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1923. Deportation of Irish from Britain 1923.

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1923. Deportation of Irish from Britain 1923. An Extremely Rare and Remarkable Collection of Photographic Postcards. This rare collection of cards consists of: (1) A Photo taken from HMS Violent of male deportees landed from the HMS Wolfhound at North Wall Dublin in 1923. There are two trucks with deportees aboard and armed military on the ground guarding them, with armoured truck in the background; (2) Deportees crossing from the Violent to the Wolfhound at Dublin; (3) & (4) Doctors, wardresses & ships officers on HMS Wolfhound (Ireland); (5) Female deportees landing from the Wolfhound at North Wall Dublin with transport awaiting them; (6) The final photo shows both ships docked alongside each other at Belfast. In March 1923 over 100 Irish men and women were arrested in night raids on houses in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Bootle, Glasgow & other Scottish towns. They were arrested on an order signed by the Home Secretary, Mr. Bridgeman. The document quoted the Defence of the Realm and the Restoration of Order Act Ireland as the authorities for the action taken. Some of the men arrested in London were told by arresting officers that if they could assure the Irish Free State authorities that they were not engaged in Republican work they would be released. The arrests were on charges formulated by The Irish Free State. 110 prisoners, including 19 women arrived in Dublin aboard HMS Castor accompanied by the destroyers Violent and Wolfhound. They were taken by motor chars-a-bancs to Mountjoy jail. They were escorted by armoured cars & patrols of National Troops held the streets until the prisoners were safely lodged. There was considerable uproar in the House of Commons, because apparently among those arrested and deported were British citizens who had been born in Britain. The whole internment process was aimed at thwarting anti Free State activity in Britain. These rare postcards illustrate an almost forgotten episode in the early history of the Free State.

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