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9 - 12
JUNE 2003
Evidence
heard
This week the Inquiry heard from the following witnesses:
INQ 896 (Private, Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); Soldier 229 (Lance Corporal, Head Quarters Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); INQ 1826 (Corporal, Drums Platoon, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); Colonel Loden (then Major Loden, officer commanding Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); INQ 1918 (Private, Motor Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); Soldier 019 (Private, Motor Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment); and INQ 444 (Corporal, 7 Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment).
Summary of Evidence
Monday 9 June 2003 INQ 896, Soldier 229, INQ 1826
Tuesday 10 June 2003 Major Loden, INQ 1918
Wednesday 11 June 2003 Major Loden, Soldier 019
Thursday 12 June 2003 Major Loden, INQ 444
A full transcript of the proceedings is available at http://www.bloody-sunday-inquiry.org.uk.
Numbers in square brackets refer to the code given to a particular document by the Inquiry.
INTRODUCTION
This week the Inquiry heard from Colonel (then Major) Loden, commander of Support Company on Bloody Sunday. Colonel Loden will complete his evidence next week and it will therefore be summarised in full in the report for Week 95. This report deals with the remainder of this week’s witnesses, all paratroopers (paras) present on 30 January 1972.
INQ 896
Private, Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statement to the Inquiry [C0896]
INQ 896 was a private in the machine gun platoon. He had never been to Derry before 30 January 1972. He understood the Paras went to Derry to do a clear up operation acting in snatch squads to arrest people. Sergeant INQ 441 was acting as platoon commander.
INQ 896 believed during a briefing his platoon had been given a predetermined route to follow which had been shown to them on maps. They were sitting in the pig for a long while before someone said, “go” and they moved forward. He did not remember seeing a church but they moved to a derelict building. He understood Support Company was to act as the right arm of a pincer movement with C Company on the left. Machine gun platoon was the furthest right of the Support Company platoons.
Abbey Taxis – The Derelict Building
They followed the route they had planned and had to go through a series of obstacles to get to the derelict building. At one point they had to get over a high wall. They helped each other over the wall and dropped down the other side. They entered the building on the first floor and dropped down to the ground. INQ 896 could not remember where the building was or exactly how they got to it. They remained in the building for a while before deploying forward from it towards the Rossville Flats. He did not remember Corporal A or Private B firing whilst in the derelict building.
Corporal E Firing
INQ 896 heard gunfire and felt frightened because he could not see what was happening. He could hear a lot of live rounds being fired and assumed there was a gun battle but he could not tell who was firing at what because his view was restricted. He could not remember where he was at this time. He knew they were approaching the gunfire because the sound became more intense. The gunfire was high velocity. His impression was of gunfire to his left where the anti-tank platoon and motor platoon had deployed. There was a lot of firing and it went on for about 10 minutes. It was all single shots, there was no automatic fire. At some point he heard firing and looked to his left to see Corporal E in a prone position. He was lying on his stomach in a firing position. Corporal E fired two or three shots which appeared to him to be aimed at a target. INQ 896 could see a fairly dense crowd toward which Corporal E was firing. They were about 200 metres away. INQ 896’s memory was of this happening whilst he was in the derelict building but Corporal E was never in the derelict building.
INQ 896 did not fire his weapon that day and he did not see any civilian gunmen. He saw civilians lying on the ground in the courtyard in front of the Rossville Flats. He assumed they had been shot. He also believes he saw Father Daly and people around a body but he may have only seen this on television or in photographs. He remembered seeing a tall L shaped building which he believes was Blocks 1 and 2 of the Rossville Flats. There was a pig parked near top the end of the L and he moved close up to the end of the L which was probably the north end of Block 1.
Bodies
He saw members of the anti tank platoon who were arriving at about the same time. He thought anti tank platoon and motor platoon did most of the firing. He specifically remembered Major Loden ordering a ceasefire. He definitely saw two or three bodies close by and another further away. He could not recall seeing the rubble barricade.
