Warren J Peacock had been a Lt Col in Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was shot at his house near Bandon by two IRA men. He was suspected by the IRA of leading Crown Forces to places on raids. He certainly had police protection in the house when he was shot, and it also seems that he was living most of the time in Bandon Barracks rather than his home.
1889 May 4.. Born Ham, Hants
1901 census. A pupil at a school at Langton Matravers, Dorset.
1908 Aug 5. The following to be Second Lieutenants (on probation). Grenadier Guards. Warren John Richard Peacocke.
1911 census Living at Princes Hotel, 37-39 Jermyn Street SW. Of "Private Means"
1916 Dec 1. 9th Bat Inniskiling Fusiliers. Lieutenant-Colonel Warren John Richard Peacocke appointed Commanding Officer
1916 Dec 2. R. Innis. Fus.Temp. Lt.-Col. W. J. Peacocke, D.S.O.,from a Serv. Bn., to be temp. Lt.-Col.21 Oct. 1918, with seniority 2 Dec.- 1916.
1918 Apr 6. Invalided from duty as CO 9th bat R Inniskilling Fus
1921 May 31. Shot in Cork
IRA Witness Statement The residence overlooking Innishannon Bridge on the Bandon river, which was the property of Lieut-Colonel Peacock (this Lieut.-Colonel Peacock had been executed by the I.R.A., for conveying information to the British Forces) was to be occupied by a force of the Black and Tans at 6o'clock in a morning in May. A coded telegraph order was sent to the Black and Tans in Bandon on the previous evening and a copy of the code message was passed. out by our agent in the Bandon Post Office and reached Brigade Headquarters about 7o'clock that evening. Orders were immediately issued to the Officer Commanding, Ballinadee Company, to mobi1ise sufficient of his men and to proceed to Peacock's house and .destroy it. These orders were carried out and on the following morning when the convoy of Black and Tans moved out from Bandon to Innishannon for the purpose of occupying Peacock's residence they only found smouldering ruins
IRA Witness Statement 1921 June: A very important spy at Innishannon - Colonel Peacocke, a retired British Officer-was sought after and on two occasions an ambush was laid for him at a house which he used .to visit near Upton. He was eventually shot dead by two Officers of the Company at his own house at Innishannon.
About this time, Lieut.Colonel Peacocke a retired British army officer who resided at Innishannon was suspected of passing on information to the enemy, and special instructions were issued to ensure that all his movements were reported on to our battalion intelligence officer. The 0/C Innishannon Company was held responsible for seeing that reports on this man's activities were furnished regularly
.. in May .I was now instructed to proceed to Dunmanway Battalion area to check up on the movements of Lieut- Colonel Peacocke referred to previously who was supposed to be visiting some friends of his in that area on a fishing holiday. I went to Dunmanway area, where I contacted the Battalion Adjutant (Paddy O'Brien). We investigated the movements of Lieut-Colonel Peacock in the district, but there appeared to be nothing to indicate that he was doing other than enjoying a fishing holiday.
A question in Westminster
He was a wealthy man when he died.
His mother Ethel Helen Peacocke received a number of compensation awards. Presumably the last and largest was for the loss of the house. One for £375 and costs and another for £530 and costs on 16 January 1922 and a third for £29,327 plus costs at a later date.