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ConspiraCy to arm southern ireland during the irish War of independenCe
ONE OF 495 GUNS SEIZED ON THE STEAMSHIP "EASTSIDE"
334
LOT 1379
Desirable Early Production Colt/Auto-Ordnance Model 1921A Thompson Submachine Gun, Class III/NFA C&R Fully Transferable Machine Gun, Documented to a Conspiracy to Arm Southern Ireland During the Irish War of Independence - Serial no. 598, 45 ACP cal., 10 1/2 inch fluted bbl., blue finish, walnut stock, walnut grips. One of the most famous submachine guns in the world, the Thompson SMG rates
as one of the truly signature American weapons. While advancements
in manufacturing techniques and materials would allow later designs
to match or exceed the Thompson’s performance, none of them have managed to do the job with the same level of style and craftsmanship. The Thompson, a product of old-school hand craftsmanship, is virtually synonymous with the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression, being
found on both sides of the law during the “gangland” era of American history, and also serving on all Allied fronts of World War II, where it stood tall among its more cost-effective stamped steel substitutes. Per the records in Herigstad’s “Colt Thompson Submachine Gun” (page 106), this Thompson was part of a 30 piece order shipped via the American Railway Express Company of New York City, care of George Gordon Rorke and F. Williams of NYC on May 27, 1921, as a component of Invoice #2085, an
June 15th, 1921
order for 390 Thompsons. While normally this would be a good sale for
an arms company, it led to a massive scandal. As would emerge in federal court later, Rorke (an American arms dealer, who acted as the point man for ordering the guns) and Frank Williams (aka Lawrence DeLacy and Lawrence Pierce, the money man) were part of a conspiracy to smuggle a large quantity of automatic weapons into Ireland for use in the Irish War
of Independence, which fell apart when inspectors discovered a cache of 495 weapons concealed in the coal bunkers of the steam ship “East Side” (also listed as “Easthide” in some sources) in June of 1921. Running from 1919 to 1921, the war ended in a military stalemate but a political victory for then-Southern Ireland, with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921 securing their independence as the Irish Free State, today the Republic of Ireland, with North Ireland (already legally partitioned) remaining part of the United Kingdom. The time of the attempted delivery of this Thompson Gun was the peak of armed violence in the conflict, with approximately 1,000 civilian and combatant fatalities from January through July, eventually leading to a truce and negotiations for a peaceful settlement. While these negotiations were ongoing, both the direct members of the conspiracy and several corporate officers of Auto-Ordnance were indicted by a federal grand jury, including Colonel Marcellus Thompson, VP of
Auto-Ordnance, son of the inventor General John Thompson and son-in- law of American Ambassador to Great Britain Colonel George Harvey, as the transport of these arms was in direct violation of American neutrality laws. Auto-Ordnance survived the incident and would go on securing fame and infamy with the Thompson Gun. Somewhat ironically, once the Irish Free State was independent and no longer at war with the United Kingdom, there was no obstacle to them receiving Auto-Ordnance’s product; Herigstad’s listings give this as one of a number of Thompsons which made it to Ireland, returning to the United States via Interarms
in 1956. The exact use of the Thompson in Ireland is unknown, though some are known to have seen military and police use in the Free State. Blade front and folding Lyman rear sights, the former installed on the fluted barrel. The standard 1921 nomenclature and markings are present on the receiver, with the matching numbered trigger housing fitted with knurled control surfaces and proper “AUTOMATIC/SEMI-AUTOMATIC” and “FIRE”/”SAFE” switch configuration. Internals are proper 1921 pattern, with Blish Lock mechanism, heavyweight recoil spring, and spring steel oiler. With dual pistol grips and a quick detach buttstock. Also present is an extra buttstock, minus mounting iron and buttplate.