Down Among the Weeds

by Harry Beaves

  The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded in 1884 to promote Irish sporting and cultural activities and has traditionally fostered the furtherance of Irish Republicanism. Its history is linked with the history of Ireland and was forged by events in 1920 when British security forces shot and killed Gaelic Football supporters at Croke Park, Dublin in the mistaken belief that they included Republicans who had been planning assassinations. In the GAA Official Guide 2008 the association defined itself as ‘a National Organisation which has as its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity in a 32 County Ireland through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic games and pastimes’. Casement Park was named after Roger Casement, a Republican hanged for treason by the British in 1916 for offering support to Germany in exchange for weapons with which to fight the British. It is the headquarters of the GAA in Northern Ireland and to this day stands as a potent symbol of Irish Republicanism. It is hard to imagine an act more likely to offend the Catholic community of Northern Ireland than the British Army occupying such a bastion. We were going to have to get used to riots at Casement Park for many days to come.

  1st August marked the end of our first fortnight in Belfast. Up until that point every patrol from the Battery had been led by a Troop Commander or Troop Sergeant. From now on the Junior NCOs were considered ready to lead patrols, a welcome weight off our shoulders.

  During the day we were visited by the Quartermaster’s staff who made a comprehensive list of our requirements. The first priority was to make the stadium secure. Corrugated iron sheeting had to be fixed to the inside of the perimeter fencing to hide us from view. We then needed protection from rocks, blast bombs etc being thrown at us over the perimeter fence. This would consist of sturdy wire mesh mounted on eighteen foot scaffold poles. We would only occupy the side of the stadium with the spectator stand. The other three sides would be protected with infra-red intruder alarms. The kitchens and showers needed upgrading to cope with the 120 men of 28 Battery and we needed laundry facilities. The lighting in the voids used for accommodation needed up-grading and much more.

  The ‘VOLUNTEER’, a locally-produced Republican propaganda/news sheet.

  Looking fearless with a brand new moustache in the safety of the stands of Casement Park. Combat jacket over flak jacket in the ‘American Footballer’ look.

  In the early evening a crowd gathered at the gates throwing stones. 6 Troop were on standby and were sent out to deal with them. Sgt Moore and I each took a section in riot gear and leap-frogged along either side of Andersonstown Road. The range of a Federal Riot Gun with rubber bullets is about the same as the distance a sizeable stone can be thrown and unfortunately, the crowd, about a hundred strong, withdrew and kept just out of range. We halted and a stalemate developed with the rioters hurling rocks at us with no real effect, but fortunately Bdr Tolson was in the Riverdale Estate and was able to come at the rioters from a flank which caused them to disperse, at last.

  The air was tense throughout the following day. At 1800 a protest meeting, organised by the People’s Democracy and the Civil Rights Association, gathered outside the gates and was addressed by several speakers including Michael Farrell, a well-known Republican and Trotskyist.

  Feelings were running high and at around 2000 the crowd, about 500 strong, simply tore the gates of Casement Park off their posts and entered the stadium. 6 Troop were on immediate standby and I was up in the stand watching events unfold. The sight of a body of people gripping the gates and rocking with such collective strength that they were torn away from the supports was awesome and it looked, at one stage, like the Battery might well be overrun by the superior numbers of the rioters.

  4 Troop had been deployed inside the fence and as it became obvious the gates would not hold they withdrew about thirty metres and ran out a coil of dannert wire (military barbed wire) to ‘draw a line in the sand’.

  The crowd flooded through, cheering wildly and were allowed to come as far as the wire behind which 4 Troop stood, weapons at the ready. The BC went forward to speak to the leaders, a very brave thing to do. He was wearing a beret and his pistol was in the holster. I had moved to the Ops Room so I did not hear the conversation, but David Storrey was a quiet person blessed with sound common sense so I can’t believe his language or demeanour were at all provocative. Without warning a youth reached over the wire, grabbed him and struck him with a brick. He continued hitting him and the BC disappeared in the crowd. As all hell broke loose, 4 Troop fired volley after volley of rubber and WOII ‘Taff’ Blackler dived into the melee and dragged the BC free. Others apprehended the youth, who we discovered was Peter McLoughlin of Ramoan Gardens.

