Article My Tours of Northern Ireland

[tosh66]

Isn't this the Northern Ireland thread?

Ok, I'll have an Ulster fry up and Soda Bread!

 

[Bombardier]

Yes Yes your right Tosh, come on guys we are off topic a little here, can we get back on track please. If it food you want to discuss drywall has all types of food imaginable.

 

[tam]

Served there in 72/73/75 and 77. Then went back in 78 and did 21+ yrs as a Prison Officer. Yes I am insane.

 

[tam]

Was there a set length of time for a tour in N. Ireland? Besides the paras, were there other infantry units there? Was it all Regular Army, or were there any Reserve/National Guard units [or British equivelent]?

I did 4 four month tours during the 70's

 

[tam]

2nd tour in 73 was to a factory in Londonderry in Bligh's Lane. We were the lucky ones who got the bomb-proof caravans!!!!! On arrival we had to draw bedding etc from stores and take it to our respective "van". At that precise moment a gunman opened fire on us from the roof of a nearby school. We to say the least were startled, until that is our Armourer realised the guy was firing a Thompson Sub Machine gun at us. Well he then proceeded to go to the most open space in the factory and started giving the gunman the fingers. That was enough for the rest of us and we all rushed out and were dancing and giving lewd/rude jestures to the guy. Apparently our Armourer realised that his weapon could not reach us and so decided to show this act of Bravado. The gunman was jumping up and down with rage at the sight of us all laughing. I still laugh to this day about it.

 

[Bombardier]

Fecking excellent show of True Military Bravado
Well done tam, your story warms the cockles of my very big heart :mrgreen:

 

[rotorwash]

Excellant story Tam. The interesting thing about a Thompson was that you could throw the bullet farther then you could fire it.

RW

 

[Frisco-Kid]

Tam, was LMAO getting a mental picture of that little scenario lolb; . Had an E-6 [Staff Sergeant] Platoon Sgt. that carried a Thompson on a couple patrols. I think he traded it from some SF guy. Those guys could get their hands on some pretty cool weapons at times. Anyway, he quit carrying it after the first time he actually had to use it. That .45 round had some great knockdown power, but the guy you were shooting had to be in a phone booth with you uzi, .

 

[Matzos]

Even as RAF, during my 3 year tour, I did time in 'Tin City' had some excellent times as 'Civ Pol' throwing beer cans (after drinking the contents), at about 4am one time we are all dead drunk and they tell us to 'have a go' at the next set of troops passing, it turned into a mini-war. Still carry the marks from that day.... dr;

 

[tosh66]

We had a go at the Thompson when we were NI training (know your enemy) I remember they were hard to fire as you had to aim at the targets feet because by the time you had compensated for the force you were shooting at the head! It certainly took you by surprise.

 

[rotorwash]

That 45 caliber round for the Thompson was designed by the US Army to stop drug crazed Morros during the Phillipines fracas after 1898. It was so slow you could watch it go downrange but whatever you hit stayed hit. I carried a 45 cal submachine gun that we called the Greasegun in my aircraft for a while. It had the same rate of fire as a 50 cal - slow.

RW

 

[Bombardier]

Hey Matzos have you got any decent pics of tin city in your arsenal of photographs ? bou;

 

[Unregistered]

Hi Bombadier

Do you now Philip Makar from 34 Seringapatam Heavy Battery, 39 Hvy Regt RA, stationed in Paderborn til 1985? Barker & Dempsey Barracks? Softcell, Big Bob, Yorkie, Pedro???

Whats you full name?

Bea (Makar)

beamak(at)blueyonder.co.uk

 

[Bombardier]

Hi Unregistered
The name Philip Makar doesnt ring any bells but then Ive got a memory like a sieve.

I remember our block at Barker we used it while our block at Dempsey was being renovated and the walks accross in the morning during the bad winters were fecking awful.

Now the names Softcell, Big Bob. yorkie and Pedro defo ring bells.

Im not going to post my full name here, Ill email you.

 

[eddiefrench]

Hee Hee , no buddy I missed that by a few months thank god

I don't know anybody who knows anything about the 'other' maze over in Derry (Magilligans point).
I remember the day that the UVF was declared illegal, (and loads of them were arrested as they came in to work at Ebrington next day.)
We were instructed to go in and dis-arm the inmates a Magilligans point. We had mountains of the stuff by morning. Home made guns, knives etc.
Glory days.

 

[Niallmhor]

Hey Matzos have you got any decent pics of tin city in your arsenal of photographs ? bou;

Hi Bombardier,
I'll have a look in my files for you, so you where over in Ulster in 1985 , I was there in 1975-76 Londonderry, 1977-78 Belfast, 1985-86 HMP Maze and 1987 Omagh. Have you read the following books by Ken wharton? Bullets,Bombs & cups of Tea & The Long,Long War.sal;

Niallmhor Ex- 42 Heavy RegtRA

 

[eddiefrench]

Remember that NI was part of the UK so units still served full 'tours' (postings) to fulfil 'peacetime' commitments in the Province. I did a two year tour in Lodonderry in the mid seventies (Infantry)

 

[Niallmhor]

Hi Eddie,
where you in Palace Bks over in the waterside?, I've been told thing have changed alot, i can remember been on a VCP next to the river and we have a bit of a problem with rats(Not the IRA) the furry type, so some bright spark said" why don't we use a bit of petrol to burn them out" abit of petrol he said more like 20ltrs of the stuff was dumped down the rat hole followed by a match! We lit up our side of the river like a firepower dem in Germany, the flame shot out of the rat holes along the river bank and a loud bang was heard somewhere along the road as the manhole cover took to flight and landed in the river. The net was filled with "Contact, wait out!" for about ahour. we looked at each and just started laughing. Man we where mad in them days.sal;

Niallmhor

 

[Bombardier]

Hi Bombardier,
I'll have a look in my files for you, so you where over in Ulster in 1985 , I was there in 1975-76 Londonderry, 1977-78 Belfast, 1985-86 HMP Maze and 1987 Omagh. Have you read the following books by Ken wharton? Bullets,Bombs & cups of Tea & The Long,Long War.sal;

Niallmhor Ex- 42 Heavy RegtRA

Thanks Scooby solthum

 

[Bombardier]

Tin City Sennelager

http://www.militaryimages.net/media/albums/tin-city-sennelager.448/