Custom House Burning - 25 May 1921

At least 5 ADRIC were wounded at Custom House Action

• T/Cadet H. Beaumont - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• Section Leader G. H. Lewis - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• T/ Cadet A.G.L. Tottenham - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• Section Leader H.R. Oliver - £450 compensation, but stayed in ADRIC till demobilisation in Jan 1922
• T/Cadet J.A. Goold - he appears to have been back at work by 12 Jul 1921 after medical leave and stayed until Jan 1922 demobilisation
• DI3 JJ Huntingford suffered "slight abrasions"

1921 May 25. At about 13.10 hours, information was received from DMP that the Custom House had been rushed by approximately 100 civilians.

• "F" Company, Auxiliary Division, RIC dispatched 3 tenders plus an Armoured Car. The RIC sent h another armoured car.The leading armoured car arrived about 13.25, endeavoured to prevent the raiders escaping from the Custom House, and succeeded in covering the Southern side."F" Company on arrival, made for the Northern side, and were heavily fired on and bombed on reaching the railway bridge, suffering four casualities.
• About a dozen raiders were seen to run from the Custom House, and were fired on and believed to be hit, but definative report is not to hand.
• About four minutes later, "Q" Company, Auxiliary, RIC ( from North Wall ), who had also been warned, arrived and covered the Eastern side of the Custom House. By this time the Custom House was surrounded but in flames.
• The Auxiliaries entered the front door of the Custom House and found many revolvers and petrol tins. Some of these were taken out, but owing to the heat of the flames the Auxiliaries were compelled to withdraw.
• A large number of civilians came out of the Custom House when it burst into flames, with their hands up, these were all marshalled by the Auxiliaries and head Custom officials were asked to identify their own employees, who were not detained. On completion of identification, about 70 civilians remained, of whom seven showed distinct traces of petrol. These 70 civilians were arrested. Meanwhile, orders had been issued for troops to move from the Royal Barracks and the Castle, those from Royal Barracks ( Wiltshire Regiment ) being in charge of a field officer, who had orders to take over command of the whole operation. This was done, and arrangements were made to withdraw the Auxiliaries and piquet the area with troops
• The ADRIC sent incident reports to the Raid Bureau which give a full acount of the ADRIC action by a number of ADRIC men
• F Coy arrested 15 men and gave individual reports

The Blue Ensign on the roof of the Custom House was rescued by T/Cadet Robert Stobo Simpson, and taken back to the UK. It was later sold by him through Spinks with a note "The Blue Ensign with the Imperial Crown in the corner, which I now dispose of the Messrs Spink and Son, Ltd, was taken down by me, on the occasion of the burning of the Customs House in Dublin, during the Sinn Fein Troubles, 1921-1922". The flag was purchased by Major Gerald Moutray of Aughnacloy and stayed in his private collection for many years, before being sold in 1951

The IRA casualties were

Killed

Capt. Paddy O,Reilly
Lt. Stephen O,Reilly
Dan Head
Eddie Dorins
Sean Doyle

Wounded

Comdt. T.Ennis
Lt. J.Slattery
J.Ward

Civilians

A number of civilians were killed

• Francis Davis (63) (inquest report)
• Patrick Lawless (Clerk in the Local Government Office) (inquest report)
• James Connolly (quay labourer). (inquest report)
• John Byrne - it took a whilefor him to be identified

Evidence given by ADRIC men to the inquiry was from DI3 HHR Towse of Q Coy who took 12 men in a lorry plus another detachment on foot and DI2 KF Crang of F Coy with 3 tenders of Auxiliaries

ADRIC men who were at the scene include

F Coy

• DI1 RE Capern - OC F Coy
• DI2 KF Crang - 2nd in Command F Coy
• DI3 JJ Huntingford - Platoon Commander F Coy - suffered "slight abrasions"
• DI3 DMcM O'Byrne - F Coy Intelligence Officer
• Section Leader H.R. Oliver - £450 compensation, but stayed in ADRIC till demobilisation in Jan 1922
• Section Leader G. H. Lewis - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• T/Cadet RS Simpson,
• T/Cadet H. Beaumont - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• T/ Cadet A.G.L. Tottenham - he was discharged 25 Nov 1921, having been in hospital or on medical leave since the Custom House incident
• T/Cadet J.A. Goold - he appears to have been back at work by 12 Jul 1921 after medical leave and stayed until Jan 1922 demobilisation
• T/Cadet T Sparrow he enter the building with Corson. Mentioned in Byrne's report
• T/Cadet WMcC Corson - he enter the building with Corson. Mentioned in Byrne's report
• T/Cadet SH Cooper - mentioned in Sparrows report

Q Coy

• DI3 HHR Towse

Incidents