Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 5 November 1915
only 8.11.15
9p.m. Limburg. 5.XI.15 Dear Sir Roger. I have received your letter, parcel &
newspapers, many thanks. I will put them to the
best possible use — One man was sent on to Zossen
yesterday, he is of the right sort — I called on Fr Berkessel on Sunday
last & had a long chat with him, he is such
a lovable man, he promised to see me
in Limburg on Tuesday, but was unable to come,
however as I was leaving the hotel last night
to pay a visit to Fr Crotty I met Fr Berkessel
at the door, he came with me and we
spent a couple of pleasant hours with
Fr Crotty — In my previous letter I omitted to
tell you that on our arrival at Limburg the 2 Commondant had a vehicle to take us to the
camp — he has done everything to meet our
requirements in the way of rooms for interviewing
the men, passes for camp and town, greatcoats
belts and side arms for the N.C.O.s and he had already
made arrangements for hotel accommodation for the
whole party. I explained that it was my
wish to put the Government to as little expense
as possible & would prefer to pay my hotel bill -
he was quite agreeable — I am altogether in agreement with you as
to the future of the Brigade & will start in to
get them fit on my return, but I would like
to see every man in this camp before leaving. Faithfully yours R.Monteith
Letter from Robert Monteith (1880-1956) to Roger Casement (1864-1916) from Limberg, where there was a prisoner of war camp holding a large number of Irish POWs. Monteith was the Commander of the Irish Brigade, appointed by Casement. Casement spent eighteen months in total in Germany attempting to secure German support for an uprising in Ireland and raising an ultimately unsuccessful brigade of Irish soldiers in German prisoner of war camps. By April 1916, he had become become disillusioned with German assistance and marginalized from the plans for the Rising. He believed there should be no rising without sufficient German support and when he realised that it was going ahead with only a small supply of German arms, he travelled to Ireland to prevent it from taking place. The Germans supplied a submarine to transport Casement, Monteith and Sergeant Beverly (Daniel Bailey) to Ireland but Casement and Beverly were captured after they landed in Kerry on the eve of the Easter Rising. Casement was hanged for treason in London in August 1916. This letter details Monteith's work in attempting to recruit Irish POW's to the Irish Brigade. It mentions meetings he has had, including one with the commandant of the POW camp who who has provided a room for Monteith to interview potential recruits.
How to cite
Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__5528.html)
- Place
- Limburg, Germany
- Mentioned in
- Letter from B. Maguire to Lady Clonbrock, 15 October 1916
- Letter from B. Maguire to Lady Clonbrock, 27 August 1916
- Letter from B. Maguire to Lady Clonbrock, 23 July 1916
- Letter from Patrick Foran to Lady Clonbrock, 27 November 1915
- Letter from Aidan Nolan to Lady Clonbrock, 29 December 1915
- Letter from T West to Lady Clonbrock, 22 February 1916
- Letter from T West to Lady Clonbrock, 31 July 1916
- Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 21 March 1916
- Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 20 July 1916
- Letter from Pte B Ward to The Lady Clonbrock, April 1916
- Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 29 May 1916
- Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 30 July 1916
- Letter from Private B. Ward, Connacht Rangers, to Lady Clonbrock, 3 October 1916
- Letter from T West to Lady Clonbrock, 23 December 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 2 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 5 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 8 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 21 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Mentioned in
-
- Letter from Roger Casement to Nina Casement, 25 July 1916.
- Letter from Roger Casement to George Gavan Duffy, 30 June 1916
- Letter from Roger Casement to Margaret Gavan Duffy, 14 July 1916
- Letter from Roger Casement to Margaret Gavan Duffy, 2 August 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 11 January 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 13 January 1916
- Postcard from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 23 February 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 9 April 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 20 December 1915
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 13 March 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 26 March 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 26 March 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement, 9 April 1916
- Letter from Count Georg von Wedel to Roger Casement, 27 November 1915
- Letter from Louis Hahn to Roger Casement, 19 November 1915
- Letter from T. A. Quinlisk to Roger Casement, 22 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 2 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 5 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 8 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 21 November 1915
- Telegram from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 26 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 18 March 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 1 February 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 24 March 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 24 January 1916
- Mentioned in
-
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Mollie Monteith, 30 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Mollie Monteith, 25 December 1915
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 11 January 1916
- Letter from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 13 January 1916
- Postcard from Sir Roger Casement to Robert Monteith, 23 February 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Mollie Monteith, 22 December 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 2 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 5 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 8 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 21 November 1915
- Telegram from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 26 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 18 March 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 1 February 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 24 March 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
- Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 24 January 1916
- Letter from Robert Monteith to 'Segt Major', 5 November 1915