CONNAUGHT RANGERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1929, Page 4

CONNAUGHT RANGERS

ECHO OF MUTINY IN INDIA. LONDON, April 24. An appeal for compensation for troops of the Connaught Rangers, who mutinied in India in 1920 during the Anglo-Irish struggle as a protest against events in Ireland, was declined in the Free State Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Mr. E. Blythe. A supporter of Mr. Eamonn de Valera, the Republican leader,' Mr. Kerlin, said a study of the evidence of the courtsmartial in India showed that the men had acted purely from patriotic motives. Mr. Blythe replied .that a committee had • investigated the matter, and reported that the men acted from national motives, and were not entitled to compensation. Many civilian J Irishmen had taken risks and suffered losses.

The Connaught Rangers’ - mutiny occurred ori 28th July, 1920, and was engineered from Ireland. The fir?t outbreak involved half a battalion stationed at Jullundur, in the Punjab. Finally, 400 were arrested, of whom 69 ringleaders—non-coms, and privates —were court-martialled. The Court found that the mutiny was pre-arranged and organised, and &

sentenced to death 14, of whom one was shot, and the remainder had their sentences commuted to penal servitude. Forty-seven were sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment and drummed out of the Armys. Eight were acquitted.