159 replies to this topic

[PFF]

Who were these members of Cairo gang?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cairo_gang.jpg

[Pighills]

After Googling, I found this:  Click Here

[gaelgoir]

Who were these members of Cairo gang?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cairo_gang.jpg

Cairo gang
Eighteen members apparantly, a photo with each person numbered is well known but in addition to those on the photo a further five were killed on Bloody Sunday.  A month before Francis Christian was killed in Talbot Street at the same time as Sean Treacy and a few days earler  Major Smythe and White were killed at Fernside when Sean Treacy and Dan Breen escaped but Professor Carolan was killed as a reprisal. As far as can be deduced all were eliminated after spectacular counter espionage.  Despite apparant innocence some of those killed on Bloody Sunday had obscure military careers and were undoubtably targeted accurately.



Number on photo

Name

Where killed on 20-11-1920

1

Major Dowling

28 Pembroke St

2

Leonard Price

28 Pembroke St

3

Lewis Maclean

117 Morehampton Road

4

Willaim Frederick Newberry

92 lr Baggot st

5

Lt Peter Ashmun Ames

38 Uppr mount St

6

Capt George Bennett

38 Uppr mount St

7

John Fitzgerald

28 Earlsfort Tce

8

Lt Angliss AKA McMahon

22 Lr Mount St

9

Capt Geoffrey Thomas Bagally

119 Baggott St

10

?

[HERITAGE PLUS]

In his book The Troubles - The Struggle for Irish Freedom 1912-22 Ulick O'Connor captions this photo as being the Igoe Gang.  Do I take it that his caption is wrong?

Dave

[mhifle]

Hi,
     Here is a list in the Times of the men killed by the IRA 20 Nov 1920 , some of whom may have been members of the 'Cairo Gang'.

Regards Mark

Attached Files

•  1920_list.JPG   81.73K   7 downloads

[BLee]

I have a list of eight of the Cairo gang who were shot dead on Bloody Sunday on my website http://irishmedals.org/gpage43.html they are listed under the heading Bloody Sunday. It has been suggested they were called the Cairo gang because they had previous experience of intelligence work in the Middle East but it is more likely they got the name because they regularly met in Café Cairo on Sackville Street.



The Igoe Gang were the intelligence squad that replaced the Cairo Gang, they were under the command of Head Constable Eugene Igoe from Mayo.

[mhifle]

Hi,
    This is from the Times 23 Nov 1920

Regards Mark

Attached Files

•  23nov.JPG   81.73K   5 downloads

[corisande]

I have been intrigued by this photo for some time. My personal interest is that "Capt Fitzgerald" lived in Earlsfort Terrace, as did my grandparents, so it was a bit too close to home for them.

1. Capt Fitzgerald this link has my research on him. The balance of probability was that the IRA got the wrong man. Certainly nobody has claimed "responsibility" for Fitzgerald's death. Anything factual that anyone can add, I am as always grateful

2. The photo

has intrigued me for years. I have not been able to verify the provenance of it. It beggars belief that if it really were a group of spies in mufti, that they would have posed for this photo.
Nowhere have I seem any attempt to verify the people in it, against their actual photos.

3. I have tried to trace any of  Fitzgeralds living relatives to get any more on him, but understandably the family kept a low profile after the shooting.

[mhifle]

Hi,
    From the Dec 1917 Army List

RFC,
Flying Officers,
Fitzgerald Temp 2nd Lt J J  6 Aug 17, 24 May 17 (2nd date Army date for rank etc)

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Mark

Thanks. You may be able to help me here. His MIC on this page clearly says R Irish Regt and does not mention Inniskillings. I am fairly sure that you have the Army list for the right man, but any thoughts about the regiment he was in before RFC

[mhifle]

Hi,

I have the Army List for 31 Oct 1916 where there is no mention, and 28 Nov 1917 which is in my previous post. One thing I did notice is that a lot of 2nd Lt's in the RIR are attached to the Inniskillings.

London Gazette

Air Ministry, Kingsway, London, W.C. 2.
16th December, 1919.

Mentioned in Reports for valuable services whilst in captivity, and noted accordingly in the Official.Records of the Air Ministry: —
Flying Officer John Joseph. Fitzgerald (R.Innis. Fus.).

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/316...pplements/15614

Regards Mark

[corisande]

. One thing I did notice is that a lot of 2nd Lt's in the RIR are attached to the Inniskillings.

Yes that is probably it. I'll have to look up his record when I am next in Nat Archives.

[Peter Mc]

I agree with Corisande here. This photo has appeared countless times but the provenance, date and location are unknown. It could be a group of Intelligence officers, it could be a police detective squad (although given the size of two of the men I doubt it), it could even be a group from either side taken in the Civil War. It may for all I know not have been taken in Ireland at all! What was your source Gaelgoir for ascribing the names to each number?

[murrough]

Photo not what it purported to be

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ic...ll-2199762.html

[corisande]

Thanks Murrough

I am certain that someone will "prove" the Cairo Gang photo false too. I must go and discuss it with Nat Mus Ireland when I am next in Dublin. They are usually happy to discuss things as log as you know what you are talking about.

As that article you linked says

"In the film O'Hara travels to Dublin and is involved in a shootout with British forces. It is a still from this scene that has confused Irish historians for decades. Rather than being British agent Lt Price opening fire on the IRA, it is actor O'Hara playing an IRA man on screen. "

The Cairo Gang photo must have a similar dubious providence

[murrough]

It definitely needs to be looked into,I have always thought that the men in the photo did not have a military bearing about them,I know people will say DOH "they were undercover" but to me the photo just doe's not look right, just my personal opinion of course.I will await further developments.
Regards,
             Murrough.

[Carmania]

The Illustrated London News of 4th December 1920 has a full page of photographs of 11 of those who were killed on Bloody Sunday. They are: Newberry, Dowling, McCormack, MacLean, Angliss, Bennett, Price, Ames, Baggallay, Garniss and Morris.

Anybody wanting a copy please PM me.
Aled

[corisande]

Aled

Can I have a copy of that photo please - you had my email at the weekend, so I assume you have it now :-)

[corisande]

Interesting too that the ptotos are ones the army had. Curiously they include McCormack, who was a vet who had left the army and was working for the Alexandria Turf Club, and the only man killed that Collins actually acknowledged was a mistake

The missing ones are

Smith (civilian landlord of one of the houses raided by IRA)
Wilde (civilian, but had been in the army)
Fitzgerald (RIC but had been in the army)

[Carmania]

Aled

Can I have a copy of that photo please - you had my email at the weekend, so I assume you have it now :-)

On its way.
Aled

[murrough]

This is Mclean from the ILN.

Attached Files

•  PICT0179.JPG   53.38K   4 downloads

[murrough]

This is Baggallay

Attached Files

•  PICT0179.JPG   37.19K   2 downloads

[murrough]

Newberry.

Angliss on bootom

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•  PICT0179.JPG   39.77K   2 downloads
•  PICT0179.JPG   33.01K   2 downloads

[murrough]

Finally Bennett,I'm not seeing any resemblances, what do others think?

Attached Files

•  PICT0179.JPG   35.06K   2 downloads

[corisande]

murrough

You will improve those original ILN  photos from Aled if you put them through Photoshop which will automatically adjust each for best contrast and brightness, and will remove the beige fading of the page.

It will take me a while to compare each one. I assume the believers would say that the men were in disguise and shaved off their military mustaches etc.

Anyway whatever way one looks at it the photo is fake in my opinion. But at least we can try to see if there are any matches.