Casement Diaries Made Public (Press, 12 August 1959)

On 11 August 1959, the "Daily Telegraph" reported on a significant historical revelation regarding the "Casement diaries," which had remained a source of controversy since their emergence following Sir Roger Casement's execution for treason in 1916. An 81-year-old former British naval intelligence officer, Captain C. P. Walcott, shared details of a secret mission he undertook to the United States during the First World War to publicise these diaries. This disclosure coincided with the British government's recent decision to allow the diaries, which had previously been banned, to be inspected by scholars and authors. Casement, who had occupied notable positions in the British consular service, was associated with allegations of treason, primarily due to his efforts to persuade Irishmen among British POWs in Germany to form an "Irish brigade" against England. His diaries contain explicit accounts of homosexual conduct, which have led some to speculate that they may be forgeries created by the British government to tarnish his reputation among Irish Americans, who were a vocal group critical of the British during the trial. Captain Walcott recounted his involvement under Admiral Sir Reginald Hall, the Chief of Naval Intelligence. He detailed how he was given £20 million worth of bonds to deliver to the American banker J.P. Morgan in New York. Once in the United States, he handed the diaries over to Admiral Sir Guy Gaunt, the Naval Attaché in Washington. The diaries consist of three volumes and two notebooks, documenting Casement’s life from February 1903 to December 1911. They include elaborate descriptions of homosexual acts, particularly highlighting a pattern in the later diaries, which raised questions about the authenticity of their content. MP Montgomery Hyde and journalist Rene Mac Coll, both of whom have written about Casement, have been granted access to the documents for study but have criticized the lack of permission for further authentication processes, such as photographing pages or conducting ultra-violet tests. The Home Secretary at the time, Mr. Butler, expressed that the diaries were of historical interest and believed them to be authentic, despite the ongoing debate surrounding their content. While the entries largely reference Casement’s interest in Ireland and contain no direct links to treasonous activities, their salacious nature and frequency of described homosexual encounters led Hyde to question whether they were genuine experiences or the product of a potentially disturbed mind. The discussion around the diaries remains complex, with their release opening a new chapter in the understanding of both Casement’s life and the historical context of his actions.

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