NOTE: Our News and Views stories are contributed and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor. 

When you think of the Thompson sub-machine gun you probably envision an Italian gangster because of Hollywood but you really should be thinking of an Irish rebel or maybe wartime dictator (Churchill was not elected) Winston Churchill?

The first Tommy guns were owned by Irish nationalists and the lethal weapon was first used in battle in Ireland. The Thompson submachine gun or Tommy gun as it became known was the creation of Lt. Col. Marcellus Thompson.

ENTER THE IRISH CONNECTION

Thomas Fortune Ryan was a wealthy Irish-American businessman and Clan na Gael member.

Thomas Ryan recognizing a chance to make money and arm the resistance becomes a business partner with Thompson.

Subsequently, Thomas Fortune Ryan is put in contact with Michael Collins. Collins, being hard-pressed for weapons, makes Republican funds available to Thomas Ryan to acquire the guns. Now, the question was one of logistics and secrecy, moving crates of Tommy guns to Ireland from America without Britain knowing.

It began in June 1919, when Harry Boland was instructed to contact Ryan when he arrived in America with future Irish President Eamon de Valera. The secrecy was such that even de Valera—an admirer of Hitler—didn’t know about Boland’s side quest or the guns.

Money was quietly passed through Boland to Ryan and by 1921 the first guns were coming off the production line. Two of these were tested by a few Clan na Gael men in the 69th New York Regimental Armory.

They were very impressed with the result.

After the testing was complete and word was brought back to Collins, an order was placed for 500 guns, magazines, spare parts, and ammunition.

Larry Delacey, an IRB agent and a member of Clan na Gael in New York, moved the order to a warehouse in the Bronx, where it was stored until it could be shipped to Ireland.

For this entire period the IRA were essentially the sole customer of the Tommy gun and owned virtually all of them.

In June 1921 it was loaded aboard the freighter named East Side and hit with an FBI raid by G-division so only a small amount of the weapons made it to Ireland sent by other methods.

Now we turn to the Tommy gun’s first use in action.

In June 1921 an early production model of the gun was used in the Drumcondra ambush on a brutish train inflicting numerous injuries but no kills. Marking its first use in combat. PLEASE EDUCATE OTHERS BY SHARING OUR STORIES

FORTY SHADES OF VERSE by Michael Walsh in legend, verse and stories provides the enigmatic mirror image of the ancient Irish Nation. The Bard of Ireland’s illustrated verse crosses frontiers. The award-winning poet’s Irish blood alchemy reveals Ireland’s soul, its yearning for peace, love, justice, hope, charity and romance. CLICK PIC OR LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION https://michaelwalshbooks.wordpress.com/