British Cabinet
Conference
Introduction from Chronology
A British cabinet conference decides that “all the requirements of the
Irish Executive should be promptly met”.
However, they subsequently walk back somewhat from this decision.
More Detail
Macready (see Mar-23-20/2) had submitted a request to cabinet for
substantially extra transport including 234 motor vehicles, eight extra
infantry battalions and a large number of technical and intelligence
personnel. Macready explained that his strategy
will be based on Army mobility. (CIGS
Wilson complained in his diary that Macready had not consulted him before
submitting his request to cabinet.)
The decision was made to accede to Macready’s request. However, after Wilson intervened, instead of
being sent, it was agreed that the eight battalions would be held ‘in
readiness’ should they be requested and that “General Macready undertook, in
calling for them, to have the utmost regards for the War Office exigencies”.
(See Hanky’s diary of May 23rd.)
According to the BA’s The Record
of the Rebellion, four of the eight battalions arrived in Ireland in May
and June (including the soon to be notorious 2nd Battalion of the
Cameron Highlanders). They were posted
to BA’s Dublin District and the BA’s 6th Infantry Division
(Munster). In late June and early July, three more battalions were sent to
Derry City and Belfast in the aftermath of the riots in those cities.
This conference of ministers also agreed that “a special officer, with
suitable qualifications and experience, should be appointed to supervise the
entire organisation of the Irish police … who should have at his disposal a
small staff, including a first-rate Intelligence Officer to co-ordinate and
develop the Intelligence Services” – see May-15-20/1.
In addition,
Churchill agrees to submit a proposal to cabinet for the raising of a special
emergency Gendarmerie. This proposal was referred to a committee and, on May
19th, this committee, chaired by the relatively new
commander-in-chief of the British Army in Ireland, General Nevil Macready,
rejected the proposal saying that the concept of Gendarmerie is alien. The
committee gave a number of reasons. One
of the main reasons they gave (with some prescience) was “police discipline is
too weak in the circumstances now prevailing in Ireland” to control such a
force. (However, see May-31-20/1)