Jubilation
INQ 896 did not remember leaving the area but did recall seeing the news later when they got back to an army base outside Derry (Drumahoe). The reaction to the news of civilian casualties was jubilation because they believed they had killed identified targets in a war situation.
INQ 896 knew Corporal E very well. They joined the Paras together and were together in training before joining Support Company. INQ 896 described Corporal E as a bit of a “gun slinger.” He was an action man and enjoyed battle. He may have gloried in the shooting. INQ 896 remembered speaking to him a few days after Bloody Sunday and Corporal E said he had seen a man with a shotgun and he had fired at him. Corporal E is now dead.
INQ 896 said he never discussed what happened with Corporal A, Private B or any other member of machine gun platoon. He said he was never aware of anyone having their own supply of ammunition.
Soldier 229
Lance Corporal, Head Quarters Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statements to the RMP on 15 February 1972 [B2211.0014], to the Widgery tribunal (undated) [B0320] and to this Inquiry on 30 August 2001 [B2211.0001]
In January 1972 Soldier 229 was a 21 year old lance corporal. He joined the junior Parachute Regiment when he was 15½. In 1972 he was on his second tour of Northern Ireland. In January 1970 he was posted to work in the Battalion Orderly Room as an Orderly Clerk. Although he was a clerk, he and others in HQ Company were often called out to incidents as ordinary soldiers.
Operation Hailstorm
Soldier 229 recalled an earlier operation in Derry involving 1 Para but they were never deployed on that occasion. On that occasion the plan was to deliberately crash an army land rover in a street so as to attract attention and draw out a confrontation with local people. They would then have conducted an arrest operation but the operation never happened.
30 January 1972
Soldier 229 said 1 Para were the reserve battalion on Bloody Sunday and were to be called in if the rioting became serious. Soldier 229 was part of Guinness Force, also known as the composite platoon, made up from the normally non-operational men in HQ Company.
Soldier 229 was briefed by either Captain SA8, also known to the Inquiry as Captain 200, or INQ 7, the Battalion Intelligence Officer. He cannot know remember which it was.
The Presbyterian Church
Soldier 229 remembered being at the Presbyterian Church before being deployed into the Bogside. He could hear a lot of noise but could not see what was going on over the wall to the south. His impression was that there was a riot going on. CS gas drifted over so they had to put their respirators on.
Whilst at the churchyard Soldier 229 heard a shot hit the church drainpipe. This was the first shot he heard. He said it was definitely low velocity, possibly from a pistol or machine gun. He denied it could have come from a .303 or SLR rifle. He turned to look at the church when he heard the sound of the bullet hitting the metal drainpipe but he could not tell from which direction the shot had been fired because of the reverberations of the sound from all the buildings.
Going In
The next thing he remembers is being in a Bedford truck going through barrier 12. He could see out of the front of the truck over the cab because the canvas cover was up. The adrenalin was pumping and he was sweating in the respirator and his flak jacket. He described being “scared to death.” He had no idea what to expect.
They got out of the back of the truck. His vision was restricted by the mist of perspiration in his respirator. He was very disorientated as was everyone else in his group. It was a completely unknown area and he was frightened.
Joseph Lynn
Soldier 229 said he identified a man running about 10 yards in front of him from left to right. He thinks at this time he was facing south down Rossville Street. He saw the man run into a derelict building through a large entrance. He chased after the man. The building was on the west side of Rossville Street just south of William Street. Soldier 229 said he did not know if he was ordered to go after the man or whether he did so of his own accord. He subsequently signed an arrest statement [ARR0039.0013] alleging he had seen the man, Joseph Lynn, throwing stones at the security forces however he admitted he may not have actually seen this. In fact in his RMP statement made on 15 February 1972 he made no mention of seeing Lynn doing anything other than running.
When he got into the building he saw that Mr. Lynn had climbed up into the rafters. He was obviously very frightened because when Soldier 229 told him to come down he did not move. He told him to get down two or three times but Mr. Lynn remained where he was in the roof. Private L had entered the building by this stage. He was not wearing a respirator and was hyped up. He looked frightened and his adrenalin was really pumping.
