of
Punjab Mutiny
published in the “Western Journal”
issue on 29th June, 1979.
He was born on the 16th of March, 1898, in
what was then the very heart and soul of Ballina – Mill Street – along the
banks of the River Moy where so many of his kind reaped a livelihood, found
contentment in times of distress, and enjoyed their leisure time swimming,
fishing and boating.
But
it was also a very different world from present day Ballina. It was occupied by
the British, there was very little work and when one was fortunate enough to
have a job one was usually exploited by unscrupulous employers who demanded
long hours and paid out meagre wages in return.
Pat Mangan remembers those days now and refers to them as the ‘Good old
days’—but for the eighty-ones years old Pat reminiscing on those times brings
back rather hazy memories of a protest he was involved in three thousand miles
from his native Ballina, as a young lad of 16½ years.
Pat Mangan is the last living man of the brave 69 members of the
Connaught Rangers who shook the very foundation of the mighty British
Empire—the British Army—when they mutinied on the plains of the Punjab in 1920,
in sympathy with their homeland which was undergoing a brutal plight at the
hands of a mercenary army.
From the outset the mutiny was passive, but it was to end in the
execution of a 22 years old Private named James
Daly from Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath, and long prison sentences for the
rest of the mutineers.
From watching the silent movies Pat had developed a longing to ‘see the
world’ and like so many young boys did, he joined the British Army to fulfil
his teenage dreams of adventure.
Pat recalls: “I wanted to see the world and get away from everything.
Looking at the silent pictures in Mulligan’s picture house in Garden Street,
gave me a longing for the world.”
In those days the British Army offered the most convenient escape for
such sentiments both in financial and travel terms. Although the required age
for entry to the army was 19 years, Pat had a friend, James Convey, went to the
recruiting office, situated in the vicinity of Shamble Street, and both were
eventually accepted when persistence won out. “Every time we went up to the
recruiting office where Bob Hastings, father of Andy, was the recruiting
Sergeant, we were a few years older. Finally Bob said to us ‘sign here’ and he
gave us a shilling each.
The infamous Kings shilling was to be Pat’s first payment in the Army
and after being assigned to the most respected regiment—the Connaught
Rangers—Pat spent some time training in England before his departure to the
Orient. A frontier post in the Simla Hills became the place where his dreams of
adventure and escapism were quenched.
Life in that first years in India Pat remembers with affections was
happy and enjoyable. “There was plenty of fresh air and sunshine and life was
good and enjoyable.” With some sorrow Pat adds: “I was quite happy until the trouble
started.”
The trouble Pat referred to was the mutiny which had begun at Jullundur
on the plans of the Punjab and spread within a short time to the hill post
where Pat as stationed. IN his book ‘The Connaught Rangers’, Sligo-born
journalist T. P. Kilfeather, states: “The reason was simple (for the mutiny).
In the Connaught Rangers 1s Battalion there were close on 1,000 Irishmen. In
Ireland, a war to free Irishmen from British domination was being fought. To
subdue the Irish, the British recruited a band of men whom the Irish called
Black and Tans. In letters, from home, the Connaught Rangers grounded arms in
mutiny, declaring nevermore for England would they serve as soldiers.”
Says Pat: “We were on the hills and the fells down on the plains came up
and told us that the Black and Tans were doing awful things back in Ireland. We
threw down our arms and were shifted to Dagshai jail.
“Among those with Pat at the time, he remembers a man from Tubbercurry
called ‘Chinny’ Gorman who died recently.
Threats of execution, court martial, attempts
at persuasion and gruelling hardship failed to break the mutineers’ spirit.
They were marched in the blazing sun
without water to an internment camp. At that time of the year, the heat, even
in the shade of bungalows, was well nigh unbearable. By mid-day, the plight of
the Connaught Rangers was pitiable. Men who could not bear the near suffocation
of the tents crouched inside with their shirts held over their heads in
protection from the sun which seemed to strike like a blow. One by one the men
collapsed with heat exhaustion and lay inert after which their bodies became
covered with sand flies.”
Finally Pat was removed to Dagshai jail and after a court martial was
sentenced to three years. Although this was commuted to two, it was a stark
difference to what the young Ballina boy, not yet 18, had gone in search of the
big world. After some time in Dagshai jail Pat was transferred to Woking jail
in England where he completed his term.
He explains that being only 16½ years he didn’t fully realise the
significance of his action. It wasn’t until years afterwards he became fully
aware of what he had done. But still there is no regret evident and says Pat “I
am happy with what I did.”
On the completion of the prison sentence he returned to his native
Ballina working on the Moy Fisheries, among other jobs. Later he crossed the
Irish Sea again taking up employment with an American company. Here Pat stayed
and yearly makes visits home.
While in Ballina he stays in the home of his old friend Matt King at
Childers’ Heights. And the man who ran away from home, as a boy, over fifty
years ago, says he wouldn’t be happy living anywhere except close to the River
Moy and his old home at Mill Street.
CONNAUGHT
RANGER VETERAN DIES IN ENGLAND
In its issue of 14th September, 1988,
the “Western People” reported that “the death occurred recently in England of
Pat Mangan, formerly of Mill Street, Ballina, who was the last surviving Mayo
member of the Connaught Rangers’ Regiment.
“Aged 90 years, the last Mr. Mangan was one of
those involved in the famous Rangers’ Mutiny in India and was jailed at that
time.
“He joined the British Army at fourteen years of age in Ballina and
after training in England was shipped to India with the famous Regiment.
“Members of the Regiment were involved in mutiny over the actions of the
British Forces in Ireland at the time.
“The late Mr. Mangan lived most of the life in Surrey in England. He is
survived by his brother, Eddie, in Foxford.
“His remains were brought to Ballina and he was buried in Leigue
cemetery.”
(For those who would like to visit Pat’s (or Patrick Joseph—his full
Christian name) grave he is buried in the Tony Meenaghan grave).
(In the 1901 Census of Ballina, the Mangan family lived in house No. 12
in Mill Street. The family consisted of Michael (head of family, butcher and
cattle dealer); Sarah (his wife); and family members: Katie (10); John (8);
James (6); Thomas (5); Patrick Joseph (3) and Michael (1). By 1911 they had moved
to No. 3 Mill Street. They family was increased by two: Norah (9), and Edward
(8). In the 1901 Census Michael snr.
said he was born in Mayo, but in the 1911 Census he declared he was born in Co.
Sligo).
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