James Power's Witness Statement.

JAMES POWER'S ACCOUNT

Source - https://www.militaryarchives.ie

‘On 7 January 1921, my company was mobilised at my house in Ballycraddock to take part in the ambush known as the Tramore ambush. We left my place at about 4 p.m., about twenty of us altogether. Most of the men were armed with shotguns and a few with rifles. I was in charge of the party. As we proceeded across country we picked up others en route to Tramore and we arrived at the racecourse about a half-mile north of the town at about 6 p.m.

  Here we met Commandant Pax Whelan with a number of his men from west Waterford and Commandant Paddy Paul. The idea was to go to the Marine Hotel, Tramore, and fire on the Black & Tans there. They (the tans) would send word to Waterford of the attack and we would then ambush the enemy forces coming out of Waterford to relieve the Tans in the Marine Hotel.

  When some of our men went to the Marine Hotel, they learned that the Tans weren’t in there that night, so, after consultation with Pax Whelan, Paddy Paul and Pat Keating (killed later on in the ambush at the Burgery, West Waterford) we decided to stage a feint attack on the RIC barracks in Tramore, with a view to drawing the military out from Waterford.

  ‘I went in charge of the party to attack the RIC barracks, I had with me Mickey Bishop, Martin Cullinane, Pat Keating, William Gallagher and Nicholas Whittle. Bishop, Cullinane and myself went to the rear of the barracks; the others went to the front. We all opened fire with rifles and shotguns and after about ten minutes, during which the enemy replied with rifles and bombs at the same time sending up Verey lights for help, I ordered a retreat and we made our way back to the main ambush party.

  ‘The scene of the ambush was in the vicinity of what is known as the ‘Metal Bridge’ which carried the railway line from Waterford to Tramore and which is situated about three quarters of a mile east of Tramore town on the main Waterford - Tramore road. A barricade was erected just around a corner of the Metal Bridge on the Tramore side and it was our intention to allow whatever enemy lorries came along from Waterford to run up to this barricade before our attack would open.

  ‘Our forces consisted of about fifty men, about twenty of whom were from the West Waterford Brigade under Pax Whelan. The remainder, were drawn from the East Waterford Brigade under Paddy Paul. About half were armed with rifles, the remainder with shotguns. Approximately eighteen riflemen and ten shotgun men were placed in position in the north (Pickardstown) side of the main road, and about a dozen riflemen and the same number of shotguns on the south (Ballynattin) side of the road. Both positions were on high grounds overlooking the road leading to the metal bridge, with the exception of two riflemen who were placed at the junction of the main road and what is known as the ‘old road’ to Waterford. These latter men faced towards the Metal Bridge and were about one hundred yards from the it on the Waterford side, i.e. on the east side of the bridge.

  ‘When I returned to the ambush position after the feint attack on the RIC barracks, about ten minutes elapsed before we saw the headlights of military lorries approaching from Waterford on the main road. It was about midnight and the night was dark but fine. Before the lorries had got to the barricade at the Metal Bridge, a shot rang out and immediately fire was opened on all sides, both by our men and the British. One of the British lorries which did run into the ambush position at the barricade came under fire from our men in position there. The remainder of the lorries, four in all, stopped near the junction of the old Waterford-Tramore road where our two riflemen were. The soldiers got out and proceeded to advance in extended formation up the hill towards the Ballynattin road where our rifle and shotgun men engaged them in heavy fire.

  ‘Whilst all this was going on, Bishop, Cullinane, Paul and I went across, under fire, to the rifle party engaged on the Ballynattin road. Whittle and Gallagher, (who were with me on the barrack attack earlier on) had taken up their positions in this area a short time previously. With great difficulty and under crossfire from our own men and the British we eventually made our way up to our comrades on the Ballynattin road and took up position with our riflemen there.

  ‘Our shotgun men who were on the Ballynattin side and nearer the main Tramore - Waterford road than we, were now retreated under orders up towards us under heavy fire. I learned that the military were working their way slowly towards our position. In fact, I could clearly hear the British officers urging their men on to the attack.

  ‘As officer in charge of the riflemen on the Ballynattin road, I gave orders to retreat over a fence on the road where the Shrine now stands, about two hundred yards north of the main road junction, and carried on the engagement from there. However, the British threw a Verey light into our position and as a result I ordered a retreat northwards up the hill, firing as we went. When we reached a point about one hundred yards further up the hill I gave the order to break off the engagement.

  ‘One of our men, Wyley, was badly wounded in the leg and was carried on the retreat to a place of safety. Nicholas Whittle of Tramore was also badly wounded, but we were unaware of this at the time owing to the darkness. Two others of our men, Mick McGrath and Tom O’Brien were killed in the fight, but it transpired afterwards that they were in fact, taken prisoners by the British and shot after being captured. The bodies of both of these men were subsequently found on the Ballynattin road near where the Memorial Shrine now stands. I do not know whether the military suffered any casualties, but, I heard that one RIC man was wounded in our attack on the RIC barracks in Tramore.

  ‘When the fighting at Ballynattin ended and we retreated up the hill in the darkness towards Waterford City. We got a pony and trap and brought Micheal Wyley, who was wounded, away to a place of safety. Our arms were dumped in a house near the city on the old Tramore road and the men dispersed’.