Private L stood in the middle of the building and fired a shot up into the roof. He was not aiming, he just had his rifle pointed upwards. At the same time he shouted at Mr. Lynn to come down. The shot was a warning and Mr. Lynn came down immediately. Soldier 229 claimed the shot was not fired in anger and Private L knew what he was doing but admitted it was in clear breach of the Yellow Card (the army’s rules of engagement). Soldier 229 made no mention of Private L firing in his RMP statement but denied this was to protect Private L. He claimed he was not asked about it but in evidence accepted his comment that Mr. Lynn “jumped down of his own accord” was untrue.
Private L denies firing a warning shot at Mr. Lynn. Soldier 229 said he did not know Private L very well and they were not friends. He was not someone he would go out of his way to say hello to. Soldier 229 claimed he expected Private L to have owned up to firing the shot and denied it was his responsibility as a superior officer to have stopped him or to have reported it. He claimed he was in no doubt that Private L would report firing the shot.
Mr. Lynn’s evidence was that two shots were fired at him by a white soldier; Private L is of mixed race. Soldier 229 denied firing himself. There is a reference to Private L firing at “a possible sniper in a roof” in a manuscript note [B2022.0047] written by Captain SA8 (Captain 200). Mr. Lynn also said he was not arrested by Soldier 229 because the soldier who arrested him was about his height. It is clear from the arrest photograph [AL0039.0011] that Mr. Lynn is much taller than Soldier 229.
Soldier 229 then says he arrested Mr. Lynn and took him outside. He said he did not know what happened to Private L. Soldier 229 handed Mr. Lynn to another soldier to be processed. Photograph P0496 shows a group of prisoners held against a wall close to William Street. Mr. Lynn is shown with a soldier next to him exactly as Mr. Lynn described, i.e. pinning him to the wall with his elbow. The soldier is about Mr. Lynn’s height.
Glenfada Park North
Soldier 229 said his memory of events after the arrest of Mr. Lynn was very muddled. He said he remembered very little. He said he did not remember arresting two other men in or near to Glenfada Park North but now claims to have no knowledge of being there. However in his 1972 RMP statement he said he “finished up with elements of Support Company in Glenfada Park.” He also describes a crowd throwing stones and being abusive and to shooting taking place. Between them Soldiers E, F, G and H fired 29 rounds killing 2 civilians and injuring 2 more in Glenfada Park North. Soldier 229 agreed this would be difficult to miss but denied seeing anyone fire or any bodies. The soldiers also claim there were 3 petrol bombers, 4 nail bombers and 3 gunmen in Glenfada Park North but again Soldier 229 did not see any of them.
Denis McLaughlin and Patrick McGinley
Soldier 229 is pictured with Denis McLaughlin and Patrick McGinley in arrest photographs taken at Fort George. Denis McLaughlin and Patrick McGinley were both arrested at the south gable end of the eastern block of Glenfada Park North. Mr. McLaughlin has identified himself as standing at the gable end shortly before his arrest in photograph AM0326.0012. Soldier 229 said he did not think he arrested them there but that he saw them as they were being escorted north through Columbcille Court. Soldier 229 accepted he may have gone to the south end of Glenfada Park North but he did not think he had been that far south. Later when at Fort George he identified the two men as having been part of this group he had seen, he says already in army custody. He could not explain why he claimed to have arrested them or why he had chosen them, rather than anyone else, from the group of people he claimed to have seen.
However the arrest statements for each man, signed by Soldier 229, state Soldier 229 saw both men throwing stones at the security forces in Rossville Street. Soldier 229 accepted this was not true and he had seen no such thing. He said someone else told him that they had been involved in riotous behaviour but he could not now remember who told him. He said, had it come to it in 1972, he may have given evidence against the men claiming he had seen them throwing stones. The statements relating to all three men Soldier 229 claims to have arrested all refer to them throwing stones in Rossville Street and all three arrests are timed16:15.
