Remembering

On, ‪this Day in 1982 the IRA murdered Anthony Daly, 23, Simon Tipper, 19, ‪Jeffery‬ Young, 19, a married father of 2 buried on his 20th birthday, Roy Bright, 36, who died 3 days after the bomb, Graham Barker, 36, a married father of 2, Robert Livingstone, 31, John McKnight, 30, George Mesure, 19, Keith Powell, 24, a married father of 1 (2nd son born after his murder), Laurence Smith, 19 and John Heritage, 29.
11 soldiers were murdered when IRA bombs were set off in 2 London parks, murdering 4 guardsmen in Hyde Park & 7 bandsmen in Regents Park. Attacks are also remembered because of the large number of horses killed at Hyde Park.
Soldiers in full regalia making their way on horseback to Whitehall when a car bomb went off. The inquest heard the person who detonated the device saw woman & pram in field of the blast.
Irish Times: “The horror of the incident was brought home to the public by gruesome pictures broadcast on lunchtime television showing a scene of carnage & devastation”.
‪23 injured. The focus of media on horses. 1 which survived, Sefton, got several hundredweight of sugar cubs within days of blast. Sefton was badly wounded by shrapnel & 6-inch nails.
‪In Regent’s Park, the bandsmen were performing in a concert which had been advertised earlier in the year. Band just began selection from the musical Oliver! when the explosion went off.
‪A briefcase full of nails that bore traces of explosives was discovered in a lake in the park. Inquest told the intention was believed to be to put it under the bandstand but there hadn’t been room for it.
‪In 1987 a South Armagh physics graduate was convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions. The charges included the Hyde Park attack. He was sentenced to 25 yrs but released under the Belfast Agreement in 1998. In 1999 he lodged a successful appeal but judges noted that it “did not at all follow that he was innocent”.
In March 2013 John Downey was charged with murder in relation to the Hyde Park bomb.
‪Downey’s trial collapsed in ‘14 after it emerged that he had received a letter from the PSNI in 2007 assuring him he wouldn’t be charged over the attack. Downey 1 of 187 IRA suspects who received letters.
‪The issuing of letters to IRA “On The Runs” began under Tony Blair’s Labour Government & continued - on a smaller scale - under the subsequent Tory / Lib Dem coalition administration.
‪Downey has received over £50k in legal aid from U.K. taxpayers. Tony Blair defended the OTR letter scheme saying it was necessary for the peace process‬

What the above does not say is that the security forces did not form part of this ‘forgiveness’ in the accord, soldiers are still being charged nearly 50 years later for ‘offences’ they were involved in. Who are pursuing these soldiers, ex IRA members that have somehow got themselves elected/appointed to positions of power in the Northern Ireland government and supported by the hierarchy in Dublin. If the bill that the government is supposed to go through Parliament doesn’t happen soon then you can be assured that the veterans in this country will take action.
 
Tony f*"king Blair and peace process! What a f**cking joke
I understand that something needed to be ‘done’ to stop the violence in NI but a consequence of Blair’s fudge is that the IRA have in fact won (if there ever could be a winner) and Veterans were hung out to dry. you don‘t have to dig far to realise that the ‘troubles’ are far from over. Just glad that I’m too old to do another tour.
 
I understand that something needed to be ‘done’ to stop the violence in NI but a consequence of Blair’s fudge is that the IRA have in fact won (if there ever could be a winner) and Veterans were hung out to dry. you don‘t have to dig far to realise that the ‘troubles’ are far from over. Just glad that I’m too old to do another tour.
Far from over, and very little of it was anything to do with Blair, what really really f*ckes me off is people who were prepared to put their life on the line for Queen and country now being persecuted for doing their job, and to rub salt into the wound they are allowing the perpetrators to go free
 
