in september 1919, the commander-in-chief, ireland, sir frederick shaw suggested that the police force in ireland be expanded via the recruitment of a special force of volunteer british ex-servicemen. during a cabinet meeting on 11 may 1920, the secretary of state for war, winston churchill, suggested the formation of a "special emergency gendarmerie, which would become a branch of the royal irish constabulary". churchill's proposal was referred to a committee chaired by general sir nevil macready, commander-in-chief of the british forces in ireland. macready's committee rejected churchill's proposal, but it was revived two months later, in july, by the police adviser to the dublin castle administration in ireland, major-general h h tudor. in a memo dated 6 july 1920, tudor justified the scheme on the grounds that it would take too long to reinforce the royal irish constabulary (ric) with ordinary recruits. tudor's new "auxiliary force" would be strictly temporary: its members would enlist for a year: their pay would be £7 per week (twice what a constable was paid), plus a sergeant's allowances, and would be known as "temporary cadets". at this time a london advertisement for ex-officers to manage coffee stalls at two pounds ten shillings a week received five thousand applicants.