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Forty years on the 29th August Ian. RIP a true friend and a brave soldier.
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We shall remember them.
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Visit tree 49/189 @ the NMA and say hello.Comment
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RIP, soldier. Dave if you wish, I could copy and paste the section of my book on Ian into this thread; please let me knowComment
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Yes please Ken, that would indeed be a fitting tribute.Comment
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I knew the anniversary was approaching mate. I still can't understand why they said on that special Part 1 order that it was an isolated incident. Was this for the benefit of the families?
One day perhaps, the real story will get told and the true culprits will be named.
R.I.P. Trooper.
We Will Remember Them.
You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.Comment
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The very fact that the Irish Government - Rialtas na hÉireann – had, embodied within the framework of its constitution, the stated aim of taking the North back into the country of Ireland, gave tacit support to the IRA. That they saw the terrorist acts committed by both wings of the IRA as ‘political’ was enough for any border incursion by them to be ignored. However, at the same time they came down hard on border crossings by the British.
The Republic – like the United States Supreme Court and the ‘Irish Lobby’ which brought so much influence to bear in blocking extraditions for so long – gave the IRA an astonishing ‘get out of jail free’ card.
An excellent but tragic example of this was the killing of Corporal Ian Armstrong (32) of the 14/20th Hussars who was shot on August 29, 1971 near Crossmaglen. His two vehicle armoured patrol had accidentally crossed into the Irish Republic into the Sheelagh, Co Louth area and was attacked by a mob of Irish citizens. The village is less than a mile from the border and comparative safety. One vehicle was set alight and soldiers had to scramble clear and were immediately attacked by a mob. Whilst this was on-going, the Garda and Irish Army did nothing and it transpired that gunmen from within the Republic were summoned and opened fire on the troops. They confirmed later that they had been more scared of the mobs who they felt would tear them to pieces than the armed men.
It was during repairs that an IRA gunman shot and killed Ian Armstrong of the 14/20 King’s and badly wounded Trooper Ronald Ager; both the Garda and the Irish Army denied that they had refused to intervene.
Strictly speaking, as the event in question took place on 29 August 1971, i.e. a full 4 months before the title year of 1972, the following personal account is outside the scope of this book. However, as it illustrates perfectly the, at best inertia, at worst, downright complicity of the Garda and Irish Army, I have chosen to include it.Last edited by Guest; 21-08-2011, 02:58 AM.Comment
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And that in itself is a tragedy, Jock. Ian's wife and family heard of his death (complete with his name), on the 6pm news that night, before the Army had got it's act together and gone round to see them. (Ian had a married pad in Tidworth).Originally posted by Jock2413 View PostI knew the anniversary was approaching mate. I still can't understand why they said on that special Part 1 order that it was an isolated incident. Was this for the benefit of the families?
One day perhaps, the real story will get told and the true culprits will be named.
R.I.P. Trooper.
We Will Remember Them.Comment
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Be who you are and say what you feel...
Because those that matter, don't mind.
And those that mind, don't matter!Comment
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When Curtis was killed, the media were like a bunch of jackals. It was announced on the early morning BBC Northern Ireland and Ulster TV news reports that a soldier from the Royal Artillery had been killed in Belfast. The next report said that he was a married man. As our unit was the only Gunner Regiment deployed at the time, it really threw a scare amongst the wives back in Celle and Hildesheim as Mrs Curtis had not yet been located. Not the army PR's finest hour. They were not really fixed up to deal with a fatality in NI.
I watched a programme about the TA in Afghanistan. When there was a fatality out there, the mobile phone posts and internet access was cut off till the NOK had been informed. I remember when Pisarek and Brooks were killed in 1973, within the hour there were lads at the Saracen Factory queuing up to use the coin boxes to phone home and let their families know that they were ok and it would only be human nature that they told them the names of the dead lads.You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.Comment
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I remember the murder of Gunner Curtis so well, at the time. What I didn't know then, and this is a measure of how well the Army/MOD kept a lid on things, 21 other soldiers had already been killed at this stage and 21 CVOs or Regimental officers had visited the mainland and there had been 21 funerals of soldiers. Compared with their other less than glorious public relations disasters, that was an official 'success.'Comment
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29 Aug 71, I cannot remember if I was in the school by Ballymurphy or in Musgrave Park hospital guarding wounded provos, dates around that time seem to have muddied but I am sure it was before I was caught by an i e d .
R I P soldiers, duty done.Spanners do it with their tools.Comment
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Spanner; have a read of my books and you can see exactly where you were.
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STILL waiting for you to send me the copies mate. I am sure that I was at Sunnyside st UDR base on Aug 31 as that is when Clifford lorring died and I was definitely there when that happened. As I said before, a bunch of us, RA and REME sat around a table in the NAAFI having a drink to his memory, Ringo said " I am not sure if I am shocked at his loss or ashamed because i never got to know him," Ringo was riding shotgun in the pig when we got bombed, BFJ was commander and he was at that table that evening, 40 years ago.Originally posted by kenskydiver View PostSpanner; have a read of my books and you can see exactly where you were.Spanners do it with their tools.Comment
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Spanner all on sale at AmazonComment
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