This group of medals were awarded to Frank Thornton who served in Imperial Hotel during the Easter Rising. He also served with the IRA GHQ staff during the Irish War of Independence and served with the 26ú Cathlan during the Emergency period. The medals are mounted on a single pin bar and were privately named by Frank Thornton. The 1916 medal is engraved Frank Thornton Cpt. Imperial Hotel Garrison. The 1917-1921 Service Medal is engraved Frank Thornton GHQ Staff IRA 1916-1921. I think it is interesting to note that although the 1916 and 1917-1921 medals were issued separately many veterans felt that the 1916 Rising was part of the War of Independence.

At the beginning of June 1919 de Valera left for America in order to raise funds, and did not return until the end of 1920. He was joined by Collins' close ally Harry Boland. Collins was now left with Cathal Brugha to manage the war effort at home. Brugha's suggestion that the Volunteers take an oath of allegiance to the Dail was agreed in August 1920. From now on the Volunteers became increasingly known as the IRA (Irish Republican Army). In September, Sinn Fein, the Volunteers and the Dail were all proscribed. The ban drove the Dail underground and Collins concentrated his efforts on maintaining the guerrilla warfare strategy, which was proving enormously successful. Collins' spies, especially Ned Broy, kept him informed about all developments within the British forces. Collins also established an IRA intelligence staff. The main figures in this were Liam Tobin, Frank Thornton and Joe O'Reilly. O'Reilly later became known as the "guardian angel" and was effectively Collins' right hand man. One description gives some idea of his relationship with Collins: "He was courier, clerk, messenger boy, nurse, slave." Collins had also selected a group of Volunteers, known as the Squad, for the purpose of executing British agents. One of these, a young man, only 18 years of age, called Vinny Byrne, carried out many of the executions. Before killing his victims from close range Byrne would often say the words "May the Lord have mercy on your soul." Det Sergeant Patrick Smith was the first victim of the Squad. From then on the Squad carried out a series of ruthless killings which struck terror into the British establishment in Ireland. Sam Maguire was also involved in many plans to disrupt British daily life. Early in 1921 three top men were sent to London to liaise with Maguire and Reggie Dunne. They were George Fitzgerald, Sean Flood and Frank Thornton. There were some 25 M.P.s picked out for kidnapping and to be held in retaliation for hostages taken in Ireland. However, these plans never came to anything. On June 26th 1922, two days after the new Dáil had been elected, Henderson, with a body of armed men, raided Ferguson's motor garage, on Lower Baggot Street, and seized motor cars to the value of £9,000. A body of troops from Beggar's Bush, under Frank Thornton, at this time a Colonel Commandant, were dispatched to the place. The Irregulars surrendered, and Henderson was arrested and sent to Mountjoy. That night the Irregulars retaliated by kidnapping General J. J. O'Connell, Commander-in-Chief of the Regular troops, when he was walking home to barracks, unarmed and unattended, and bringing him a captive to the Four Courts, where they announced their intention of holding him as a hostage for Henderson. This was the chain of events that led to the decision to attack the Four Courts.