Long Long War: Voices From the British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-98

631 Pages·2010·13.7 MB·English

by  Ken Wharton

Praise for A Long Long War by Ken Wharton
“In this excellent and wide-ranging selection of first-hand accounts from the
British Army in Northern Ireland, Ken Wharton has assembled testimonies from
men of all ranks that are invariably informative, sometimes humorous and often
deeply moving. A fitting tribute to the British soldier in a campaign that lasted
nearly three decades.”
Adrian Gilbert, author of POW: Allied Prisoners in Europe 1939–1945
(The Sunday Times Best Military Books 2006) “A compelling story, told in the
refreshingly simple prose of a soldier-scribe. This is the tale of that other war on
terror – one fought over several, bloody decades, and largely in the shadows.
Lest we forget.”
Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Operation Certain Death and Bloody
Heroes.
“Here at last is the authentic voice of the veterans of a gruelling and thankless
campaign. Powerful, revealing and moving.”
Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of 3 Para and Bomber Boys.

Helion & Company Limited
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Website: www.helion.co.uk
Published by Helion & Company 2008, reprinted 2008, 2009
eBook Edition 2011
Designed and typeset by Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, West Midlands
Cover designed by Bookcraft Limited, Stroud, Gloucestershire Printed by
Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Text © Ken M. Wharton
Maps of Belfast and Londonderry originally appeared in The British Army in
Northern Ireland by Michael Dewar (1985) and are © Weidenfeld & Nicolson, a
division of The Orion Publishing Group (London).
Photographs – where known, images are credited to copyright holders. If no
credit shown, we have been unable to trace the copyright holder – the publishers
would be pleased to hear from such.
Front cover image: ‘Alert in Belfast’ 1986 © Paul Crispin.
Rear cover image: ‘Thoughts of Home’, Belfast 1986 © Paul Crispin.
The opinions expressed in the book are those of the individuals quoted and do
not necessarily accord with views held by the author or publisher.
Hardback ISBN 978-1-906033-18-7
Paperback ISBN 978-1-906033-79-8
eBook ISBN 978-1-90767760-1
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written
consent of Helion & Company Limited.
For details of other military history titles published by Helion & Company
Limited contact the above address, or visit our website: http://www.helion.co.uk.
We always welcome receiving book proposals from prospective authors. We
would particularly like to hear from Northern Ireland veterans who are interested
in producing book-length accounts of their experiences in the Province. Our
contact details are above.

I would like to dedicate this book to several people; the late Stanley Whitehouse,
a squaddie, who took part in the D-Day landings and who was my friend and
who always encouraged me. And to Tommy Stoker, killed in Belfast, several
wars later, but also a squaddie –just like Stan.
And to David Hardy who survived the Ballygawley Coach bomb in 1988 and
who continues to suffer today for his service to his country.
To Rita Restorick and every Mum who lost a son or had a son wounded who
wore the uniform of a British soldier.
To all those who walked the streets of Northern Ireland backwards!
‘Then it's Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ Tommy how's yer soul?
But it's “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll.
O it's “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
For it's Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ‘Chuck him out, the brute!’ But it's
‘Saviour of ‘is country,’ when the guns begin to shoot; An’ it's Tommy this, an’
Tommy that, an’ anything you please; But Tommy ain't a bloomin’ fool – you bet
that Tommy sees!’ (Rudyard Kipling) ‘So I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin’
for me where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea’ (William Percy
French, 1854–1920)
FACT: Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, there has only been one
year in which British soldiers have not been killed on active service. That year
was 1968, the year before Northern Ireland went insane.
I phoned home and said: ‘Mum, I've been shot.’ She replied: ‘Don't be so stupid.
Don't tell lies and don't make jokes like that!’
(Lance Corporal Mark Overson, D.E.R.R. who was shot and wounded on April
3rd, 1993, near Crossmaglen)
Contents
List of photos
List of maps
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Publishers’ Acknowledgements
Glossary
Introduction
Chapters
1 The Stage is Set
2 1969
3 1970
4 1971
5 1972
6 1973
7 1974
8 1975
9 1976
10 1977
11 1978
12 1979
13 1980
14 1981
15 1982
16 1983
17 1984
18 1985
19 1986
20 1987
21 1988
22 1989
23 1990
24 1991
25 1992
26 1993
27 1994
28 1995
29 1996/97
30 After Stephen Restorick: 1998 onwards
Epilogue
Afterword
Appendix I
Appendix II
Roll of Honour
Bibliography
List of photos
Springfield Road RUC Station
Major Ian Kilmister meeting the locals
LCpl Bresslin, Lt John Quinton Adams, August 1969
Belfast city centre, 1969
Soldiers arrest a rioter
Belfast, 1969
SLR 7.62mm Standard British Army assault rifle
Early riot situations
Early riot situations
Belfast, 1969
Mobile Patrol Londonderry
Soldier takes aim seen through school windows
Soldiers stop for a wad and char
Reece Platoon, Divis Flats, 1970
Patrol on the Ardoyne, Belfast
Green Howards rescue a woman burned out of her house
Rob Curtis; officially the first soldier to be killed during the troubles
Green Howards patrol the Ardoyne
Sandy Shaw, Green Howards, Ardoyne area of Belfast
Green Howards in North Belfast
Fusiliers in a Londonderry Street
Ardoyne seen from Flax Street Mill
More riots in Belfast