▁Lieutenant - General ▁Sir ▁George ▁Richard son ▁K CB , ▁a ▁veter an ▁of ▁the ▁Afghan ▁Wars . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁the ▁U VF ▁had ▁over ▁£ 1 ▁million ▁p led ged ▁to ▁it , ▁and ▁£ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inv ested ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁import ▁arms . ▁ ▁Through out ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁Major ▁C raw ford , ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁ali ases ▁and ▁dis gu ises , ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁sm ug gle ▁in ▁arms ▁bought ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁Imperial ▁Germany , ▁but ▁vig il ant ▁custom s ▁officials ▁had ▁seized ▁the ▁goods ▁at ▁the ▁do cks . ▁In ▁one ▁instance , ▁pat rol ▁boats ▁th wart ed ▁a ▁gun - running ▁attempt ▁to ▁Car rig art ▁in ▁northern ▁County ▁Don eg al ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Lord ▁Le it rim . ▁Lord ▁Le it rim ▁had ▁been ▁carrying ▁out ▁a ▁week ly ▁small - scale ▁gun - sm ugg ling ▁operation ▁since ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁run ▁by ▁his ▁ch auff eur . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁around ▁seven ▁thousand ▁rif les ▁being ▁stored ▁by ▁C raw ford ▁in ▁a ▁dis used ▁inn ▁in ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁were ▁seized ▁by ▁police . ▁The ▁inn ▁was ▁being ▁r ented ▁out ▁to ▁C raw ford ▁by ▁a ▁brother - in - law ▁of ▁sta unch ▁Union ist ▁Sir ▁William ▁Bull , ▁ 1 st ▁Baron et . ▁One ▁week ▁later , ▁with ▁the