Havoc: The Auxiliaries in Ireland's War of Independence

by Paul O'Brien

They were sent over here to break the people and they were a far more dangerous force than the Black and Tans. - Commandant Tom BarryIn 1919, Ireland was plunged into a brutal guerrilla war. Although unconventional warfare made the British government uncomfortable, senior politicians realised a specialist unit was needed to fight the insurgency. In July 1920, a paramilitary corps of former soldiers was deployed in a supportive role to the police. Trained for swift, surgical assaults and sent into a war zone with little or no understanding of the conflict or the locals, the Auxiliary Division of the RIC trailed a wake of death, hatred and destruction in incidents such as the Burning of Cork, the Limerick Curfew Murders and the Battle of Brunswick Street.Inaccurate reporting and IRA propaganda also influenced the impression of these soldiers as bogeymen. As long as operations and personnel records remain unexamined, their legacy will be mired in hearsay.Drawing on archival material from the bloody annals of British imperial policy, Paul O'Brien reconstructs the actions of the Auxiliaries, providing a balanced examination of their origins and operations, without glossing over the brutal details. By capturing key insights from their manoeuvres, he gives a controversial account of a side of the War of Independence rarely studied from an Irish perspective.

Genres: Military History

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2017

Reviews

[Robert Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Cry havoc, and slip the dogs of war!" This book is aptly named "Havoc" because the opus morandi of the British Auxilaries, let loose on early twentieth century Ireland, was one of wanton destruction of homes and property, and of random violence, to include murder of civilians. Authorised by Winston Churchill the Auxies were to be an augumentation of the Royal Irish Constabulary, sorely stretched by attacks from insurgents. They complemented the prescence of the more widely known and infamous Black and Tans. It should be noted, however, as is made clear in the book, the Auxiliaries were more terrifying in their reprisals than the Tans. The author, an accredited historian with many other published works, provides a balanced in-depth examination of the struggle between Volunteers and Auxiliaries giving an unprejudiced view of the actions of both sides. The material is thoroughly researched. Descriptive prose, with photographs throughout, makes a satisfying if not enjoyable read. It is educational and above all factual.