On Thursday the 14 August 1969 British troops were deployed onto the streets of Northern Ireland - the first troops deployed were the Princes of Wales own Regiment of Yorkshire & the 2nd Battalion the Queens Regiment (2 Queens) on the 14th of August followed by on the 15 of August by the 1st Battalion the Queens Regiment (1 Queens). Some 300,000 troops over the next 38 years served in NI in what is commonly called ‘The Troubles’ - the operation was known as ‘Op Banner’ - 705 soldiers were killed by terrorists in NI - always remembered by family, friends & comrades in arms.
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BALLYGAWLEY BUS BOMBING.
12.30am on the 20th august 1988 when a remote control bomb planted by the side of the road by the ira who lay in wait detonated the bomb which hurtled the bus a distance of 30 metres, in the aftermath 8 soldiers of the 1st Battalion Light Infantry had been murdered and injuring 28, today will you pause and remember those soldiers and their families, The soldiers murdered were: Jayson Burfitt (19), Richard Greener (21), Mark Norsworthy (18), Stephen Wilkinson (18), Jason Winter (19), Blair Bishop (19), Alexander Lewis (18) and Peter Bullock (21, our thought go to the families we share your grief,,
R.I.P

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On this day 27th August 1979.. two atrocities took place...
The murder of Lord Mountbatten and the Ambush at Warrenpoint...
Warrenpoint Ambush – 18 British soldiers Slaughtered by the IRA
18 British soldiers were killed in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) attack at Warrenpoint, County Down. This represented the British Army’s greatest loss of life in a single attack in Northern Ireland. The attack began when the IRA exploded a 500 pound bomb at Narrow Water, near Warrenpoint, as an army convoy was passing.
Six members of the Parachute Regiment were killed in this initial bomb. As other troops moved into the area a second bomb was detonated in a nearby Gate Lodge killing 12 soldiers – 10 members of the Parachute Regiment and 2 members of the Queen’s Own Highlanders (one of whom was the Commanding Officer).
The explosion also damaged an army helicopter. A gun battle then broke out between the IRA who were positioned in the Irish Republic and British Army soldiers in Northern Ireland. An innocent civilian was killed on the Republic side of the border by soldiers firing from the north.
Earlier in the day Louis Mountbatten (79), a cousin of the Queen, was killed by a bobby-trap bomb left by the IRA on a boat near Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. Three other people were killed in the explosion, Lady Brabourne (82), Nicholas Knatchbull (14) who was Mountbatten’s grandson, and Paul Maxwell (15) who was a crew member on the boat. Mountbatten had been a regular visitor to the Mullaghmore area of County Sligo each August and never had a bodyguard. He was on a fishing trip and was accompanied by a number of people on the boat when the bomb exploded.
During the Second World War Mountbatten had been supreme commander of allied forces in south-east Asia. He had also been the last British Viceroy of India and oversaw Indian independence. Thomas McMahon was charged with Mountbatten’s murder and later sentenced to life imprisonment.
We will never forget this horrendous day.
Lest we forget
 
