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The above named lady will be one I'm sure most of you will not recognise. But I assure you that her actions that sadly resulted in her losing her life are worthy of her inclusion in the civilian section of our ROH.
Alice was from Londonderry and the wife of Sgt Brian Purvis who was serving with the Royal Pioneer Corps. Despite some concerns from her family, Brian and Alice decided to visit her elderly mother at her home in the Gobnascale area of Londonderry, a well known republican enclave in the predominantly loyalist area of the Waterside. Sgt Purvis had been in the house since the previous Friday and family members stated that he had never left it prior to the terrorist attack the following Tuesday night.
As the family, which included Alice's two sisters were sat indoors, a terrorist murder team burst into the house and singled out Sgt Purvis. Alice and one of her sisters attacked the gunmen and in the ensuing chaos, Sgt Purvis and Alice's sister were shot and seriously wounded. As the murderers tried to shoot Sgt Purvis again, Alice threw herself on top to shield him and she was callously shot in the back. Next door neighbours on hearing the noise started to arrive so the murder team did what they were good at .... they ran away. Both Sgt Purvis and and the brave other lady survived their wounds, but tragically, Alice was declared dead on arrival at Altnagelvin Hospital.
There can be no better example of the old saying "greater love have no woman than she gave her life ...... "
NIVA salutes you Mrs Alice Purvis. Rest easy brave lady.
Alice was from Londonderry and the wife of Sgt Brian Purvis who was serving with the Royal Pioneer Corps. Despite some concerns from her family, Brian and Alice decided to visit her elderly mother at her home in the Gobnascale area of Londonderry, a well known republican enclave in the predominantly loyalist area of the Waterside. Sgt Purvis had been in the house since the previous Friday and family members stated that he had never left it prior to the terrorist attack the following Tuesday night.
As the family, which included Alice's two sisters were sat indoors, a terrorist murder team burst into the house and singled out Sgt Purvis. Alice and one of her sisters attacked the gunmen and in the ensuing chaos, Sgt Purvis and Alice's sister were shot and seriously wounded. As the murderers tried to shoot Sgt Purvis again, Alice threw herself on top to shield him and she was callously shot in the back. Next door neighbours on hearing the noise started to arrive so the murder team did what they were good at .... they ran away. Both Sgt Purvis and and the brave other lady survived their wounds, but tragically, Alice was declared dead on arrival at Altnagelvin Hospital.
There can be no better example of the old saying "greater love have no woman than she gave her life ...... "
NIVA salutes you Mrs Alice Purvis. Rest easy brave lady.
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