A day in the life of the British Para, 1967-74

Get up 6am, do two hours of security road blocks at random and then patrol the surrounding countryside in open top land-rover until mid day.

During the afternoon patrol the protestant area of Belfast, stop to talk to the locals. Union flags in most windows. Red hand of Ulster flags painted on the end of terraced houses. The protestant community are pleased to see you patrolling their estates? I think not. They hate the British soldier as much as the Catholics in Bally Murphy.

“Do you want a cup of tea my dear?” A woman asks.

“Yes says the NCO, and a few of the section have the tea thinking they are safe. They think the same as the Americans that these people are English. They are not they were born in Northern Ireland and that makes them dangerous. The section finishes drinking their tea and walk off carrying on with business.

The section is told by the radio operator that a fight has broken out in Bally Murphy, the sections turf. They jump in the two vehicles and drive off to the location. They are met with a bombardment of children and women throwing stones and bottles. The section jump out of the vehicles cock weapons and take up defensive positions waiting for the real show of force. It never happens but the stone throwers have disappeared, but in place walking towards the section is a crowd. These are the real deal, men and boys spoiling for trouble and outnumbering the section. The radio operator calls for back-up they are outnumbered and outgunned, somewhere among that two hundred restless men is one lone shooter waiting to get his chance. The section waits and hopes the back-up will arrive fast as this is not looking to good. The British soldier only has live rounds to fire at the crowd and they will never be used.

Back-up arrives and section withdraws back to base.

Just before meal half the section doubles up in pain and doctor arrives [Arsenic poisoning.] Yes that good old cup of tea the friendly protestant’s gave the soldier had powdered glass mixed with the sugar. The part of the section which is only five men that never had the tea are about to do roaming night patrols in Belfast City.

Eleven pm, suspicious man near Match Factory at end of M1 and the half section goes out to investigate. While investigating a shot is fired at the section and as they hit the ground in defensive positions a nail bomb is thrown. The radio operator is lucky this time as the nails only killed his radio...the next time he will feel pain. There were no other injuries but the section has been informed that another section of soldiers has apprehended an IRA suspect just north of the Match Factory running away from a suspected explosion. Clear the area and leave for base arriving two am. Flop on bed fully dressed, must be awake at six for more road blocks at random.

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Not bad for one day’s work, poisoned by the Protestant’s, stoned by the Catholics , and damn near killed by the IRA. The whole lot of them hated the British Soldier. While walking through the Protestant estate we were stopping their Para military from actively doing their clandestine work. By being in the Catholic Bally Murphy we were bait for the bigger rioting real deal. They knew we would send for back-up and it was the back-up that would get the shooter. The IRA bomber, well he was the only one that could be respected because he was the enemy. He was not just the enemy of the British, the Soldier, but he was an enemy to the Irish people both Protestant and Catholic and both sides of the border.

If the Irish Americans knew this would it have made any difference, probably not because they would say it was English propaganda? They would believe their extended kin that they knew damn all about because they wanted to be part of a cause.

I will say that the TRA started out at the beginning as a self appointed freedom fighter, but somewhere along the long trail they lost their way. The IRA graduated into terrorists and no longer has respect for the cause they are fighting. There is no cause now since the Good Friday Agreement, and once you offer your services to train others, [el Qaeda] then you are no longer a soldier but a terrorist mercenary.

It is just that I find it strange that the Americans still think that the English are still the oppressors in Northern Ireland, because we have a military presence. The strangest thing about the little story above that did take place, is the fact that for the last hundred or so years. The British were not there to protect the Protestants and Unionists. The British Soldiers were there to stop the Protestants and Unionists from annihilating the minority in Northern Ireland....The Catholics. [Remember the powdered glass]?

Quote Originally Posted by MMI View Post
I know you're ex-army, but you don't want to get trapped down that particular road.
I hear what you’re saying.

Be well IAN 2411