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Imagine your husband went missing. You are pregnant and have 3 children already! Imagine 2 days of agony and worry as it becomes clear the IRA have abducted him and the inevitable phone call to tell you he has been found dead. Not an uncommon occurrence in Northern Ireland, I know! However, imagine when you get that call the police tell you the body can’t be recovered - that the body is in a field in Crossmaglen, surrounded by claymore mines. The body itself is booby-trapped to explode if moved. He also has a huge 500lb bomb attached to him, in 6 milk churns, with command wires leading across the border to a farmhouse. Any attempt to approach him will blow his corpse to pieces along with anyone attempting to retrieve him. He will have to lie there, dead, covered in blood and mud, naked except for his pants and on display for all to see, until the explosives are defused by the Bomb Squad. Imagine that wait for the wife and children! You live in Rathfriland and he’s lying dead surrounded by bombs on the border at Crossmaglen. Bad eh? Not even close!
Imagine now that you get him home! Jim Kilfedder said in Parliament “One of his relatives said that they were horrified at the look of torture and agony still visible on the face. The fingers of both hands were blackened to the knuckles and holes were punched in the finger tips. Handfuls of grass and earth were clutched in the hands. One side of the face was smashed ... to the extent that the nose was broken and displaced to one side. Both arms seemed limp and the genitals had been kicked until swollen out of all proportion. The teeth were smashed, he was shot through the wrists, the mouth, the neck, the throat and several times in the chest.”
Corporal James Elliott, of the UDR, was only 36 years old. He was off-duty and doing his real job as a lorry driver when kidnapped on 17th April 1972, and was found on the 19th April in the circumstances described above.
Sinn Fein say he was a legitimate target - a part of the British war machine - because he chose to wear a uniform and tried to keep people safe from the type of people who ended his life in such a cowardly disgusting fashion. What sort of human could be so evil as to commit such torture on another human being, and believe it justified ‘to free Ireland’, to ‘unite’ Ireland - just because the victim was Protestant and protecting the public.
Noone has ever been charged or convicted of this war crime, this torture, this murder, this affront to God and humanity!
Sinn Fein talk of inquiries, of HUMAN RIGHTS, of equality and of justice.
How fking dare they?
In memory of James Elliot, UDR Cpl, husband, father, son and hero!
All he would ask is that you remember him!
 
Please read this till the end, some people don’t believe in PTSD, this explains it better than anything I’ve ever read.

My friend's friend sadly took his own life two days ago. His very brave Mum Rose wants his suicide letter sharing to raise awareness. Please in his and her honour, read to the end.
💔