Bodies of Civilians
Soldier 229 claimed he did not see any dead bodies but “his mind” told him shooting and explosions were going on the whole time. He accepted this was probably not in fact the case. He said he thought he did not become aware of civilian casualties until later that evening. He did not have adverse feelings at the time he just took the view that it was the job they were paid to do. Mr. McLaughlin said when he was arrested there were several bodies at the rubble barricade. He asked the soldiers arresting him what was going to happen to the bodies but he was told, “We don’t care about the Fenian bastards. They can lie there.” Later when being held at Colombcille Court Mr. McLaughlin said a para put a rubber bullet gun between his legs and he just managed to move to stop him firing at his testicles. The bullet grazed the inside of his thigh.
Fort George
Once the situation was secure the section commanders would have done an ammunition check and Soldier 229 told whoever asked him that he had not fired. Later he was ordered to go to Fort George to identify the men he had arrested. He said there was a dog handler at the entrance to the holding area and the arrestees were in a wire pen in a corner of the building. Lance Corporal F was with him at Fort George. They were together when they were lined up with their prisoners. There was a sergeant major from a local battalion in charge. Soldier 229 pointed out the men he had arrested and the sergeant major brought them out of the pen.
Brutality
The soldiers then lined up with their prisoners waiting to be processed. Soldier 229 was towards the back of the queue and had to wait quite a long while. He admitted there was animosity between the soldiers and arrestees but denied there was any ill treatment. He denied seeing anyone kicked, punched or bitten by a guard dog.
Mr. Lynn denied that Soldier 229 had arrested him and because he did so he said Soldier 229 punched him in the stomach. He was then taken to a side room where Soldier 229 accused him of being a Provisional IRA officer because he was “clean and tidy.” He was told to stand at ease and was then kicked hard in the testicles and punched in the chest. Because he had an earring Soldier 229 called him a gypsy and queer.
Mr. Lynn said they were all made to stand very close to gas fires which were mounted high on the walls. Although he had denied it in his statement Soldier 229 admitted to “a vague recollection” of there being fires on the walls. Mr. Lynn said his face and hair were burnt because he was forced to stand so close and Mr. McLaughlin fainted. He was only 16. Soldier 229 accepted McLaughlin did fall down but claimed he was trying it on. He said he was whining about feeling sick and pretended to faint. The sergeant major suggested Soldier 229 get McLaughlin a chair but he declined to do so even though he was only a lance corporal. He said he would have done so had the sergeant major ordered him to. He denied kicking McLaughlin whilst he was on the ground as alleged by Mr. Lynn. He also denied spitting in Mr. McLaughlin’s mouth when he asked for some water. However he said this could have happened whilst he was away.
Soldier 229 said he had never had a private supply of ammunition.
INQ 1826
Corporal, Drums Platoon, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statement to the Inquiry on 21 July 2000 [C1826]
INQ 1826 was a corporal in the drums platoon and was responsible for two ferret cars. He had no recollection of the briefing for the operation on 30 January 1972. His driver on the day was INQ 993.
INQ 1826 denied the fact that the Movement Order [C1853.0013] said only 5 ferret cars were allocated meant that he was wrong in believing 6 in fact went to Derry. He said his platoon was not tasked by the motor transport officer and on Bloody Sunday the ferret cars operated in pairs as the always did. However one ferret was dispatched back to Belfast to transport a casualty before the operation began. This was INQ 1826’s second ferret driven by INQ 665.
There should have been a ferret in front of Major Loden’s pig and another behind but because one was sent back there was just INQ 1826’s car. This followed Major Loden’s pig into the Bogside.
INQ 1826 referred to seeing 8 or 9 soldiers behind a low wall to the west of Rossville Street. The wall was forward and to the right of where his ferret car came to rest in Rossville Street. However INQ 1826 was unable to identify the wall in any of the photographs. He heard SLR fire from these soldiers.