  The rubber bullets made the crowd stampede for the gate, causing a number of people to be trampled underfoot and several women remained on the ground. The Republican organisations informed the press that ‘the British Army’ had opened fire on women and children and the following day most of the newspapers in Ireland carried reports of it, but none of them told of the attack on David Storrey. Had it not been for the swift and effective action of 4 Troop, in particular of WOII Blackler, David Storrey could have been killed. We were left wondering why it had not been possible to send reinforcements along Andersonstown Road to sweep up the rioters as the PWO had done on our first night in the stadium.

  David Storrey was admitted to MPH with an impacted cheek bone and the crowd continued to throw stones and missiles from outside the stadium until about 2030. The Sappers arrived as soon as possible and worked through the night repairing the gates. We had been unaware that the main fuse box for the whole of Casement Park was just inside the gate and the rioters had targeted this, so we had no power until a 27½ kva Army generator was eventually brought in. This remained with us as emergency backup, for the duration of our stay in Casement Park

  The second-in-command of a Battery in the Royal Artillery is known as the ‘Battery Captain’, abbreviated to BK. Captain Roger Cook, the BK, assumed command of 28 Battery while David Storrey was in hospital. The following day some patrolling was done, but the priority was to make the stadium secure again and members of the Battery worked alongside the Sappers to complete the task. That evening a small riot at the usual time was easily contained, but much more was to come in the following days.

  Chapter 10

  Riots

  A major demonstration against our occupation was planned outside Casement Park at 1600 on Sunday 6th July. It was advertised as a peaceful rally, but we expected trouble. The normal sequence on these occasions was for the rally to assemble and be addressed by speakers who would whip up the feelings of the demonstrators. The speakers would then depart so that they could not be associated with any subsequent violence. Abuse would be thrown at the security forces then rocks, bottles and missiles until a full-scale riot developed. Petrol bombs and blast bombs (explosive devices with no shrapnel effect) could be expected and then the crowd would draw back and gunmen would open up from concealed positions. Events like this are incredibly difficult to control. ‘Minimum force’ is always the overriding principle, but this is very hard to remember when bricks are being thrown at you! The situation is made more complicated by the presence of those who come to the rally with no intention of acting violently, especially women and children. It requires considerable discipline and the ability of soldiers of all ranks to make their own decisions and act accordingly.

  Roger Cook gave Orders at midday. We would monitor the rally from inside the stadium and be prepared to defend it from attackers. No troops were to be visible to the protestors.

  •4 Troop was to defend the north-east corner of the stadium.

  •Ten men from 6 Troop were to defend the main gate and the north-west corner. Several of our number had been taken away on temporary guard duty at Cloona House, the residence of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, so 6 Troop was depleted.

  •Battery HQ (i.e. drivers, cooks, vehicle mechanics, storemen and anyone who was not part of the Ops, Int or Medical t
eams) would defend the least vulnerable southern boundary.

  •5 Troop and the remainder of 6 Troop were in reserve.

  •5 Battery were regimental reserve, on call at MPH.

  At about 1600 a lorry bearing placards and carrying newsmen arrived at the head of a procession of about 1,500 people. Michael Farrell, Màire Drumm and Moira Brennan addressed the crowd. Michael Farrell we knew from the last major riot, Màire Drumm was a very well known Republican activist who had been jailed twice for making seditious speeches, and Moira Brennan was described as ‘a local mother’. The Int Staff taped the speeches, in the hope the choice of words could be interpreted as ‘incitement to riot’ or something similar. I remember smiling at Màire Drumm’s address which was a rabble-rousing screech, given in such a rapid staccato Irish brogue that we found it almost impossible to understand. One national newspaper reported her saying that the British would have to leave the Casement Park and that ‘… it is all the same to us if they come out in coffins or in jeeps, but out they will come.’