""I’m only posting this today. Henry committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of sleeping pills. Police were called when his Mum Rose couldn’t open the door to his flat as he’d bolted it. He’d left food out for his 11mth old kitten Storm. He had left everything neat and tidy laid out the things he wanted to be cremated in, left all the information she needed to sort out his affairs. He had cleaned his medals but left a note to send them back to the MoD. He had sent an email at 23.50pm Sunday knowing she wouldn’t get it till the next day. Rose has asked all of us that knew and loved Henry to post a copy of that email on every social media platform we can. It contains some quite upsetting things but remember this was written by a man choosing to clear his mind and put his truth out there.
Henry John James (24/12/1976 - 29/8/2021 (44)) named by his mum after her favourite American/British author Henry James.
Loving son, brother, friend never got to be husband or father and FORMER proud British soldier. That word is the key to my decision today to commit suicide. Though I physical die today we all know I died in Hellmand Province in July 2009 when we lost 6 in a week to IEDs among them Tace and H and I was there for both.
People think IED they think your killed outright if your lucky you are but often your just waiting to die or your seriously maimed that’s the next best thing. I sat with Tace as his hand shock and he yelled in pain for his Mum till it finally ended. It was a relief. I lied to him telling him it was all going to be ok we both knew it wasn’t. H was lucky. People don’t realise IEDs create smoke, dust, smell and that’s burnt flesh, blood or explosive and if your near by blood and other bits that get on your uniform. Your deafened by the noise, your ears ring and your first thought isn’t someone died, it’s I didn’t is any part of me missing. Your thrown up in the air you have no control of where you land. In my case on both days no I didn’t die I walked away. I survived 3 IEDs that week the next one in August 2010 I survived but I lost my left arm, I was too close but someone died, ironically I lost the hand that Tace held. You never give them you right hand that one is still on your gun. Between those two dates I killed as many Taliban as I could each one for the boys we lost. I’d have killed more if I could have it helped me to forget the horrors I became immune to it. I enjoyed it I admit it. I got my nickname post-it as I would write the day, time and number of them I killed. Yes I denied it all this time but I did it and they are in my top box in the living room. The count was 57. It’s a good number in a year and I can say I’m proud of it. Proud I killed 57 Taliban fighters but sad it wasn’t more double would have been good.
But it’s after when you come back it starts the sounds, smells the full horror it turns up at any time. a noise, a smell and your back there sometimes a face anything triggers you. They send you to rehabilitation for your lost arm bit of therapy for the PTSD then they let you go. Bit of money but that’s it thanks for your service as the Yanks say. Your a civilian and your not a priority so your on lists to see various people who don’t know what it’s like really they haven’t served haven’t been there. You can’t tell them the real issue I want to go back I want to keep on killing Taliban it makes me feel better.
Then there’s Di. The war took that future from me the one with a wife, children don’t even remember that dream. Truth is I left her because she didn’t get it. She thought going on with the wedding was a good thing. Talking endlessly about dresses, food, venues, cake when all I could see was Tace the day I asked him to be my best man. She didn’t even know I’d asked him because she assumed it would be her brother after all he was my best mate and we met through that. But he wasn’t my best mate. He couldn’t be we had different lives great bloke but he worked in Asda not much like a war zone in anyway I’d stopped being Henry. I was Post-it he was still Jack. So I walked away I know my timing 3 days before wasn’t great but better than going through with it. I’m rambling because I want to write it all down. Everything even the bits you don’t know. I want you to show everyone what I was like when I made the decision to take my life.
But I know you’ll be devastated Mum. You’ll want to know why? What did you miss? What could you have done? Should I have done more? But truth is you couldn’t you did everything you could the private therapist was working and in all my dark days I never even thought about suicide. So why? You ask.
I fought in a war that they said was changing the face of a region bringing it into the 21st century. A world where people could grow up, listen to pop music, girls could go to school without fear, girls could dream of being anything they wanted to be. No more burkas if they didn’t want them, hair and beauty salons and to finally own a pet. Yes to own a pet. You knew I was still in contact with Aalem and his family. His two girls were at uni one wanted to be an architect the other an engineer. They wanted to rebuild and improve their country. We talked about my visiting but we’d delayed it due to Covid. What you don’t know is he got a letter saying he didn’t qualify to come to the U.K. in the evacuation he was now considered a threat. A guy who was an interpreter and scout for us. A man who I’d sat down in his home, with his family, to eat with many times. He’s left to face a future going backwards. See that was our legacy the glue that stopped me thinking of suicide. We had done our job these people had a good life free of fear of the Taliban they had a future it was getting better now they just pulled the rug from under them. Their back to square one we wasted 20 years and all those lives ours and the civilians for what so a politician can try and remain President. So people can say no more Americans are dying in a foreign land, to save money. See Mum no legacy and I tried to contact Aalem all day Saturday because he was scared they’d come for him. His phone dead is he ok I don’t know, did he escape I don’t know. I’ll never know but I can’t watch these politicians slapping themselves on the back for a job well done getting people out, telling veterans we didn’t make sacrifices in vain. We did you never sacrificed anything your greedier, you lie and you have now started the killing again you’ve thrown the people in Afghanistan to the wolves. Sitting somewhere in a house, in Kabul maybe, probably watching people maybe even family killed around him you’ve created the next Bin Laden. The next terrorist not against the Taliban but YOU. You who left him behind to suffer he will blame YOU not them he will come after US not them. It will start again. It already has with the bombing on Thursday already a politician is saying well hunt you down. It will be your fault. I can’t be a part of history like the Vietnam veteran before me forgotten because of a failed American war just like this one. You’ve killed me along with them another victim.
I’ve made peace with just leaving now. I want you to know I was getting there but this just started it all again and I can’t go through it again. I’m sorry. I love you Mum I’m sorry it’s so close to you losing Issac but I just can’t do it all again another 11 years of therapy etc. Can’t pick up and start again because that one thing I had was that glue we made a sacrifice for them to have a better life. It was worth it is not now it’s ruined, spoilt gone. Please don’t be annoyed you’ve seen my darkest days I can’t do them again. I’m tired of waking up sweating after seeing Tace blown six foot in the air to land impaled on a rusting piece of discarded metal with both legs hanging there. So I’ll miss Sunday dinner best Yorkshire puddings and roast tattles ever. Please look after Storm she’s a great cat tell Maisie she really helped me but I can’t stay just for her please keep her I know you will be company for your one they’re sisters after all. I’m off to see H and Tace. I’ve done my research I’ll just go to sleep. See you again one day. All my love to everyone.
Post-it for me Mum post this. Many of us are still fighting this war in our heads and probably always will but not me anymore I’m done fighting I can’t do it anymore.
Eternal love
your Henry.""
 