Rubble Barricade
Although his vehicle was facing it INQ 1826 had no recollection of seeing the rubble barricade. However he did see people ahead of him who must have been at the barricade. He heard gunfire and saw people scatter. Some people just went to the ground and he assumed they had been shot. He did not see any civilians with weapons. Nor did he recall INQ 993 saying to him he had seen a civilian gunman at the rubble barricade. After the event there was discussion within the platoon about what happened but he could not remember anyone saying they had seen a civilian gunman firing. He had spoken to INQ 993 within the last few years.
He also saw either the tip of the barrel of a rifle or just the discharge of smoke from a rifle. This was at the corner of Rossville Street and the south end of Glenfada Park North. He could not be sure he had seen the gun and if he had he only saw the very end of the barrel. What he did see was a lot of smoke coming from a gun which he thought had fired 5 to 8 rounds. He accepted the smoke he saw may have only been from fewer rounds but he heard 5 to 8 round fired. He believed at the time that this was not army fire because he believed an army weapon would have been cleaner and therefore not have produced so much smoke. He was not aware soldiers had reached as far south as the point where he saw the smoke. He has subsequently learnt that some paras did get as far as Glenfada Park North and therefore he is no longer convinced it was not army fire. The fire appeared to be directed south west towards Joseph Place behind the Rossville Flats.
INQ 1826 turned the turret of his ferret car and aimed the Browning machine gun housed in it. He cocked the weapon ready to fire but was ordered in no uncertain terms not to fire by Major Loden. INQ 1826 said he did have ammunition. INQ 1826 also saw three civilian casualties including one led towards and ambulance by a priest waving a white handkerchief. He identified the scene in Video 1 (7 minutes, 30 seconds) with Father Mulvey and civilians carrying a body into an ambulance as the scene he witnessed on the day.
INQ 1918
Private, Motor Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statement to the Inquiry on 3 July 2000 [C1918]
INQ 1918 was 18 or 19 on 30 January 1972. He was Lieutenant N’s radio operator. He is pictured standing on the waste ground close to Lieutenant N’s in various photographs. In P0853 he is near to the passenger door of the pig. He was one of the last out of the back of the pig since, as radio operator, he sat right behind Lieutenant N who was in the front passenger seat.
INQ 1918 said he carried an SLR rather than a machine gun, as was customary for radio operators, because he considered them liable to accidental discharge.
The Waste Ground
INQ 1918 appears in a number of photographs taken by Geoffrey Morris of the Daily Mail. He can be seen in P0272 standing at the corner of the alleyway leading toward Chamberlain Street. Lieutenant N is next to him in the middle of the end of the alleyway. INQ 1918 claimed there was a crowd at the Chamberlain Street end of the alleyway and that they were throwing missiles towards him, Soldier 019 and Lieutenant N. He was not hit because he hid around the corner. He said the crowd filled the alleyway. They were moving from side to side and back and forth.
Duncan Clarke’s Arrest
In P0273 [also referred to as EP0002.0004] he can be seen holding a man called Duncan Clarke between the alleyway leading to Chamberlain Street and the burnt out van on the waste ground close to the pig. Lieutenant N is at the corner of the alleyway and Soldier 019 is at the opposite corner behind Lieutenant N. INQ 1918 has his rifle pointed at Mr. Clarke’s chest. INQ 1918 said he could not remember whether or not the rifle was cocked but he said the safety catch was definitely on.
Lieutenant N Firing
Mr. Morris made a statement to the Widgery Tribunal in 1972 [M0057.0001]. He described the Paras entering the Bogside as being like a bayonet charge without the bayonets. He said it was like a scene from an old war film. Two paratroopers caught hold of him and one kicked him in the thigh. That para then saw Duncan Clarke emerge from the alleyway and said to the other “get that bastard!” Mr. Morris said “Press, Daily Mail.” He then took photograph P0273 of INQ 1918 grabbing Duncan Clarke. INQ 1918 hit Mr. Clarke on the head with his rifle and as Mr. Morris went to take another photograph the original para threw him to the ground. He landed close to a para standing at the corner of the alleyway (Lieutenant N) who then fired twice up the alleyway. INQ 1918 denied any knowledge of the incident. He said he could not remember arresting Mr. Clarke but claimed another soldier handed him to him. He also denied any recollection of Lieutenant N firing or Soldier 019 firing rubber bullets up the alleyway.
