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Soldiers who served in N.I during the 'Troubles'


jam1e
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Obviously not everyone in N/I supported the army so anyone pointing that out is stating the obvious. Even in mainland UK their bravery and sacrifice will be forgotten by some, but for most in the town i live in it will not be forgotten and they are remembered.

 

A Service of Remembrance has been held to mark the 25th anniversary of the deaths of six soldiers murdered by the IRA in a Lisburn bomb attack. The service, at Lisburn’s Christ Church on Saturday June 15, saw Lisburn City Council, with church clergy representatives, local MLA’s and MP Jeffrey Donaldson welcome members of the families of the soldiers killed to Lisburn. On June 15, 1988, an unmarked military van carrying six soldiers was blown up at Market Square in Lisburn. The bomb went off at the end of a charity half-marathon - in which the six soldiers had participated. The soldiers who were killed were: Sergeant Michael J. Winkler; Lance Corporal William J Paterson; Lance Corporal Graham P. Lambie; Lance Corporal Derek W. Green; Signalman Mark R. Clavey and Corporal Ian Metcalfe.

 

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Edited by ordnance
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Born and raised in N.I, sad times indeed. I was lucky to have parents that moved us out of Belfast to a town not far away but it meant we where sheltered from most of the bad stuff going on.

I have a wife who's dad was killed by the I.N.L.A, which was a case of mistaken identity.....I think most families in the country where touched in some way or another.

I have the utmost respect for the young lads in the army that where sent over here to try to keep the peace and it still hurts when i think about how some of them died.

Some of my best friends are Catholics that grew up on the Falls road or the Short Strand and i have heard some of there stories and it all sucks....

 

Lets just hope the peace here lasts. The muppets at Stormont don't seem to care. As another poster above wrote, 99% of the people in N.I just want to get along, live their lives and religion plays no part in it.

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My elder half Brother did three tours with the marines, apparently they were issued ammunition when they went out on patrol that all had to be accounted for when they returned but were always handed several extra they wouldn't have to account for, he picked us up from.school with my mum and I always remember he suddenly started walking backwards looking into a bedroom window "because he thought he saw a sniper", this was in Stanmore though :-) I think he was in 42 commando but I was only young so could have got that mixed up

Interesting- What was the extra Ammo for..? In case they came across a few rabbits for the lads to make a stew back at the barracks.!

 

I could tell a few story's of the troubles and one is that I suppose Im lucky to be here at all to tell any !

 

A couple of mates and I as young teenagers used to cross the border to go swimming. We were usually stopped and had our bags searched which usually contained a towel and a can of deodarant.

This day as we approached the Checkpoint we had just sat ourselves on a bridge for a rest and the next thing a round of shots went off beside us. We thought we were done for.

A couple of soldiers approached us and after checking our bags sent us on our way. We were shaken an did not know what was going on.

 

Anyway a week or so later I read in a paper that a Cyclist was approaching the checkpoint that day also when the shots went off and it transpired that a Soldier on the watchtower had fell asleep and went over on his gun and it went off accidentally. I think it was 4 or 5 shots that went off and it said in the paper the soldier in question was fined £300 a bullet.

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The extra ammo was in case you lost a round as if you did you where charge upto a months pay for negligence depending on unit and time etc.

 

Every week all ammo was laid out and every round counted.

That didn't stop us finding a Baton gun behind the radiator in one of the Maze towers we were taking down and rebuilding.It cost the unit on guard detail a few crates of beer :lol:

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