Please read this till the end, some people don’t believe in PTSD, this explains it better than anything I’ve ever read.

My friend's friend sadly took his own life two days ago. His very brave Mum Rose wants his suicide letter sharing to raise awareness. Please in his and her honour, read to the end.
💔

""I’m only posting this today. Henry committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of sleeping pills. Police were called when his Mum Rose couldn’t open the door to his flat as he’d bolted it. He’d left food out for his 11mth old kitten Storm. He had left everything neat and tidy laid out the things he wanted to be cremated in, left all the information she needed to sort out his affairs. He had cleaned his medals but left a note to send them back to the MoD. He had sent an email at 23.50pm Sunday knowing she wouldn’t get it till the next day. Rose has asked all of us that knew and loved Henry to post a copy of that email on every social media platform we can. It contains some quite upsetting things but remember this was written by a man choosing to clear his mind and put his truth out there.
Henry John James (24/12/1976 - 29/8/2021 (44)) named by his mum after her favourite American/British author Henry James.
Loving son, brother, friend never got to be husband or father and FORMER proud British soldier. That word is the key to my decision today to commit suicide. Though I physical die today we all know I died in Hellmand Province in July 2009 when we lost 6 in a week to IEDs among them Tace and H and I was there for both.
People think IED they think your killed outright if your lucky you are but often your just waiting to die or your seriously maimed that’s the next best thing. I sat with Tace as his hand shock and he yelled in pain for his Mum till it finally ended. It was a relief. I lied to him telling him it was all going to be ok we both knew it wasn’t. H was lucky. People don’t realise IEDs create smoke, dust, smell and that’s burnt flesh, blood or explosive and if your near by blood and other bits that get on your uniform. Your deafened by the noise, your ears ring and your first thought isn’t someone died, it’s I didn’t is any part of me missing. Your thrown up in the air you have no control of where you land. In my case on both days no I didn’t die I walked away. I survived 3 IEDs that week the next one in August 2010 I survived but I lost my left arm, I was too close but someone died, ironically I lost the hand that Tace held. You never give them you right hand that one is still on your gun. Between those two dates I killed as many Taliban as I could each one for the boys we lost. I’d have killed more if I could have it helped me to forget the horrors I became immune to it. I enjoyed it I admit it. I got my nickname post-it as I would write the day, time and number of them I killed. Yes I denied it all this time but I did it and they are in my top box in the living room. The count was 57. It’s a good number in a year and I can say I’m proud of it. Proud I killed 57 Taliban fighters but sad it wasn’t more double would have been good.
But it’s after when you come back it starts the sounds, smells the full horror it turns up at any time. a noise, a smell and your back there sometimes a face anything triggers you. They send you to rehabilitation for your lost arm bit of therapy for the PTSD then they let you go. Bit of money but that’s it thanks for your service as the Yanks say. Your a civilian and your not a priority so your on lists to see various people who don’t know what it’s like really they haven’t served haven’t been there. You can’t tell them the real issue I want to go back I want to keep on killing Taliban it makes me feel better.
Then there’s Di. The war took that future from me the one with a wife, children don’t even remember that dream. Truth is I left her because she didn’t get it. She thought going on with the wedding was a good thing. Talking endlessly about dresses, food, venues, cake when all I could see was Tace the day I asked him to be my best man. She didn’t even know I’d asked him because she assumed it would be her brother after all he was my best mate and we met through that. But he wasn’t my best mate. He couldn’t be we had different lives great bloke but he worked in Asda not much like a war zone in anyway I’d stopped being Henry. I was Post-it he was still Jack. So I walked away I know my timing 3 days before wasn’t great but better than going through with it. I’m rambling because I want to write it all down. Everything even the bits you don’t know. I want you to show everyone what I was like when I made the decision to take my life.
