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Retired at last: Thanks for catching the date on this photo. We will add it to the image description.

A group of Redmondite volunteer Non Commissioned Officers in full regalia! I don't think I've seen anything like this before. All patriotic and well meaning and caught out by the Rising in 1916 and the decision of their leaders to support Britain in WW1 in the hope of gaining Home Rule by peaceful means. Many of them joined the war effort in Europe and lost their lives and many more changed over and took an active part in the war of independence. They are surprisingly well equipped with rifles, those are Lee-Enfield Mark II riflles the standard issue to the British Army at that time though they are sporting Boer War bandoliers.

Swordscookie Thanks, Sean, for condensing 10 turbulent years of Irish history into a few lines, and for the techie information. I've tagged from what you've said. You say "surprisingly well equipped". The rifles may have been up to date, but I wonder how many of those rifles the Volunteers had - not just those that would be displayed for PR reasons in a photo like this?

Swordscookie Pigsticker = Bayonet??

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Of course. The chap near the pointy end better not move in a hurry or he'll be bleeding like a stuck pig!

Swordscookie Thank you for that eloquent and evocative descripion! :)

Jack Buren Lavender (? - January 11, 1943) See: www.findagrave.com/memorial/54608502/jack-buren-lavender Handwritten caption on the photo reads, "J.B. Lavender killed with Col. Payne." Staff Sergeant Jack B. Lavender (USAAF) was killed in the same mission as Col. John Howard Payne (July 27, 1913 - January 11, 1943), but not the same aircraft. S.Sgt. Lavender was the radio operator aboard a B-24 (B-24D-5-CO; USAAF Ser. No. 41-23801) commanded by Lt. Louis A. Prchal, that was shot down by Italian fighter aircraft over Naples, Italy, on January 11, 1943. See also: www.armyaircorps-376bg.com/delong_kenneth.html www.1943salerno.it/ritrovamenti/54-il-consolidated-b-24