Memorandum by Joseph P. Walshe
'Prisoners of War in the Six Counties'

When Sir John Maffey informed me ten days ago that some 12,000 German prisoners were being transferred to the Six Counties because there was no room for them in England, I urged strongly upon him that, if it was absolutely necessary to send prisoners to the Six Counties, his authorities should take the greatest care to prevent them escaping into our area.

He said he would make that representation to London, but he hoped that, if any of the prisoners did succeed in crossing the Border, we should be ready to hand them back to the British authorities.

I replied that such a course was beset with difficulties. Our neutrality allowed us only a limited discretion in this matter, but, if the R.U.C. gave sufficient warning to the Guards on our side of the frontier, we possibly could prevent the escaped prisoners coming into our territory. If, however, they got deep into our area, we had no alternative to keeping them and interning them.

On Friday, 12th, Chief Supt. P. Carroll, Mr. Costigan of the Department of Justice, Dr. Rynne and myself discussed the situation and we came to the conclusion that a reasonable middle course, which we had the right to take in our own vital interest, was to establish a zone of control in which the escapees would be regarded as still in the act of coming in and, therefore, liable to be turned back. The zone would extend to the nearest sub-Garda station.

The Taoiseach approved (Saturday 13th) this arrangement for the time being: it could be examined in the light of difficulties arising subsequently.

On Sunday, 14th, Colonel Bryan informed me that four of the prisoners had escaped.

On Tuesday, 16th, at 9.45 a.m., Chief Supt. Carroll informed me that two of the prisoners had turned up in the control zone at the frontier sub-station, Bridge Street (Dundalk), three miles from the Border and within the control zone.

I told Mr. Carroll that, since the prisoners were within the control zone, they should be sent back.

I told the Taoiseach, through Mr. Moynihan, of the situation. In the course of a conversation yesterday, 15th, Mr. Gray asked me what we were going to do about escaped prisoners, and I told him that, if they got beyond our control zone, we intended to intern them.

In¹ a conversation with Mr. Archer (B. Legation) I emphasized the necessity of preventing the press getting hold of the news. He told me later that London was issuing instructions to that effect.

Mr. Carroll reported that the two prisoners after taking tea and having had a chat with the Guards went back in the G[uar]ds car quite cheerfully and were dropped at the border.