Irishmen, by & large, are poor sailors but excellent admirals. The late Earl Beatty was an Irish admiral. So is Edward VIII’s chief naval aide-de-camp, Admiral Sir William (“Ginger”) Boyle. Irish Dramatist Lord Dunsany’s brother, Vice Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, is Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, and the principal naval aide-de-camp to George V was an Admiral Kelly.
Officially retired since 1919, and living quietly in his home at Castletownshend, near Skibbereen, last week was still another Irish admiral, Henry Boyle Townshend Somerville. His Majesty’s Government have worried greatly in recent months over the difficulty of finding British recruits for their rapidly expanding Navy and air force. Admiral Somerville had done much better. Hunting likely young men throughout the Irish Free State who were in need of a job, he saw to it that dozens of them were able to make their way across St. George’s Channel to enlist in the British Navy. In many a Dublin back room, in many a country pub, grim-faced young Irish republicans vowed to get even with Admiral Somerville.
Comfortable though the Admiral’s cottage is, it has not yet been wired for electricity. At 9:30 one evening last week he sat in his small drawing room reading the papers to his wife. There came a crunching of feet in the gravel driveway. An elderly housemaid announced that some young men wished to speak to the Admiral.
“Hmph,” said he, “more recruits!”
He picked up a flickering oil lamp, went out to the hall. Mrs. Somerville, at her knitting, could hear every word.
“Are you Mr. Somerville?” said a voice.
“I am Admiral Somerville, young man.”
There was a shot. The lamp crashed to the floor. Mrs. Somerville rushed screaming to the dining room for another lamp, but it blew out before she could reach the hall. In the dark she heard the pounding of running feet on the gravel again. The Admiral was still breathing when she reached him, but he died before a doctor could be summoned. By his body lay a card: RECRUITER FOR THE BRITISH. THIS IS A WARNING! By the door was a crumpled British recruiting poster and another card. It read:
“A British agent who has sent 52 boys to the British Navy within the last few months. He will send no more.”
In the Dail Eireann last week the Free State’s Army bill was passed providing it with an Army of 5,900 regulars, 5,800 reserves, 18,500 volunteers at a total cost of $7,650,000.
Cried Sir Osmond Grattan Esmonde, pro-British Member from Waterford: “Since you know you cannot defend yourself with such a force, you are relying on the British fleet for protection.”
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