  When the speeches were over, a pipe band played and, true to form, the speakers melted into the crowd. Meanwhile a group of young kids had been kicking at the corrugated iron on the inside of the fence and were starting to knock some of the sheets off with a scaffolding pole. When the pipes stopped playing it was the signal for the riot to start and a hail of rocks and stones flew into the stadium. Then, suddenly, a section of the perimeter fence just gave way under the massive force of the crowd.

  Roger Cook ordered 6 Troop to hold the gap. We put two men on the bank behind to watch for snipers and I, Sgt Moore and the remaining six, faced the crowd. We were equipped with five-foot riot shields and steel helmets. A full face visor was hinged to the standard issue steel helmets, but it was invariably scratched and dirty and severely limited our vision.

  The hail of stones and missiles was intense and we were being hit regularly. We fired round after round of rubber but the crowd was so large that we couldn’t fire rapidly enough to keep them out of stone-throwing range, so we began to take casualties. Bdr Brookes was knocked unconscious by a half brick that hit him full in the mouth. Gnr Davis was hit on the shoulder, Gnr Blackwood on the knee and Driver Hill on the head. Help was requested from 5 Battery in MPH.

  A Saracen had been parked just inside the gates, probably as some sort of obstacle, but, once the fence had been breached, it was in front of us and became a target for the mob. They could do little real damage to it, but they poured petrol over it and set it alight. L/Bdr Pipes with Cpl Singleton (one of the Battery’s cooks) and Cpl McKenzie came forward to extinguish it then took the shields of our casualties and joined us in the line. At last 5 Troop were able to move across from our left and give us much valued assistance. For twenty minutes the ten of us had held firm against intense stone-throwing from a mob of several hundred.

  Riots on 6th August 1972. Holding the gap. Help coming in from the right for Bdr Brookes who is on the ground having been hit in the mouth by a rock. Me, third left. Picture 19 Regt.

  When 5 Battery eventually arrived along Andersonstown Road, advancing behind their Pigs, the rioters’ attention was diverted away from us and they were finally pushed back. An uneasy calm returned around 1900. Bdr Brookes was detained in MPH for facial surgery, Gnr Davis had a broken arm and Driver Hill was concussed. The medics were kept busy late into the evening dealing with the cuts and bruises on the rest of us while Colonel Bill moved round quietly congratulating us all on our steadfastness and self-control – a job well done. The Sappers returned to strengthen and repair the fence and, after a hard and testing evening, we worked long into the night making the stadium safe and secure again.

  There was a considerable activity all across Ireland that weekend, but on Monday morning we were on the front pages of the British press. One paper reported that whistles were blown to signal the presence of gunmen and shots were actually fired by the IRA. This may have happened on the approach of 5 Battery, but among the chaos inside Casement Park I was not aware of it and, I believe, 28 Battery and 5 Battery fired only rubber bullets.

  Riots on 6th August 1972. 5 Battery eventually sweep the rioters along Andersonstown Road. All of the stones around them have been thrown by rioters! Picture 19 Regt.

  Internment without trial in Northern Ireland had begun with ‘Op Demetrius’ on 9th August 1971 when a large number of people suspected of being involved with Irish Republican paramilitaries were arrested in the hope that taking them off the streets would prevent further murders. It was a practice that had been done in Northern Ireland several times over the years, but with the growing awareness of civil rights, the seemingly indiscriminate internment without hard evidence, charge or trial was hugely inflammatory and gave rise to immense anger, bitterness and resentment among the Catholic community as a whole. Protests and riots followed and continued over the years until internment was finally discontinued in December 1975. As a soldier in Belfast in 1972 I felt that anything that took potential law-breakers off the street and made our lives easier must be a good thing. Today, the clear opinion is that, despite its good intentions, internment served to increase support for terrorism, further polarised the Catholic and Protestant communities and reduced the number of the much-needed Catholic moderates. In hindsight, I cannot disagree.