But I know you’ll be devastated Mum. You’ll want to know why? What did you miss? What could you have done? Should I have done more? But truth is you couldn’t you did everything you could the private therapist was working and in all my dark days I never even thought about suicide. So why? You ask.
I fought in a war that they said was changing the face of a region bringing it into the 21st century. A world where people could grow up, listen to pop music, girls could go to school without fear, girls could dream of being anything they wanted to be. No more burkas if they didn’t want them, hair and beauty salons and to finally own a pet. Yes to own a pet. You knew I was still in contact with Aalem and his family. His two girls were at uni one wanted to be an architect the other an engineer. They wanted to rebuild and improve their country. We talked about my visiting but we’d delayed it due to Covid. What you don’t know is he got a letter saying he didn’t qualify to come to the U.K. in the evacuation he was now considered a threat. A guy who was an interpreter and scout for us. A man who I’d sat down in his home, with his family, to eat with many times. He’s left to face a future going backwards. See that was our legacy the glue that stopped me thinking of suicide. We had done our job these people had a good life free of fear of the Taliban they had a future it was getting better now they just pulled the rug from under them. Their back to square one we wasted 20 years and all those lives ours and the civilians for what so a politician can try and remain President. So people can say no more Americans are dying in a foreign land, to save money. See Mum no legacy and I tried to contact Aalem all day Saturday because he was scared they’d come for him. His phone dead is he ok I don’t know, did he escape I don’t know. I’ll never know but I can’t watch these politicians slapping themselves on the back for a job well done getting people out, telling veterans we didn’t make sacrifices in vain. We did you never sacrificed anything your greedier, you lie and you have now started the killing again you’ve thrown the people in Afghanistan to the wolves. Sitting somewhere in a house, in Kabul maybe, probably watching people maybe even family killed around him you’ve created the next Bin Laden. The next terrorist not against the Taliban but YOU. You who left him behind to suffer he will blame YOU not them he will come after US not them. It will start again. It already has with the bombing on Thursday already a politician is saying well hunt you down. It will be your fault. I can’t be a part of history like the Vietnam veteran before me forgotten because of a failed American war just like this one. You’ve killed me along with them another victim.
I’ve made peace with just leaving now. I want you to know I was getting there but this just started it all again and I can’t go through it again. I’m sorry. I love you Mum I’m sorry it’s so close to you losing Issac but I just can’t do it all again another 11 years of therapy etc. Can’t pick up and start again because that one thing I had was that glue we made a sacrifice for them to have a better life. It was worth it is not now it’s ruined, spoilt gone. Please don’t be annoyed you’ve seen my darkest days I can’t do them again. I’m tired of waking up sweating after seeing Tace blown six foot in the air to land impaled on a rusting piece of discarded metal with both legs hanging there. So I’ll miss Sunday dinner best Yorkshire puddings and roast tattles ever. Please look after Storm she’s a great cat tell Maisie she really helped me but I can’t stay just for her please keep her I know you will be company for your one they’re sisters after all. I’m off to see H and Tace. I’ve done my research I’ll just go to sleep. See you again one day. All my love to everyone.
Post-it for me Mum post this. Many of us are still fighting this war in our heads and probably always will but not me anymore I’m done fighting I can’t do it anymore.
Eternal love
your Henry.""
F**k that was a tough read took about three attempts :cry:
All because of two things Politics and Religion in this case a religion that is outdated by hundreds of years and dependent on brainwashing (72 virgins or whatever) how can you reason with people who are prepared to blow themselves up
 
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