1921 Mar 21. Q Coy take over the the L.N.W.R. Hotel as a H.Q. and Barracks and occupy it. Their duty was to watch the arrival and departure of steamers, to prevent the importation of arms and ammunition, and to keep an eye on suspected persons.
6 Sections were filled on 2 Apr 1921, and a further 4 by 8 Apr 1921 and another 3 in Jun 1921. The number of T/Cadets in Q Coy reached its peak in June 1921 with at least 81 T/Cadets on its books: there may have been 14 Sections at this time, from the number of Section Leaders. By demobilisation in Jan 1922 there were still at least 71 T/Cadets and 12 Section Leaders ( It is difficult to get the exact number due to the difficulty in reading the Registers)
The appear to have had posts at Drogheda (South Quay Barracks) , Belfast , Newry, Cork, Greenore. They may have moved to Dundalk, County Louth. And logically also at Galway, Derry, Tralee and other ports, but no evidence exists
One can conclude that Q Coy, by its very nature, operated slightly differently to the other ADRIC companies. Though based on the North British Hotel in Dublin, they had a number of outposts around the coast of Ireland to control shipping.. My conclusion is that there were the normal number of 3 Platoons and 3 Platoon Commanders, there were about 12 Sections rather than the 9 that were the norm for an operational Company post Nov 1920.
They were not all of a Naval background, of the 97 T/Cadets joining Q Coy throughout its existence, 21 were RNR, were 16 Merchant Marine, 11 were RNVR, 3 were Inland Waterways Transport, 1 was RM, 0 were RN, 30 were Army, 11 were RAF & 4 were unknown. This shows that only 56% of Q Coy T/Cadets were of a naval background.
Of the 19 men holding DI rank and 27 holding Section Leader rank , only 22% had a naval background
There is a full analysis of men in Q Coy for both T/Cadets, Section Leaders and Officers
1921 Apr11. Attack on their LNWR Hotel headquarters. Soon after moving in to the LNWR Hotel, the IRA mounted a full scale attack. The only casualty was Temporary Cadet G.A. Body who was wounded in the leg and was admitted to hospital on 11th April 1921 and discharged from hospital on 11th May 1921, as he went on to serve until disbandment, it would appear he made a full recovery
Auxiliaries outside the hotel after the attack (the window pictured is the lower right window in the contemporary photo below).
Given that this photo was taken on 11 April 1921, and that most of the recruits to Q Coy only joined ADRIC on 2 April, one can see that some had not yet received their ADRIC uniform
The cadet in dark uniform, leading with his elbow on the wall, right of the centre, is Section Leader of F Company John Charles Reynolds
1921 Apr 24 Article in Independent states at 100 men wearing a blue uniform with naval badges arrived in Dublin from England and that they were to inspect shipping in Irish port. This is just wrong, Q Company never arrived en-mass like that
1921 May 25. 3 or 4 Lancia Armoured Cars of Q Coy were involved in the Custom House fighting.. About four minutes after the arrival of F Coy armoured cars, , "Q" Company, Auxiliary, RIC ( from North Wall ), who had also been warned, arrived and covered the Eastern side of the Custom House. Evidence given by ADRIC men to the inquiry was from DI3 HHR Towse of Q Coy (he was Q Coy Transport Officer) who took 12 men in a lorry plus another detachment on foot and DI2 KF Crang of F Coy with 3 tenders of Auxiliaries
1921 May 20 Raids in Dublin
1921 May 21. Raids in Drogheda arrested a man with a revolver
1921 Mar 25. Raids in Drogheda Note this group were based at South Quay Barracks, Drogheda
1921 May 26 Raids with Q Coy
1921 May 27 Raids with Q Coy
1921 Apr 8 Raid to search S S Rathlin Head
1921 Jun 18 JH Gem raids as IO with a patrol of 1 S/L and 8 T/C make a raid, and find nothing
1921 Jun 19. JH Gem raids as IO with a patrol of 1 DI3, 1 S/L and 10 T/C make a raid, and find nothing
1921 Jun 22. Patrol of IO JH Gem, DI3 HHR Towse, S/L JH Avery and 4 T/C (inc T/C Caulfeild) arrest Patrick Farrel
1921 Jun 22/23. JH Gem on patrol with 1S/L, 6 T/C fail to make an arrest
1921 Jun 26. A Q Coy patrol arrest John Nolan, who is identified as one of Hunt's murders. Gem was IO on this patrol and T/C CS Tennent was on it too
1921 Oct 27. During the Truce a question was asked to the Chief Secretary for Ireland why ports searches had stopped. Sir Hamar Greenwood confirmed that searches at six Irish ports had been suspended with the 11 July Truce between the British and the IRA and was resumed on 18 September after rumours of arms smuggling. The Government had no knowledge of any arms landings.
1921 Oct 19. This may have been part of Q Coy. A later press report says they were only there a few days, before moving to Barracks
1922 Jan 14. The were demobilised in Holyhead . My calculations give at least 71 T/cadets in Q Coy at demobilisation plus 12 Section Leaders. I am unsure as to what this document implies.