  We were approaching the first anniversary of internment and, as Casement Park was a regular focus for discontent, we were expecting trouble. David Storrey had returned from hospital and directed that we should keep a low profile, avoid any confrontation throughout the day and respond only when incidents demanded it.

  Events began at 0400 when the women banged dustbin lids and blew whistles as they had done at the same time the year before as a warning of the raids by British troops on their houses. Throughout the morning pickets stood silently outside our gates. At about midday a group of yoblets (they were known as ‘yoblets’ as they were under ten years old and had yet to become fully fledged ‘yobs’) began kicking the corrugated iron on the fence and gates trying to force it off. I took a patrol out to disperse them, but they came back as soon as we came inside, so we kept a section outside the gates just to keep an eye on them. It was the school holidays and winding up the soldiers seemed to be good sport for many children in Belfast.

  Later, a group of girls carrying placards formed a human chain and crossed and re-crossed Andersonstown Road and prevented traffic from passing. At another time about twenty people, again with placards, held a sit-down protest outside the gates. A passing brewery lorry was waved down by teenagers who unloaded the crates of empties from the back and started to throw the bottles at us. In accordance with David Storrey’s instructions all of these incidents were allowed to run their course with no response and no real harm being done.

  At about 1730 Lt Ray Harrison with members of 4 Troop were watching over the outside area. Ray became aware that it had suddenly become very quiet – no yoblets, no demonstrators, no bottle-throwers. A cold feeling came over him as he realised he was standing in dark military uniform, perfectly outlined against the shiny silver-grey corrugated tin sheets on the gate. There was a sharp crack and a bullet passed through the fabric of the bottom of his combat jacket and his combat trousers, slightly grazing the inside of his right thigh. The soldiers took cover and observed, but they did not return fire as they had only a general idea where the single shot had come from and no further shots were fired.

  Ray fumbled for his radio and, heart pounding, he sent a ‘Contact Report’.

  ‘Hello, zero this is one nine. Contact. At 1735. At me. Single round from the area of St Agnes Drive. No casualties. No rounds returned. Am observing. Over.’

  In the comfort of the Ops Room, safe inside Casement Park, Gnr Grocowski, the signaller, was coming to the end of a long duty. He had spent several hours responding to reports of minor incidents and had meticulously entered all the details in the Ops Log. Now he was minutes away from tea and telly. Still in minor incident mode, with the pedantic style of t
he signals instructor, he replied.

  ‘Zero. Urrr-rog-errr. Confirm, high velocity bullet or low velocity?’

  Shaking from his close escape, Ray replied, ‘I don’t bloody know, but it was going fff***ing fast when it went through my trousers!’ A fraction of an inch could have resulted in a life-threatening injury for him.

  In the evening a march was planned from the Lower Falls, gathering people as it passed through the Catholic areas, until it reached Casement Park where a peaceful demonstration would be held with speakers from the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA).

  This time we would defend the area from the outside and take on rioters before they had a chance to attack the stadium.

  •4 Troop would be outside the gates and withdraw inside at the last safe moment.

  •5 Troop would be in the stadium, behind the gates as reserve.

  •6 Troop with 5 Battery would be poised in the Stockmans housing estate, just east of Casement Park.

  •A Company of the 1PWO would be on call.

  About 600 demonstrators reached Casement Park where they listened to speeches and, to our surprise, burnt effigies of six Catholic SDLP MPs. As the meeting was breaking up 4 Troop slipped inside the gate, the speakers left and, true to form, a riot slowly developed. Quite quickly 5 Battery arrived along Andersonstown Road and as the rioters began to withdraw they were met by 4 Troop who, having come in through the main gate, slipped out of the side gate into Riverdale to attack from the flank. A Coy of the PWO, with 6 Troop, swept up behind. The march and the demonstration had been much smaller than we had expected and although plenty of rocks were thrown and a large number of rubber bullets were fired, the fences of Casement Park had not been breached.