1 Friend. Send on this note to Mrs Boland.
15 Marino Crescent, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland
and earn the prayers of her son who ask this
favour of you. My Dear Mother.
I cast this note in the lap of the Gods in the hope
that some good angel will send it to you.
I am on my way to some other Prison in Irons,
Just left Lewes after a terrible time since last
Whit Monday at 8.0' am when our leaders
presented our demand to the prison authorities
asking that we be treated as 'Prisoners of War'
refusing to do any work or obey any orders
as we were treated as criminals. We
then marched to our cells in a quiet soldierly
manner. We got no answer to our
request and we were not allowed from
our cells not even to Mass on Sunday
nor did we take any exercise except what
we could take in our narrow stuffy
cells. We waited patiently and quietly
for exactly one week. And so on Monday
night each man broke 3 panes of glass
in his window. As a result of the
'broken' windows our leaders were
'removed' on Tuesday mid-day. We 2
then we were left behind wrecked our
cells and broke all the glass which we
left. The noise was terrific and we are
all being sent to other prisons. We
have sworn to do no work or to obey any
orders whatever until the Government
treat us as soldiers. We fought a clean
fair fight and should be treated as
honourable men not as criminals. Dear Mother, do not worry too much.
With God's help I will keep my health,
my spirits are high, Good wish.
Give my love to my Dear Sister,
Brothers and Aunt. Pray for the
good soul who directs this to you.
You won't hear from me again
until my time comes. Your loving son
Harry . 3 leatan mionuairisce
BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY 1913 - 1921 The attached is a photostat copy of a
letter written by Harry Boland to his mother
on the two sides of a piece of lavatory
paper with a fountain pen which he managed
somehow to obtain before being transferred
from Lewes Gaol to Maidstone Prison. He was brought in chains from Lewes Gaol
in a cab accompanied by four warders and
while travelling through the streets of
Lewes, he succeeded in throwing the letter
through the window of the cab. The letter
was picked up on the street by a girl whose
mother forwarded it to the address indicated
in the letter with an unsigned covering note
of her own, a typed copy of which is also
attached. Both documents are in the possession
of Mrs. Sean O'Donovan, a sister of Harry
Boland. SonCiosain 30.7.51 Investigation employed by
the Bureau of Military
History 4 This letter was picked up in the street by
my daughter and as I have two sons doing
their bit it is with pleasure I forward it to
you as the writer wished.