Letter from Robert Monteith to Roger Casement, 11 November 1915
letter of mine going astray. I will take good
care in future to address my letters as per
note heading - Two more men are being sent on
to Zossen, I don't expect they will leave
here before Friday next- Is it possible to obtain a
general pass for me from the Foreign
Office? The people here were surprised
that I had not one in my possession
I had to get a special pass to go to
Frankfurt & Zerhussen has been stopped
in the street to explain who I was, and
what my business was - of course a 2
pass will not prevent my being stopped but it will
simplify matters for me a great deal - My uniform is now ready, but the
camp authorities have had no notification
from the War Office that I have any permission
or right to wear it - can you get the
War Office to notify them? You see in the
correspondence with the War Office I am shown
as Mr.Monteith & we can't blame the people
here - Any old rank will do, I can
carry on just as well with cloth shoulder
straps as with gold ones - I may say I have
only heard indirectly of the uniform question
but I know that it was intended I should
hear of it - Keogh arrived yesterday morning.
I think he will be of good use to us - Faithfully Yrs R.Monteith
A letter from Robert Monteith (1880-1956) to Sir Roger Casement (1865-1916). Monteith was the commander of the Irish Brigade, appointed by Casement. The letter contains refers to a letter that had gone 'astray' and news of two potential recruits. Monteith writes that he does not have a 'general pass' and asks if he can get one to make moving around easier. He also mentions that he has received a new uniform, although he does not have permission from the authorities to wear it. This letter is taken from a collection of letters, poems, articles and other documents of Roger Casement and his family covering his career in the British Diplomatic Service as well as his activities in the Irish Revolutionary movement, 1889-1945. Sir Roger Casement was a humanitarian and Irish Nationalist. Casement believed that an Irish insurrection would be crushed unless it received substantial assistance from Germany. He spent eighteen months in Germany, arriving first as an envoy of Irish-American leaders, attempting to encourage Germany to support Irish separatist aspirations by providing arms. Casement succeeded in securing limited German support but his attempt to form a brigade of Irish soldiers in German prisoner of war camps to fight against Britain was largely unsuccessful. When it became clear that adequate help would not be forthcoming he travelled to Ireland by submarine. Casement landed and was arrested at Banna Strand, County Kerry on Good Friday 1916. He was tried in the Old Bailey for treason and subsequently executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison on 3 August 1916.
How to cite
Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__5580.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