Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant W. E. Mills, 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers, who fought at Mons in 1914 and was part of the last cavalry unit to withdraw from the town during the retreat. Subsequently joining the Paramilitary unit of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC) on 10 September 1920, Mills served as Section Leader of “E’ Company during the Irish War of Independence; placed under the command of Major-General H. H. Tudor he was tasked with counter-insurgency operations against the Irish Republican Army - later becoming known as one of ‘Tudor’s Toughs’

1914 Star, with clasp (6894 Tptr: W. E. Mills. 5/Lrs.); British War and Victory Medals (6894 Pte. W. E. Mills. 5-Lrs.) mounted as worn, cleaned, generally very fine (3) £400-£500

William Ewart Mills was mobilised in Dublin with the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers and served in France from 15 August 1914 with 3rd Cavalry Brigade. Present at Mons on the morning of 23 August 1914, he witnessed the attack by the German 1st Army and the retirement to the Valenciennes-Meubeuge road; outnumbered and with the French Fifth Army also falling back, the B.E.F. had no choice but to continue to retire in what later became known as the ‘Great Retreat’, covering over 250 miles.

Discharged on 28 October 1915, Mills was later appointed to a commission on 23 February 1918 as Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Reserve Regiment of Cavalry. Advanced Lieutenant in the 1st Reserve Regiment, he relinquished his commission upon joining ADRIC on 10 September 1920; allocated service number ‘506’, Mills was sent to the Depot Company (Headquarters), which that week was in the process of moving from the Curragh to Beggars Bush barracks, Dublin.

Briefly appointed Chief Quartermaster of Stores, Mills transferred to “E” Company, ADRIC, on 23 February 1921. Raised Section Leader, the reverse of his MIC records his address as ‘The Railway Hotel, Westport, County Mayo’. On 24 March 1921, Auxiliaries from “E” Company raided Mulloolly’s farmhouse, near Strokestown, Roscommon, the day after the Scramogue ambush; shot in the neck, 25 year-old Michael Mulloolly’s death proved highly controversial, contemporary sources noting that he was unarmed when killed by Temporary Cadet Basil Peers. A months later, “E” Company held a masked ball at Boyle which resulted in their C.O. receiving a death threat; the events of that evening were later documented by The Daily Mail on 28 April 1921:

‘Dance with Colonel at Masked Ball
How a Colonel of the R.I.C. Auxiliaries danced with a Sinn Fein beauty is related by a special representative of the Press Association... Colonel S. Forbes Sharp, Commander of E Company, gave me interesting details: “I had a partner in two dances,” he said, “a very handsome young lady in gypsy costume. She was unknown to me and I to her. When masks were removed she was pointed out to me as the Sinn Fein leading lady of the town. She pretended to be very annoyed at having leaned on the arm on the person in charge of the Auxiliaries, but I’m sure she wasn’t really. The I.R.A. men are of course furious at all of this. They have sent me a note headed with a black cross saying: You are doomed. Prepare for Death... Unfortunately, my hands are so full organising a concert for next week that I can’t find time to get measured for a coffin.”’

Just a few weeks later, the Republicans suffered one of their worst reversals of fortune during the whole War of Independence when five IRA men were killed in a botched ambush outside Westport on 19 May 1921. The incident was later documented by the Irish Times:

‘The incident at Kilmeena between Westport and Newport was one of the worst reverses for the IRA in the War of Independence. About 65 IRA men from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the West Mayo Brigade were involved in the action of May 19th. The attempt to ambush two Crossley tenders and a Ford car failed when one of the lorries evaded the ambushers and the soldiers involved got out. The heavily armed soldiers used a machine gun against men who only had shotguns. One of those who died was Paddy Jordan, the vice commandant of the Castlebar battalion.’

“E” Company finally departed Westport on 18 January 1922 and were disbanded following the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Many of the Auxiliaries went on to join the Palestine Police Force in the British controlled territory, although it remains unknown whether the recipient joined them. According to a newspaper report, Mills later petitioned the Divorce Court, London, for a dissolution of his marriage to Sarah Ann Mills, on the grounds of her misconduct with a man named Terry, with whom she had borne an illegitimate child. Granted a divorce, it appears that Mills later re-married and set up home at Beechville, Loughgall, Northern Ireland.

Sold with the recipient’s Soldier’s Pay Book.