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AussieMick · (This post was last modified: 05-23-2024 06:50 PM by AussieMick.)

Yes, well done Gene. Good searching techniques obviously and maybe coupled with knowledge of the issue.
And to David. well done for mentioning the video ... I hadnt realised it was there even though Ive accessed that artticle many times.

Casement (Sir Roger) was one very unusual man. Briefly (as brief as I can make it and in my own opinion) :-

He was a hero to most of the world for his first 40 years or so . He publicised cruelties in Africa and South America and met with President William Howard Taft. But he joined the Irish fighting for independence from Britain and at the start of WW1 went to Germany arranging for rifles etc to be sent to Ireland, and also tried to persuade Irish POWs there to go back and fight the Brits. Suffering from malaria, he went back to Ireland in a submarine (12 days and over 6 foot tall) he landed on a beach and was captured. The ship carrying rifles sank.

He was found guilty of treason (a 14 Century law written in old French) and hanged. Petitions (like Conan Doyle's) failed. Mainly because British Intelligence had obtained "Diaries" that he had written about his homosexual experiences with African and South American young men. The Diaries are still suspected as being forgeries ... by some, but most think they're genuine. Extracts from these were shown to influential journalists and diplomats. The Defence team could have used the Diaries and argued he was insane, but decided not to ... Casement didnt want that either.

oh ... and the leader of the Prosecution in the trial was Mr F.E. Smith who went on to become Lord Birkenhead, Lord Chancellor. In 1914 he'd been very much opposed to Irish Independence and was involved enlisting Northern Irish Protestants to get firearms from Germany to be used to potentially fight against British troops.

Oh, and Casement tried to get the Uprising cancelled (but this fact was never mentioned at his trial) because he thought it'd be a disaster.

the following is a very long article
https://breac.nd.edu/articles/roger-case...d-america/