Letter from Alfred Woods to John Ritchie's secretary, 12 May 1919 Letters 1916-1923 Alfred Woods

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This letter was written by an Irish soldier who experienced racial harassment while serving in the British army. Alfred Woods states that "Orangemen" in his battalion offended him. Interestingly, this letter is part of a collection of government correspondence relating to the Liverpool Race Riots (termed "colour riots" by contemporaries) of 1919. After the end of the First World War, many former soldiers from all regions of the British Empire were struggling to adjust to civilian life. As they often sought employment in vain or waited to be repatriated, conflicts escalated between "foreign" ex-servicemen and the local population. People of colour or those who housed them were attacked. Buildings were set on fire. The documents kept by the Liverpool Record Office reflect the concerns of the demobilised soldiers as well as the authorities' efforts to restore peace.

 Liverpool Record Office From Great War to Race Riots Archive, 352/MAY/1/1 https://letters1916.ie/item/5965 English Alfred Woods 1919-05-12 17 Heytesbury Street, South Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland The Secretary to the Lord Mayor of Liverpool Liverpool, England Male World War I (1914-1918) Politics Law and Judiciary

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 war 17 Heytesbury Street,South Circular Road,Dublin,Ireland, 12/5/'19. The Secretary, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor.,City of Liverpool. Sir, I would be much obliged if youwould draw his Lordship's attentionto the fact that I was connected withthe 15th Battalion of the King's LiverpoolRegiment in England and the 1/5thBattalion of the Regiment from March1916 to December 1917, and during thattime received many insults and unwarrant-able treatment from some of the lowclasses of Liverpool people in the Regiment 352 MAY/1/1 just because I was Irish. They seeminglypossessed orange leanings and theantipathy and bigotry they showedtowards Irishmen made it most unbearablefor me whilst in his Majesty's Forces.I believe myself the more responsiblecitizens of your great city would not up-hold the conduct of such people againstIrishmen who happened to live and fightwith them. Let it be hoped that peopletotally different to a strange communityin religion, race and political sentimentswill in future be safeguarded againstcoming in contact with its rabble element. Liverpool can really initiate amove in this direction, because speakingon my own account I regret to statethat I suffered from the abuses of theclass of Orange Liverpool citizen whomI have already described. Yours most truly,Alfred Woods (Journalist & younger son of the late Mr. James Woods, Freeman's Journal, Dublin 17 Heytesbury Street, South Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Alfred Woods to John Ritchie's secretary, 12 May 1919 Liverpool, England Letter from the Chief Secretary’s Office to Francis Caldwell, 3 August 1916Letter from Francis Caldwell, Head Constable, Liverpool, to the Officer Commanding the Irish National Volunteers, Dublin, 31 March 1916Postcard from Tomás Ó hÓgáin to Piaras Béaslaí, March 1916Postcard from Tomás Ó hÓgáin to Piaras Béaslaí in February 1916Letter from Robert A. Johnson, Royal Mint, to Edward Carter Preston, 1 February 1923Letter from Alfred Woods to John Ritchie's secretary, 12 May 1919 Alfred Woods Letter from Alfred Woods to John Ritchie's secretary, 12 May 1919