Beschreibung:

“A very meritorious feat”: The excessively rare 1920 Constabulary Medal (Ireland) and Second Award Rosette awarded to Constable W. Willis, Royal Irish Constabulary, firstly for his gallantry during the defence of the Gortatlea Police Hut, Kerry, on 25 March 1920, and secondly for his gallantry during the ‘well-conducted and very gallant defence’ of the Brosna Barracks, Kerry, on 19 June 1920; he had previously received a Second Class Favourable Record ‘for Courageous Conduct’ at Listowel, Kerry, on 9 October 1917 Constabulary Medal (Ireland), 2nd type, ‘Reward of Merit Royal Irish Constabulary’ (Constable William Willis 67191. 1920) with Second Award Rosette, with integral top ribbon bar, minor edge bruising, good very fine and extremely rare £6,000-£8,000 Footnote Constabulary Medal awarded 27 July 1920. Constabulary Medal Second Award Rosette awarded 19 November 1920. The original Recommendation states: ‘The Brosna Barracks were attacked at 2:15 a.m. on 19 June 1920 with heavy rifle fire. The most dangerous attack came from the roof of a house on the right hand side, which could only be countered by rifle fire from one narrow window in the Barracks on which the raiders concentrated their fire at 8 yards’ range. At this point Constables Duffy and Martin rendered conspicuous service and the former was wounded. This successful defence, supervised by Sergeant Lydon, was remarkable for the coolness and the precision in shooting and bombing displayed by all. Two hours after cessation of fire Constables McCarthy and Gibbons cycled 13 miles over an obstructed road to Castle island with news of the occurrence and evaded an attempt to cut them off.’ William Willis was born in Tipperary on 6 July 1887, and appears in the 1901 census as living at House No 7, Garrykennedy, North Tipperary. After working as a grocer’s assistant, he joined the Royal Irish Constabulary on 18 March 1913. He became a Peeler at a time when most new recruits were Catholics, there was little serious crime in the rural areas of Ireland, and the Royal Irish Constabulary did most of its work unarmed, except in the major ports and logistics hubs and the great industrial city of Belfast (Dublin was the responsibility of a separate force, the unarmed Dublin Municipal Police). Willis served as a Constable with Kerry Police from 7 October 1913. At that time, Munster was the region with the strongest tradition of republican activism outside of Dublin. Irish Republicans had long recognised that ‘The R.I.C. were the eyes of the British army’. From his earliest days on duty, Willis would have experienced a rising tide of antipathy towards the Peelers. Courageous Conduct at Listowel, 9 October 1917 The political situation in southern Ireland deteriorated significantly after the Easter Rising in 1916, and on 9 October 1917 Willis was involved in a major confrontation between the R.I.C. and the republican Irish Volunteers at Listowel, Co. Kerry. The police were attempting to arrest an army deserter who began shouting ‘Up Sinn Fein, Up the Kaiser’, and the Volunteers intervened to free him. ‘A baton charge by the R.I.C. was replied to by the Volunteers using sticks and stones, the police being forced to withdraw some distance down the street. Further reinforcements of R.I.C. armed with rifles came on the scene. They opened fire over the heads of the Volunteers but this did not prevent the Volunteers attacking. The R.I.C. then opened fire into the Volunteers.’ (I.R.A. Witness Statement 1,013 refers.) Willis received a Second Class Favourable Record ‘for Courageous Conduct’ at Listowel. (Constabulary Gazette 22 December 1917) The Attack on Gortatlea Police Hut and its Absent Sergeant, 25 March 1920 In April 1918, the police post at Gortatlea railway station, near Tralee, became the first R.I.C. barracks to be attacked by republicans since the Easter Rising. The attack failed, and two local Irish Volunteers were killed by the four-man R.I.C. garrison, despite the fact that the bui