INQ 1918 can also be seen in photograph P0275 leading Mr. Clarke away from the alley. He and Lieutenant N are seen with Mr. Clarke in P0488 and only Soldier 019 can be seen at the alleyway behind them. Finally in P0489 Mr. Clarke is being put into the pig and Lieutenant N and INQ 1918 are pictured close by. Mr. Clarke alleges at this point he was shot with a rubber bullet at point blank range inside the pig. INQ 1918 said he had no recollection of anyone doing this.
INQ 1918 is picture with Mr. Clarke at Fort George in arrest photograph ARR0009.0001. The accompanying statement, signed by INQ 1918, says he was arrested by INQ 1918 for throwing stones at the security forces. INQ 1918 said he was a radio operator and as such would not have initiated the arrest. He said he could not remember how Mr. Clarke came to him.
INQ 1918 claims to have heard incoming fire which he described as high velocity but not SLR fire. He also claims to have heard fire from a Thompson sub machine gun. He then heard SLR “return” fire. He accepted however that his recollection of hearing a Thompson could have been confused with another occasion in Belfast. He denied the two high velocity shots he heard could have been those Lieutenant N fired. He claimed he could distinguish between SLR fire and this high velocity gunfire even though he was wearing a respirator and headphones. Later, when questioned by Mr. McCreanor on behalf of some of the families, he changed his evidence claiming he could identify the high velocity fire as incoming because outgoing fire was deeper rather than because it was from a weapon other than an SLR.
INQ 1918 had said in his statement that he had witnessed Soldier R being rolled in a puddle to dilute acid which had been splashed on him. He also referred to seeing him having his denims cut off. However in evidence he said he may not have actually seen this but rather been told about it by someone else.
No Memory
Lord Saville asked if he was sure he had no memory of Lieutenant N firing his SLR directly behind him but INQ 1918 said he did not. He denied he had chosen to forget anything but accepted his memory was very poor. He also said he had no memory of any radio traffic. He also said he had no memory of Jackie Duddy being shot or his body being carried away. He did refer in his statement to being in the back of the pig when the three bodies collected at the rubble barricade were taken to the hospital. However he said this had come as a surprise to him when he reread his statement with his solicitors recently.
Soldier 019
Private, Motor Platoon, Support Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statements to the RMP on 4 February 1972 [B1492] and to this Inquiry [B1494.0001]
Soldier 019 was 24 in January 1972. He was on his second tour of Northern Ireland and had previously served in Aden. He was one of the oldest and most experienced soldiers in motor platoon but had never been promoted beyond private. He denied there was any particular reason for this and said he was quite happy as a private.
30 January 1972
Soldier 019 was on the roof of the GPO whilst Support Company were waiting at the Presbyterian Church. He said he had no recollection of seeing civilians on the waste ground below or in William Street. He did not recall hearing rioting. He did witness the shot which hit the church drainpipe but denied it had any effect on the arrest operation. He did not hear the 5 SLR shots fired by soldiers of the machine gun platoon from the derelict building. He was not aware that they were there.
Going In
On the video of the film taken from the army helicopter Lieutenant N’s pig can be seen driving onto the waste ground. As it stops and soldiers debus two puffs of smoke from rubber bullets gun can be seen indicating they were fired immediately the soldiers got out. Soldier 019 said he could not remember firing any baton rounds or how many rounds he had been issued with. He said he did not remember Lieutenant N or INQ 1918 grappling with people on the waste ground.
Crowd in Chamberlain Street
In his 1972 RMP statement Soldier 019 referred to a crowd of 150 people in Chamberlain Street at the end of the alleyway leading onto the waste ground. He said he believed the estimate would have been accurate even though the alleyway is only about 7 yards by 15 yards. Lieutenant N fired 2 shots into a brick wall above the crowd to stop them advancing toward them. Soldier 019 also heard 3-5 high velocity rounds which could also have been SLR rounds. He said these were behind him and he thought they were fired before Lieutenant N fired. He was standing at the end of the alleyway at the opposite corner to Lieutenant N. He can just be seen behind Lieutenant N in photograph P0273. He then went back to the pig to get his SLR.
