Comdt. Vincent Byrne, E Company, 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Old IRA.

Comdt. Vincent Byrne, E Company, 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Old IRA.

I have put online some material which once belonged to Commandant Vincent (Vinny) Byrne, 2nd Battalion, Dublin Brigade, Old I.R.A. here ;

http://www.militaria-archive.com/independence/vinny-byrne.html

It is a small collection of :

Documents

http://www.militaria-archive.com/independence/vb-docu/index.html

Photographs / postcards

http://www.militaria-archive.com/independence/vb-photo/index.html

Scrapbook he kept throughout the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War

http://www.militaria-archive.com/independence/vb-scrapb1/index.html

&

http://www.militaria-archive.com/independence/vb-scrapb2/index.html


For those who don't know Vincent Byrne joined the Irish Volunteers in 1915 at the age of 14. He paraded and drilled with them, then fought in the 1916 Easter Rising at Jacobs Mills alongside men such as Thomas MacDonagh, John McBride and Mick McDonnell (later leader of Michael Collins' counter intelligence unit 'The Squad'). During the Irish War of Independence Vinny Byrne (despite being the youngest), joined and became a prolific member of Michael Collins 'Squad', also known as the '12 Apostles.'

Taking part in the standard guerilla warfare activities of intelligence gathering, raids for weapons, vehicles and supplies, ambushes, attacks and assasinations all throughout the Irish War of Independence (January 1919 - Truce July 1921), I have included a sample timeline of approximately one year's activities throughout the War of Independence on the webpage. He famously took part in the Bloody Sunday executions of British intelligence officers ('Cairo Gang') throughout Dublin, and is quoted as saying ""The Lord have mercy on your souls. I then opened fire with my Peter. They both fell dead."

I have split the collection in to three parts, one for photographs and postcards, one for Documents, and the last part for the scrapbook proper (the scrapbook is also split into two).

Here are a few samples from the Documents/Letters section :

Letters & Documents

Card from Sean Doyle to Vincent Byrne December 1919. Doyle was also a member of Michael Collins Squad and was later wounded at the Customs House attack.




Vincent Byrne Irish War of Independence era handwritten notes on the workings of a 'Peter the Painter' Mauser machine pistol.



Evidence statement of Colonel Commandant Tom Keogh 're Dowling' (possibly Major Charles Milne Cholmeley Dowling shot by Michael Collins Squad at 28 Pembroke Street on Bloody Sunday, 21 November 1920). Document prepared for Corrigan and Corrigan solicitors Dublin.





Letter to Colonel-Commandant Tom Keogh (former Collins Squad member) 9th July 1922. At this time early in the Irish Civil War Keogh was leading the pro-treaty 'Wexford Expeditionary Force' of 230 men, one field gun and four armoured vehicles in engagements against the anti-treaty IRA.