Neither Unionist Nor Nationalist: 10th (Irish) Div in the Great War

[Guest]

Neither Unionist Nor Nationalist: 10th (Irish) Div in the Great War by Stephen Sandford.

This is an important book for anyone interested in the complex history of the Irish in the Great War. The book was published a year ago and its title may explain why it is not particularly well known. I feel if the author put the sub-title first he might get a wider audience. It covers a range of issues, however the most compelling part of the book tackles head-on the thorny issue of just how 'Irish' this Irish Division was. Through some rigorous analysis he manages to dispel some myths that have persisted in the story of Irish recruiting the Great War. It is a subject where academic rigour can occasionally be subordinated to some high emotion. He tackles the subject with considerable balance and comes to some interesting conclusions.

Background. While there have been some notable histories of Irish formation and the Irish contribution to the Great War, most inevitably come unstuck when discussing the awkward issue of recruiting. The earliest history of this formation laid down a few myths that have been recycled through the years. Irish recruiting for the 10th (Irish) Div faltered in Aug-Sep 1914 due to the political stand-off by both Nationalists and Unionists with the British Govt in the hope of creating their own formations. This strategy paid off with the creation of the politically driven 16th (Irish) Div and 36th (Ulster) Div in Sep 1915, however it was to have dire consequences for the 10th (Irish) Div. Due to the stand-off, recruiting was desperately slow. When the politically driven formations started, they attracted large swathes of recruits in what was a limited pool of volunteers. While other Divisions in K1 managed to recruit surpluses within weeks of being authorised, the 10th (Irish) Div remained under-strength. At one stage the War Office considered moving the Division back to K2. A compromise was found in surplus English recruits who were ordered to the 10th (Irish) Div in their thousands in Sep 1914 to fill the ranks.

The arrival of these English recruits so early in the recruiting process was an inconvenient truth that required some explaining. In the introduction to "The 10th (Irish) Divison at Gallipoli" by Bryan Cooper (formerly of the 5th Bn Connaught Rangers), the nationalist politician John Redmond argued that the arrival of English Recruits was for some 'unexplained reason a number of English recruits were suddenly sent over to join its ranks. They were quite unnecessary.". Cooper comes to the rescue, explaining that "when these 'Englishmen' joined their battalions, it was found that a large proportion of them were Roman Catholics rejoicing in such names as Dillon, Doyle and Kelly, the sons and grandsons of Irishmen who had settled in England'. Bryan Cooper's book gains more authority and credibility with appreciations by Asquith, Balfour, Sir Edwward Carson as well as John Redmond.

Cooper's view has been recycled for many years and even built on. More recently Tom Johnstone in his "Orange Green and Khaki:The Story of Irish Regiments in the Great War" has argued that "By a tradition existing in the British Army since Napoleonic times English Roman Catholics were usually sent to Irish Regiments, in this case the 10th [irish] Division New Army Battalions. Not unnaturally most of these were reported as being descended from Irish immigrants of the nineteenth century. This is partially confirmed by the names and places of birth shown in the casualty lists" and uses Bryan Cooper's history as the reference.

While there has been some very detailed analysis over the years by the likes of Nicholas Perry (Nationality in the Irish Infantry regiments in the First World War), Peter Karsten (Irish Soldiers in the British Army 1792-1922: Suborned or Subordinated), Patrick Casey (Irish Casualties in the First World War) and Patrick Callan (Recruiting for the British Army in Ireland during the First World War), none have really dealt with the alleged Irish heritage of the English recruits in 1914. The default position has largely been left with Bryan Coopers work of 1918. Unfortunately Coopers claims have rather weak foundations.

Stephen Sandford, using a combination of SDGW data, Service Records, Pension Records, diaries, obituaries, contemporary newspaper reports and regimental histories slowly dismantles Coopers claims. He traces hundreds of men in the large English drafts and subjects the data to some careful forensic analysis; He provides compelling evidence that the drafts were largely Englishmen with no Irish heritage and with little religious leaning towards Roman Catholicism. He unearths some important evidence from English newspapers and the Anglican Chaplain to the 10th (Irish) Division on the numbers involved.

For anyone with an interest in the Irish contribution to the Great War it is essential reading. MG

[Brian Curragh]

I was very keen to get this but ultimately was disappointed with it.

I am not questioning the work that has gone into it - you would expect that from what is the publication of Stephen Sandford's PhD thesis. But that is exactly what it is - a PhD thesis. A quarter of the book is based on a comprehensive statistical analysis of the the Division's men - very interesting but not overly readable. Another third of the book looks at the popular PhD themes of leadership and morale - again, good stuff but this has been covered elsewhere. That leaves approximately 40% of the book which looks at the Division's pre-theatre preparation; its time on Gallipoli and to a much lesser extent, Salonica & Gaza, and concludes with the lessons that can be learned from its wartime role.

This book is full of good content but the 10th (Irish) Division is still waiting for a thorough divisional history.