 |
| File Reference |
MSP34REF3298
|
| Name |
Charles Gavan |
| Gender |
male |
| Address detail |
| Street |
Mill Street, Westport
|
| County |
Mayo
|
| Country |
Ireland
|
| Date of birth |
1897-02-08
|
| Date of death |
1970-01-02
|
| Associated files in MSPA |
34C400
|
| Civilian occupation |
Primary School Teacher, Christian Brothers School, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland;
Bookkeeper & Clerk, J. V. Ryan, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland;
|
| Easter rising service |
No |
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
First Lieutenant
|
| Company |
Westport Company
|
| Brigade |
Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Joseph McBride;
|
| Organisation |
Irish Volunteers |
| Rank |
Captain
|
| Unit |
3 Battalion
|
| Company |
Westport Company
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Joseph McBriade
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Vice Battalion Officer Commanding
|
| Unit |
3 Battalion
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Brigade Quartermaster
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Brigade Police Officer
|
| Division |
4 Western Division
|
| Brigade |
West Mayo Brigade
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Divisional Police Officer
|
| Division |
4 Western Division
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy
|
| Organisation |
Irish Republican Army |
| Rank |
Divisional Officer
|
| Division |
4 Western Division
|
| Commanding Officer(s) |
Michael Kilroy
|
| Pension Claim |
Yes |
| Award Pension |
Yes |
| Army Pensions Act 1923/1953 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 |
No |
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1934 |
Yes |
| Grade |
C |
| Notes |
Awarded 6 and 1/24 years service for pension purposes at Grade C in 1939 following appeal against award of 5 and 17/24 years at Grade D awarded in 1938
|
| Military Service Pensions Acts 1949 |
No |
| Digital file |
Scanned/digital copyMSP34REF3298 Charles Gavan.pdf
Scanned/digital copy34C400 Charles Gavan.pdf |
| File dates |
1916 - 26 August 2008
|
| Subject Information |
File relates to Charles Gavan's receipt of a military serrvice pension in respect of his service with the Irish Volunteers and IRA in the service periods between 1 April 1917 and 30 September 1923 during the War of Independence, Truce period and Civil War. Applicant also claimed unsuccessfully for service in the periods between 1 April 1916 and 31 March 1917.
Charles Gavan claimed membership of the Irish Volunteers and IRA from 1914 following an unspecified period as a member of Na Fianna Éireann. He also claims to have joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in 1915. He states that he mobilised at the time of the 1916 Easter Rising but had no active service. He claims that he was subsequently arrested and interned by the British authorities between May and August 1916 at Castlebar, County Mayo, Richmond Barracks, Dublin, Wandsworth Prison, England, Wormwood Scrubs Prison, England and Frongoch Internment Camp, Wales.
Following his release Charles Gavan resumed his activities. Between 1917 and 1919 he claims involvement in organisational and training work, fund raising, arms raids, anti Conscription work and the making of arms and munitions. He states that he served as a Company First Lieutenant and Captain during this time. He was also arrested in [March] 1918 and imprisoned until [September] of that year in Sligo, Belfast and Dundalk for illegal drilling. It is also stated on file by Gavan and references that Charles Gavan was one of an Irish Volunteer party which attacked [Westport] RIC Barracks in [1918] - exact date not on file.
Charles Gavan claims that in [1920] during the War of Independence he was appointed Battalion Vice Commandant and continued with his organisational work, administering the Oath of Allegiance to IRA members in his area as well as taking part in raids for petrol. He was appointed Brigade Quartermaster in March 1921 but was captured [a week] later by British forces. He was subsequently interned in Galway and at Rath Camp until escaping from there in August of that year.
Gavan states that he re-joined the IRA following his escape and served as Brigade and Divisional Police Officer during the Truce period (12 July 1921 - 30 June 1922).
Following the outbreak of the Civil War Charles Gavan and references state that he took part in engagements with National Army forces during 1922 in counties Mayo, Sligo and Galway at Collooney, Sligo, Gurteen, Clifden, Galway, Westport and Newport - exact dates not on file. He was captured on 7 December 1922 and subsequently interned in Galway until escaping in March 1923. Following this escape he once again re-joined the IRA and states that he took part in the general dumping and safe guarding of arms in his area following the "Ceasefire and Dump Arms" Order of May 1923. He was not rearrested/recaptured and remained on the run for an unspecified period of time.
File includes: original handwritten and typed copy material submitted and signed by Charles Gavan in support of his application and appeal; original signed handwritten and typed and typed copy statements regarding subject's service and activities from Michael Brennan, Frank Thornton, Joseph McBride, Michael Kilroy TD, Edward Moane, Richard Walsh TD, Edward Sammon, Michael Higgins, J. Spollen (former station master Westport Railway Station), James Meehan (former RIC member) and Michael Gallagher; two handwritten standard forms Referee R.15, dated 30 November - 1 December 1936 and 1 March - 7 September 1938 respectively, showing details regarding claimant's rank and unit strength from records supplied by E. Moane, P. J. McDonnell and the [North Mayo IRA] Brigade Committee; typed transcript (8 pages) of sworn statement made by Charles Gavan on 1 December 1936 before the Advisory Committee, Military Service Pensions Act, 1934; three (3) page signed (illegible) handwritten note from [official of the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934] dated 18 January 1937 regarding Charles Gavan's service and character; handwritten notes dated 16 March 1937, 1 February 1938 and 24 November 1938, relating to discussions held with "Messrs Kilroy and Moane" regarding subject's service and activities and pension application; undated unidentified newspaper cutting reporting account of a [radio] talk given by Captain Tom Byrne, Captain of the Guard Leinster House, regarding the escape of IRA prisoners from Rath Camp; undated unidentified contemporaneous newspaper cutting reporting details of some arrests and deportations made by the British authorities in County Mayo in [May 1916] - reverse carries [partial] report of proceedings in the House of Commons, Westminster relating to exchanges between [John] Dillon M. P. and [the British Prime Minister Herbert] Asquith M. P. regarding the events of Easter 1916 in Dublin; unidentified newspaper cutting of 16 March 1918 reporting events surrounding the arrest, by the British authorities, and subsequent trial and sentencing of Edward Moane and resulting disturbances in Westport; two copies of three page typed document, signed by Charles Gavan and dated 24 February 1938, entitled "Military Service Pensions Act. 1934 - Additional Evidence And Representations - Charles Gavan, Westport - Reference No. 3298" setting out Charles Gavan's grounds and evidence for appeal against original award granted to him under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934 in [February] 1938 confirmed and signed by former IRA officers Edward Moane, Joseph Baker, John A. Tierney and John R. Gibbons; representations on behalf of Charles Gavan from Thomas Derrig TD, Minister for Education; material relating and referring to subject's employment as a part time Branch Manager of the Westport Employment Exchange with the Department of Industry and Commerce and a rate collector with Wesport Urban District Council in the 1930s and 1940s; material relating to the settlement and closure of Charles Gavan's service pension account following his death on 2 January 1970; and material relating to request to the Pensions Administration Section, Department of Defence regarding information contained on this file (26 August 2008) - closed for reasons of data protection.
|
|
