Military Legal Staff of the Judge Advocate General - Ireland 1921

[RedCoat]

Hi all,

Does anyone know much about the Military Legal Staff of the Judge Advocate General in Ireland in 1921? I can find very little!

From my research and the very few sources I have been able to find, its my understanding that:- Prior to Martial Law being declared in an Irish County, a small number of British Officers were selected and approved by the Judge Advocate General, based on their qualifications and experience. The Officers were posted as a group to an Area Headquarters and were tasked solely with the smooth implementation and running of Martial Law. 

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An interesting excerpt from Hansard describes the selection of Courts Martial Officers below:-

COURTS-MARTIAL (JUDGE ADVOCATES).

HC Deb 03 March 1921 vol 138 c19891989

Mr. WATERSON asked the Chief Secretary what precise degree of legal training is required of a Judge-Advocate at a court-martial?

Sir H. GREENWOOD Judge Advocates at courts-martial in Ireland are persons approved by the Judge Advocate General as having a sufficient degree of legal training and experience. In addition, when the trial is on a capital charge under the Restoration of Order in Ireland Act, the Court must include as member a person certified by the Lord Chancellor of Ireland or the Lord Chief Justice of England to be a person of legal knowledge and experience.

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Another reference from 1922 to the "Military Legal Staff" in Ireland:-

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I know for example that my Great Grandfather was one of a team of at least 8 (many of whom had pre / post war careers in the Justice system) operating from Brigade HQ at the Infantry Barracks in Waterford - they were dedicated to the task of Martial Law in Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and occasionally Cork.

One of my Great Grandfathers colleagues William Everard Dickson became a successful Metropolitan Police Magistrate after the war. His obituary from 1945 states that he "served on the Military Legal Staff" in Ireland:-

 

Slightly rambling I know, but if you search google for Military Legal Staff in Ireland there is next to nothing there. I would be grateful if any forum member with knowledge or experience in this area could join the quest to help me uncover a little more about these men.

Kind regards
RC

[doyle3]

the book on W E Wylie by Leon O'Broin  doesn't list any names that I can remember.

Have you tried some of the court martial records on FindMyPast for names?

[FROGSMILE]

Has @corisandeseen this?  It occurred to me that he might perhaps have come across the subject area when researching the Cairo Gang and other similar matters associated with those times.

Edited 12 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[corisande]

2 of the men shot on Bloody Sunday in Nov 1920 were Courts Martial Officers

Capt. Geoffrey Thomas Baggallay  https://bloodysunday.co.uk/murdered-men/baggallay.html

Capt William Frederick Newberry b1875 https://bloodysunday.co.uk/murdered-men/newberry.html

There is dispute as to whether these two were shot because of particular Courts Martial that they were involved with, or whether they were primarily involved in Intelligence in Dublin Castle. Certainly Baggallay was certainly  involved in Intelligence, and probably Newberry as well.

Others may have been targeted and were not  at home when the IRA struck. There were at lot more on the lists than the men shot on Bloody Sunday

I have never tried to research the total numbers of Courts Martial Officers in Ireland at that time. Most Courts Martial were judged by normal Army Officers, rather than lawyers

[doyle3]

This is the search I'm suggesting in FMP.   The term "Legal Officer" appears under Dickson for example and a few others are definitely showing up with this.

[doyle3]

a lot of duplicate rows so number of individuals much reduced

 

Capt Barren/Barran/Barron  (Belfast)

Lt Col H M Meyler (Belfast) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Meyler

Capt E Wiseman (Dublin)

Lt Col E  Longworth (Dublin)

Capt W E Duffin (Dublin)

Lt Col O F Dowson (Dublin)

Lt Col James Acton (Dublin)

Lt Col E H Chapman OBE (Dublin)

Lt Col W F Coe (Dublin)

Edited 12 January , 2022 by doyle3
entered Duffin instead of Dowson

[doyle3]

changing Legal Officer to Judge Advocate brings up a few records. Longworth appears multiple times. Nice 1920 document in one of the files.