- All
- sandes
Ballykinler 1973-1975
The battalion arrived in Ballykinler in July 1973, assuming operational responsibility as the Northern Ireland Province Reserve.
The next two years were to be extremely busy with hazards not only confined to the IRA and terrorist action. Accidents involving heavy armoured vehicles on tracks and minor roads that were designed for light traffic were common.
In August 1973 ‘C’ Company were deployed to the Bogside area of Londonderry, an area very familiar to the old soldiers of this Company.
During this tour the following Farmer's boys were lost
| Corporal | JW Leahy | 8th March 1973 |
| Colour Sergeant | BJ Foster | 23rd March 1973 |
| Captain | NJN Sutton | 14th August 1973 |
| Lance Corporal | A Coughlan (RWF) | 28th October 1974 |
| Private | M Swanick | 28th October 1974 |
| Corporal | SA Windsor (D and D) | 6th November 1974 |
| Private | B Allen | 6th November 1974 |
During it's time in Ballykinlar the Regiment produced the following Regimental Journals
Bombing at Sandes Soldiers Home 1974
On 28 October 1974 a massive IRA bomb exploded outside the Sandes Soldiers Home which was situated just outside the Ballykinler barracks.
At the time it was full of soldiers on their morning break.
The building caught fire and collapsed. Corporal Coughlan and Private Swanick were killed and thirty three others from the battalion were injured, some badly. In addition two civilian members of staff also died.
There were a number of reasons put forward for the attack on it by the IRA, - the battalion’s involvement at the Maze prison riot, or revenge for the death of Paul Magorrian who was shot by members of the battalion in August. In either case it mattered not, the battalion continued with its task.
The Home was later rebuilt and on a subsequent tour the battalion erected a monument to the two soldiers who had lost their lives there.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Web team would like to thank Ron SUTTON for his assistance in putting this page together. For further information suggested reading is the Regimental History 'COLD WAR WARRIORS' by Lt Col STONE, available at the Regimental Museum
Tours of Duty 1959-1975
Tours of Duty 1975-1994
On 15 October 1974 Republican prisoners serving sentences in the Maze prison rioted.
The battalion was mobilised to deal with it, with tactical headquarters and two companies flying directly to the Maze from Ballykinler, while ‘D’ Company came by road from Aughnacloy in Saracen armoured personal carriers.
This was not a spontaneous outbreak of violence by the inmates but a planned event, designed to coincide with other disturbances in Northern Ireland.
The prisoners were well prepared for their action, they had erected barricades, stockpiled bricks and hunks of concrete, made various weapons such as poles with six inch nails embedded in their ends, improvised maces and pieces of beds with their ends made as jagged as possible. They even had respirators.
A private soldier remembered 'I can’t remember the exact time we went in but it was light. The company entered the Maze and we went into what looked like a sports field.
It was a single gate and as we got in we panned out into what could only be described as an extended line. I was a baton gunner as were many others.
To say it was a turkey shoot is no exaggeration. ‘C’ Company were under extreme pressure and several soldiers were separated with their lives in immediate danger. ‘C’ company came under severe pressure until the timely intervention of a Squadron from 3 RTR (Royal Tank Regiment).
Throughout the operation the troops on the ground were assisted by helicopters dropping CS gas on the rioters and in one instance on ‘D’ company.
Eventually two Saracens pushed a hole through the wire fences and the whole force which by now had risen to seven companies, charged through the gaps in the fence and cornered the prisoners up against the wire at the edge of the football pitch.
The battle was over. Many soldiers from the battalion sustained minor injuries with thirteen going to Musgrove Hospital in Belfast for treatment.
The inmates at the Maze were experienced men and as such operated under their own command structure inside the prison system. Prior to the disturbances the republican prisoners had a local truce with the loyalist prisoners enabling them to use some of their cell accommodation as a field hospital.
After the battle was over the prisoners (there were over 400 of them) were lined up against the wire at the edge of the football pitch, and during the day were taken back to the various compounds.
By 1800 hours that evening the battalion had left the prison with the prisoners, now well and truly subdued, preparing to spend a cold night without shelter.
And so ended one of the regiment’s most violent episodes to date. [The estimated cost of damage to the Maze Prison, during disturbances on 15 October 1974, was put at £1.5m.]
Some images from that night
These were taken from Ther Regimental Journal, if anyone has the originals it would be greatly appriciated if copies could be provided
Tours of Duty 1959-1975
Tours of Duty 1975-1994
Londonderry 1973
St Columba's School, Brandywell, Londonderry, 1973 A search team from ‘A’ Company searched with a sniffer dog after an incident at this location. It was from this position that ‘A’ Company observed the Bogside.
The IRA became aware of this and set a booby trap for the next patrol that was due to take up a position.
Before it arrived the device was accidentally set off by the school's headmaster and the caretaker. Fortunately neither were killed, but both were injured.
The remnants of the caretaker’s clothing were located hanging in the nearby tree.
The incident provided valuable lessons to young soldiers of the battalion about movement into and out of positions such as this.
Tours of Duty 1959-1975
Tours of Duty 1975-1994
Arms Find, Portadown
A significant arms find was made by search teams from ‘A’ Company at the Fire Station in Portadown, 1973.
Two men, both loyalist paramilitaries, were arrested. Items found included a self loading rifle, four revolvers, an air pistol, and 2,500 rounds of 7.62 ammunition – all stolen from the Ulster Defence Regiment.
Although discoveries of this type provided a significant rise in morale, encouraging other soldiers to search more thoroughly, many man hours were expended with negative results.
Tours of Duty 1959-1975
Tours of Duty 1975-1994
Aughnacloy VCP 1974
On the 15th March 1974 a platoon from ‘A’ company came under attack from an IRA unit across the border, at the same time a large explosion occurred in a field 50 meters short of the VCP.
A rocket then flew over the VCP but did not explode. Further automatic fire found its target, but a well sited GPMG in the SF role responded with accurate and sustained fire, raking the area where the soldiers had seen the smoke from the enemy weapons.
Tracer was later used which enabled the machine guns to zero in on the fire.
A short while later the Irish Police reported the area as clear and later reports referred to at least ‘one lifeless’ body being carried away, with a second bleeding profusely.