1895 Jul 17. Born Wexford. His father Stephen is a sailor, and his grandfather a harbour constable
1901 census living in Trinity St, Wexford
1911 census living in Trinity St, Wexford
Went to University College Dublin.
1915 Jun 30. Enlisted into of Leinsters at Wexford. Gave address as 21 Trinity St, Wexford. He was a student
1915 Dec 17 Landed in France
1916 Sep 30 Promoted Cpl
1916 Nov 28 Appointed L/Sgt
1917 Jan 14. Returns to UK
1917 Mar 3. To Officer cadet battalion (this does not lead to a commission) He was returned to his unit for "misconduct"
1917 May 21 Transferred to 4th Battalion
1917 Jul 21. Returns to France
1917 Jul 27 In Hospital until 16 Aug
1917 Aug 27 Joined 7th battalion
1918 Jan 21 To Officer Cadet school. Again he does not emerge as an officer
1918 Mar 13 MM gazetted to 3227 Cpl. (L./Sjt.) J. Connolly, Leins. R. (Wexford).
1918 Apr 4. Returns to UK appointed L/Sgt
1918 Sep 24 Commissioned 2nd Lt. Leins. Regt. John Joseph Connolly, M.M.
1919 Sep 13 Demobbed with the rank of Sergeant. Very unusual for an officer
1920 Jun 26, John Connolly, a civil servant of 72 Serpentine Av, Ballsbridge was found guilty of disorderly conduct and aggravated assault at a public house. This was introduced at the trial of the man accused of shooting Angliss.
1920 Appointed II Class Special Appointment, but it is not to be put in Gazette says his service record.
1920 Nov 21
Connolly is "Mr C", the man who escaped from the room in which Angliss was murdered, and he was in fact Lt John Joseph Connolly MM, Leinster Regt. His file shows he refused to go back for the trial of Angliss's supposed killers. The army arrested him in England and 2 Majors brought him back to Dublin under close arrest for the trail. What is interesting is that his file shows that he relinquished his commission before going to Ireland, but was taken back on the books as "Class II" Special Appointments, but with the note that this was not to be gazetted. This is what makes it very difficult to trace the undercover men.
1920 Dec 23. Admitted to King George V Hospital in Dublin with Laryngitis. He is described as of "I Branch"
1921 Jan 6 Medical board recommends unfit General Service 3 months, and unfit Home Service 1 month. He goes back to England
1921 Jan 24 He was meant to have left on 3pm train from Portsmouth and proceeded to Dublin. However he did not arrive and the army had to find and arrest him for transport under escort to ensure his arrival
1921 Jan 27. He is arrested in Southsea on charge of "absent without leave". He arrives in London under escort and is escorted to room 86, Horse Guards, where another escort takes him to Ireland. The escort to Dublin is by 2 Majors, all 3 men are in mufti and the escorts carry revolvers
1921 Jan 29 He gives evidence at the trial of the men accused of murdering Angliss. More on the trial here
1921 Apr . He is again giving evidence in Dublin. I have to establish what this trial was. This seems to be the murder trial of King and Hinchcliffe for the Drumcondra Murders which was on 12 April 1921 for the murders which had been committed on 9 Feb 1921. Connolly made a statement (I have not been able to find it in the records) on 10th Feb. He was clearly in Dublin then, and would have been in Dublin Castle
1921 Apr 17. Leinster R. Temp. 2nd Lt. J. J. Connolly, M.M.- relinquishes his commission on completion of service, and retains the rank of 2nd Lt. The army "admonishes" him for his conduct
J J Connolly then appears to disappear from history