Monday 19 August 2013

Cadet G F Mackay

A number of Easter Rising books/documents touch on a British Army Cadet G F Mackay as being captured at the start of the Easter Rising and held at Boland' Mill until the end of the Rising :

Max Caulfield's The Easter Rebellion

http://archive.org/stream/irishrebelliona01joygoog/irishrebelliona01joygoog_djvu.txt

http://lenus.ie/hse/bitstream/10147/46224/1/956.pdf

There is an actors voiceover providing a recording of Cadet Mackays' experiences (based on an account in the Ampleforth Journal of 1916)

http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/list/audio-accountsbooklet.aspx?article=1f3ddf7c-22f6-4380-a635-74a7dc555dbd

In an educational resource pack, he appears to have written to Eamon De Valera congratulating his former captor on becoming President in Ireland; he appears to have become a Lt Colonel

http://www.ria.ie/getmedia/fe3d1c0d-d046-4543-9cdb-9c603951b3da/Documents-resource-pack-for-dev.pdf.aspx

He stated he was 18 in 1916.

The nearest name that matches is George F(rederick) Mackay in the 1901 census for Ireland

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Wexford/Courtown/Courtown_Harbour/1794027/

This chap and his brother Charles (Joseph) MacKay are at Ampleforth school in the 1911 census and are then referenced in the Ampleforth Journal re war service, both in the Leinster Regt and then RFC (G F Mackay is also referenced as RAF). In the 1911 census, George is listed as born Co Cork and Charles born in Co Westmeath.

http://www.archive.org/stream/ampleforthjourna23yorkuoft/ampleforthjourna23yorkuoft_djvu.txt

A digitised record for George Frederick MacKay from the UK National Archives gives his date of birth as 7th June 1897, Mitchelstown, Cork/Limerick. Shows addresses in  Hove, Sussex and Accra, Gold Coast, West Africa.

His RFC record has not been digitised yet.

There is a WW2 war grave that mentions a Lt Col G F Mackay living in Jersey.

http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=2815537

and this appears to be George Frederick MacKay.

George Frederick MacKay died in Brighton, England in 1968 aged 71. His wife Sonia Mary MacKay died in 1978 aged 76.

5 comments:

  1. My grandfather fought in the Bolands Mills garrisson and years ago I came across a note reportedly written by a cadet called MacKay explaining that he was being held prisoner etc - if I can locate it I will send you a scan of it if your interested
    Brian

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  2. Johnny - I have a document which is a copy of a letter written by MacKay re Devalera intending to shoot him if the Birish soldiers did not stop using Sir Patrick Dunns hospital to fire on the Volunteers it is dated 25th April 1916 and lists his London address and his fathers address ( apologies if you have got this 3 times - I finally remembered my Google details)

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    Replies
    1. Yes please to the document scan if you can find it. Thanks Brian.

      I now have Cadet MacKay's service record from the National Archives in London, but nothing much to add other than he face a Court Martial for giving a young lady a flight in his aeroplane and a drive in a government car. Severe Reprimand but no other action taken.

      Johnny

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    2. Brian, can you send me this letter? I am John Mackay G.F. Mackay's grandson. My cousin has a framed medal collection. they are sending me a photo of them today

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  3. Hi Brian,
    I'm John Mackay one of g. F. Mackay's grandchildren. I would appreciate if you could send me a copy of this letter. I've been told that these events at Bolands Mills where once enacted at The Irish National Museum. Do you have any info about it? I asked the Museum several years ago but with no success as they never replied.
    Should you be interested in it my cousin has a framed collection of his medals and is sending me a photo of them today.

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