Slight spelling mistake, should be Cpt Willie Loder-Symonds, Wiltshire Regiment, killed in a flying accident as he joined the RFC on his return to England.

Doug

[mhifle]

Hi,

6th Battalion Connaught Rangers 1918

Lieutenant J L Hardy reported for duty from the base 19 April 1918

The Head-quarters staff and transport where at Remilly Werquin the rest of the Battalion had been transferred to the 2nd Leinster Regiment on 13 April 1918

They were employed training American troops arriving in France.

26th April to 15 May 1918 at Blequin training American troops

15 May 1918 Billeted in Desvres

18 May 1918 at Doudeauville continued training American troops

1 June 1918 final detachments of 39th Regiment, 4th Division, US Army arrived for training (39th Regiment, 4th Division & 3 Battalions of the 317th Regiment, 80th Division, US Army were trained in the area)

5 July 1918 Americans left the area.

31 July 1918 orders arrived for remaing personnel to proceed to join the 5th Battalion, The Connaught Rangers

Regards Mark

[Doug Johnson]

Corisande,

Not Hardy, Baschwitz. Hardy mentions it at the end of his book. It just occured to me as being extraordinary, a bit different from being dropped behind the lines by Lysander in WWII!

[corisande]

There is a fairly full article on Willie Loder-Symmonds here

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...20-%200629.html

[corisande]

Mark

Thanks for the Connaught Rangers update. I am getting an extremely full picture of his life during the war now.

[corisande]

Funny the little things you pick up when you put different things together

1918 Mar 5 He boarded at boat at Rotterdam after 3 1/2 years as a PoW. The boat sailed a week later.

1918 Mar 20 Applies for his 1914 ribbon,, from "Hillsbrook, Berkhampstead, Herts". On his MIC

[mhifle]

Hi,

Just checked the War Diary 6th Battalion April 1918

On 22nd April Lt J L Hardy was transferred to 2nd Inniskillings

Regards Mark