As some form of independence for part of Ireland began to emerge, former British soldiers continued to play a role in republicanism. During the negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty from October 1921, Emmet Dalton accompanied Michael Collins for some of his time in London, advising Collins on military matters and liaising with the British over observation of the Truce through talks at the Colonial Office with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Winston Churchill. Dalton also made plans for Collins to escape by air if the negotiations fell apart and his liberty was threatened.1