In the annals of British history one of its most shameful episodes is its conduct during the war of Independence In Ireland during the 1920's. One particular episode looms dark in my nations shame.

In order to combat the insurrection against  what England saw as a part of the British Empire, it employed brutal tactics in the guise of a hastily recruited
Auxiliary police force, made up largely of prison detainees given a free pardon if they joined up to the special unit.

That unit itself used tactics akin to those used by the SS and Gestapo during the second world war.

Because it was hastily recruited, there were not enough uniforms for the new recruits. Therefore they were issued with a mixture of Army uniform and Black police uniform hence the 'the colloquial term  'The Black and Tans'  

Its tactics were given credence by a largely aquiescent parliament who wanted the 'Irish business' settled as quickly as possible. In the beginning
The British parliament and largely the public turned a blind eye to what was going on in the name of its policy.

Simply the special unit was used to smash all resistance. The Irish war of independance was a brutal struggle for both sides but the tactics used by the Black and Tans to suppress resistance went beyond normal conduct in war

They quite openly made war on civilians being responsible for many burnings of cottages and properties in order to deny the IRA succour from the civilian population . On 12th December 1920 they deliberately set fire to large sections of the St Patrick street area of the City of Cork in an act of reprisal for attacks on British Forces. In the enquiry that followed the British parliament  laid the blame on rogue elements of the special force yet ignored the fact that unit commanders allowed members of the force, to wear fire burnt Wine corks hung from their pistol grips as a 'trophy of war' Tomorrow is the 86th anniversary of that outrage. Its aftermath proved to be the legacy of Anglo Irish politics until the present day.

Blackened Hands

By M.A.Meddings

Blackened hands
Black and Tans
Burnt Corks
On the Pistol grips
A nations shame
In  the Empires  name 
Lest we forget
Confronting the Past
Admitting at last
Englands guilt