GRAVEWATCH

[Gil Boyd]

There I was cleaning a soldiers grave from 2 PARA in Bedford Cemetery on Monday with good old Fungitrol, who was killed on the 27th August 1979 at Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland by the IRA, and found this very interesting stone and dug out the story of his demise on my return.
27/8/1979 was the same day 16 x 2 PARA lads died, ironically, the same day the IRA killed Lord Louis Mountbatten on his boat Shadow V off Sligo Coast near his home of Classibawn Castle.

Some may find the story of Sgt Gibbs interesting when you consider how long the British Soldier has spent on Irelands turf north and south in the name of the Crown!!!

Information

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[browningautorifle]

an old mates grave from 2 PARA

This is a guy you served with?

the same day the IRA killed Lord Louis Mountbatten on his boat

And one of his twin grandsons, his daughter was our C.I.C. for decades, I remember that day well...

[Gil Boyd]

Jim,
The first picture was Monday morning and the earlier one when I reseated it in cement, after it lay face down under the grass and had dissapeared from sight but preserved well, which started Gravewatch in 2007 in a cemetery with 30,000 people in it. It inspired me and motivated me to do somehting about it and others around the world, but how many other Regiments men lay in some desolate hell hole and unappreciated!! Last Monday I sprayed it with Fungitrol which will bring it back to white at the top in a few days!

[browningautorifle]

I'm not that old

Sorry Gil, I was serving in 1979 so I didn't think it was much of a reach, thought maybe he was a guy you'd been with when the critical incident occurred... He's just a year older than I am...

[Otbed]

I was a military helicopter pilot serving on and off in Northern Ireland during this period although on this day I was on leave in south west England. I remember hearing the news after a day on the beach and feeling even greater revulsion than ever towards these murderous terrorists. On my next visit to NI I remember seeing a photograph taken almost at the moment of detonation of the second and deadliest IED. It was taken as one of our squadron aircraft, a Wessex, was in the hover (for casevac) and also showed a soldier either being blown over a wall or maybe in the process of jumping it. The aircraft is just visible in silhouette amongst the swirl of smoke and debris. I believe one of the pilots described what appeared to be little pieces of gravel dropping out of the sky on and around the aircraft which actually turned out to be large pieces of stone blocks and wall stone. Some of the aircraft transparencies were blown out but the crew and aircraft were fine.

IIRC the death toll was 18 although I stand to be corrected. The bus (?) had left an army base some distance away and could have gone several ways but for obvious security reasons the actual route was only decided immediately prior to departure. I guess it was just sheer bad luck that the terrorists had seeded the location with 2 IED's probably to attempt to kill any random passing police officers or military personnel. One detonated as the vehicle passed it and caused I believe 6 deaths. What is so sad is that in the immediate follow up as the soldiers formed a cordon thay set up an OP in a small stone hut of sorts. This was also seeded with an IED presumably to try and murder more people during the inevitable chaos following the first explosion. I believe the second IED killed another 12. The location on what was, and still is, a main road was overlooked across a narrow strip of water (the border between NI and Irish Republic running down the middle of the waterway) and I believe the FP was believed to be across the water on a wooded hillside in the republic with detonation by radio control. Not a good day in the history of the island of Ireland.
I'm just a year older than L/Cpl Ireland.

[Gil Boyd]

Otbed,
Yes you are right it was 18 Army lads were killed, two were non 2 PARA, but the incoming Regiment, 1st Queens Own Highlanders and their CO Lt Col Blair and his driver. The four tonner was driving past the hay rick when that exploded and then as soldiers do, the survivors in the convoy took cover behind a gate house. This too was rigged and blew up as the Wessex was taking the injured off to Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast.
I understood the Wessex was peppered with shrapnel but continued to fly!
A terrible day for the Army but also the Country..............what had Lord Louis Mountbatten to do with anything Political on that day, except he lived in the south amongst the people he loved at Classibawn Castle the seat of the family for years. Those that killed him that day, only had their freedom, because of men like him served with distinction in WW2, and fought for it.

I think it was 657 AAC and RAF attachments at Bessbrook then. I always recall some hairy flights over Newry with the Nitesun on in a Sioux. Now that was an easy target!!!

[mrclark303]

I always recall some hairy flights over Newry with the Nitesun on in a Sioux. Now that was an easy target!!!

You aren't kidding Gil, just a perspex bubble between you and some murderous thug .... I remember reading Korean war stories of of incredibly brave Bell 47 pilots recovering injured men under heavy fire and returning to a MASH unit in a flying colander with flies in their teeth, because most of the perspex was shot away ... Then going back in and doing it again!

[Gil Boyd]

John,
I loved them to bits. We had built the chopper pad at the Primary school the other end of the village to the Mill. They were the early days SCOUT and SIOUX's thats all 657 AAC were operating then, no doors just fresh air and loads of scenery!!
Note feet on the skids and holding the trusty SLR

[mrclark303]

Great pics Gil, what a superb helicopter the Westland Scout was, simple, rugged and reliable, did exactly what it said on the tin...

[Gil Boyd]

I am sure Otbed will agree, some of the finest pilots around, even on one occasion flying under the Belfast to Dublin railway bridge.......legends, with very little room to spare