AmicableAlien Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 Hi! I'm doing a special topic on Major Percival I/O of the Essex Regiment that was stationed in Bandon, Co. Cork from 1920 until the truce. Would anyone have any suggestions (apart from Tom Barry's Guerilla Days in Ireland, Patrick Harte's The IRA and its Enemies and Meda Ryan's Tom Barry:IRA Freedom Fighter and Major Percival's own lectures - I have all of those!) where I could find more information? Preferably from an English point of view. REQUIRED QUICKLY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 I think it would help us greatly if you could outline the details you already have about whatever aspect of Percival's career your topic is about and, as such, what gaps you are seeking to fill. Incidentally, why is the topic "special" and what's the urgency? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 12 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2009 I think it would help us greatly if you could outline the details you already have about whatever aspect of Percival's career your topic is about and, as such, what gaps you are seeking to fill. Incidentally, why is the topic "special" and what's the urgency? John The Special Topic is a section of the Leaving Certificate History in which the student chooses a particular area of interest in History for example a friend of mine is studying Golda Mier and then writes an essay proving or disproving a statement with information they have gathered. The urgency is that I have to have a list of the paragraphs I will use for my essay by next thursday and I am finding it slightly difficult to find any sources that are reasonably biased towards the English on Major Percival or the Essex regiment in Bandon. While there are several works on the period by Irish authors, many of these would, naturally, have a more republican slant on the situation. For example Meda Ryan would have a very Republican view on the Irish War of Independence. I would appreciate it if anyone could suggest any English authors who have written on the Irish War of the Independence. I have information about the Patrick Harte/John Hales imprisonment but I would prefer slightly more detail. I have information on the Crossbarry Ambush. I would appreciate more detail/information on Major Percival's part in the Essex Regiment's reprisals, more information on the infamous *Essex Torture Squad* and more about his attitude towards the Irish people. Furthermore I would like more detailed information on Percival's *Mobility units* Thanks very much for any help you can offer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 The only thing I could add is that I believe this is the Percival who went on to command in Singapore. More pertinently, is this off-topic for a Great War Forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 More pertinently, is this off-topic for a Great War Forum? I believe it is. I'd presumed the OP was after some war period background information about the man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 Hi, There have been a couple of threads earlier where Percival was discussed. Here & here. Cheers, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 I believe it is. I'd presumed the OP was after some war period background information about the man. I'd read it differently. I'd say he was looking for Percival's role in the less-savoury bits of the events in post-War Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 Yes, I realise that now, Steve. But hadnt been sure from the original post. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 If it's the Percival who was in charge at Singapore, then he was a (very capable) officer of the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, and then of the 54th Infantry Brigade Staff. I've not heard about his involvement in Ireland, however. Can you tell us the first names of the Major Percival you are looking at.... Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 12 April , 2009 Share Posted 12 April , 2009 Ah, yes. I think it is the same man.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Ernest_Percival He was awarded the DSO and MC during the Great War. Steve. EDIT: Sorry, guys. Didn't see the last few posts before posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 14 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 14 April , 2009 I'd read it differently. I'd say he was looking for Percival's role in the less-savoury bits of the events in post-War Ireland. Yes! I was. You see I'm making the statement in my Leaving Certificate Special Topic that he wasn't as black as some of the Republican historians and Tom Barry paint him. For this I need information about both sides of the story, incidents where he... overstepped the line and incidents where IRA propaganda has just taken over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 21 April , 2009 Share Posted 21 April , 2009 Everything you need is in the book "Scapegoat General Percival of Singapore" by Clifford Kinvig. Gives a good life history. Lots on the Ireland issue and Black and Tans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 21 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 21 April , 2009 Everything you need is in the book "Scapegoat General Percival of Singapore" by Clifford Kinvig. Gives a good life history. Lots on the Ireland issue and Black and Tans Thanks very much! I'll look into it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 5 May , 2009 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2009 Everything you need is in the book "Scapegoat General Percival of Singapore" by Clifford Kinvig. Gives a good life history. Lots on the Ireland issue and Black and Tans I just got the book and I agree with you it's a wonderful reference. Thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob elliott Posted 5 May , 2009 Share Posted 5 May , 2009 Amicable Alien, Another book, from the Bristh perspective is 'British Voices from the Irish war on independence' by William Sheehan. Percival gets a section to himself, based on his lectures but there is other references to the Essex regiment. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 6 May , 2009 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2009 Amicable Alien, Another book, from the Bristh perspective is 'British Voices from the Irish war on independence' by William Sheehan. Percival gets a section to himself, based on his lectures but there is other references to the Essex regiment. Rob Thanks very much for the recommendation. I have the book myself and I found it really useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 18 May , 2009 Share Posted 18 May , 2009 I just got the book and I agree with you it's a wonderful reference. Thank you very much! Glad to have been of help. Percival's papers are available to researchers at the IWM library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley_C_Jenkins Posted 21 May , 2009 Share Posted 21 May , 2009 I was a little curious about the reference to Major Percival's "attitude towards the Irish people". and then I saw some of the stuff that has been posted on Wikipedia (and elsewhere), and all became clear. Major Percival has become one of the "bad guys" of IRA propaganda - and why let a good story stand in the way of truth? Just a thought about his "attitude to the Irish people"; he cannot have had any particular dislike of them, or he would not have met and fallen in live with Betty MacGregor Greer, the daughter of Thomas MacGregor Greer of Tullylagan, in County Tyrone. They had one daughter, Dorinda Margery, later Lady Dunleath, and one son, James. I understand that he met Betty during his controversial posting in Ireland during the "Black & Tan" campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmicableAlien Posted 15 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 15 September , 2009 I was a little curious about the reference to Major Percival's "attitude towards the Irish people". and then I saw some of the stuff that has been posted on Wikipedia (and elsewhere), and all became clear. Major Percival has become one of the "bad guys" of IRA propaganda - and why let a good story stand in the way of truth? Just a thought about his "attitude to the Irish people"; he cannot have had any particular dislike of them, or he would not have met and fallen in live with Betty MacGregor Greer, the daughter of Thomas MacGregor Greer of Tullylagan, in County Tyrone. They had one daughter, Dorinda Margery, later Lady Dunleath, and one son, James. I understand that he met Betty during his controversial posting in Ireland during the "Black & Tan" campaign. He met Betty when he was posted to Carrigaline AFTER his controversial posting to Bandon. They exchanged letters for several years while Percival was away in England at the Staff College and I think they married in 1927 or so. Thanks for the information on Dorinda though - I never knew that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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