Black and Tans

Largely unemployed British recruits used to support the Royal Irish Constabulary beginning in 1920.

The Black and Tans was a group of soldiers who suppressed the revolution in Ireland from 1920 to 1921. It was mainly made of British veterans from World War I. They were called the Black and Tans because of the light khaki trousers and black/dark green tunics that they wore. Its main purpose was to target the Irish Republican Army. However, it also did many attacks on the Irish civilian population.