Soldier 019 denied his RMP statement was made simply to support Lieutenant N. In it he referred to the crowd in the alleyway throwing bottles and other missiles at them but he accepted photograph P0273 shows no evidence of any bottles on the ground around him or Lieutenant N.
William Doherty
Mr. Doherty was arrested by Sergeant O close to the Rossville Flats car park but he was brought to and placed in the back of Lieutenant N’s pig. Mr. Doherty says that whilst in the pig a para fired a rubber bullet at his arm at point blank range causing severe bruising for about a month. Soldier 019 denied doing or seeing this. He accepted prisoners would not have been placed in the pig with SLRs still in the back. Duncan Clarke, who was arrested by INQ 1918 and was also put in the back of the pig, also claimed to have had a rubber bullet fired at him at point blank range although in his case this may have been later on. Again Soldier 019 denied any knowledge of such a thing happening. Captain 200, the commanding officer of Guinness Force (also known as the composite platoon) says he witnessed a soldier fire a rubber bullet into a pig on the waste ground at point blank range.
Patrick McDaid
Expert evidence provided to the Inquiry [E-0020.0001] concerning the injuries to Patrick McDaid indicates that he was hit by a small metal disc like object, possibly an old penny or the end of a U2 battery. Other evidence to the Inquiry confirms some soldiers inserted batteries or pennies into rubber bullet cases. Soldier 019 denied firing a rubber bullet across the Rossville Flats car park at Mr. McDaid or tampering with rubber bullets.
Soldier 019 also says he saw Soldier T having his trousers cut off after he was attacked by an acid bomb.
Praxis Interview
Soldier 019 denied any connection with notes of an interview he had with former para Neil Davies who was working for a television company called Praxis. In 1991 Praxis were preparing a programme on Bloody Sunday which was broadcast in January 1992. Soldier 019 admitted meeting Mr. Davies in a club but said that once it became clear he wanted to talk about Bloody Sunday he ended the discussion. Mr. Davies had telephoned him asking to talk about the motor platoon. Soldier 019 and Mr. Davies had served together in motor platoon in Aden.
The notes [O0027.0001, O0028.0001 and O0029.0001] refer to a soldier who was in Lieutenant N’s pig and carrying a “rubber dick”, i.e. a rubber bullet gun. He was very close to Lieutenant N when he fired up the alleyway, so close the ejected shells flew around his head. The notes refer to the soldier saying Lieutenant N had lost it and that a number of careers being ruined that day. He had also said Lieutenant N was nervous. The soldier concerned had had to run back to the pig to get his SLR when the shooting started.
Even though he had spoken to Mr. Davies, was the only soldier with a baton gun close to Lieutenant N when he fired and he did go back to the pig to get his SLR Soldier 019 insisted he had not provided the information contained in the notes. He denied any of the notes had any connection with him whatsoever. However on Day 233 of the Inquiry his counsel, Mr. Glasgow QC, had accepted on his behalf that one page of the notes [O0027.0001] did relate to his interview with Mr. Davies. Soldier 019 denied remembering a conversation with his counsel when he accepted this and still denied any association with the notes contents.
Dirty Tactics
Elsewhere in the notes [O0028.0002] the interviewee refers to paras in Northern Ireland planting evidence on suspects as being common and everyone having extra supplies of ammunition. Soldier 019 said he had never come across anyone having a private supply of ammunition at any time in his army career. He also said he had never seen or heard of anyone tampering with rubber bullets. The notes also refer to paras killing suspects and falsely claiming they were armed. Soldier 019 said paras always behaved impeccably and did everything by the book. He denied he had any divided loyalty between his ex-colleagues and telling the truth about what some paras had done.
INQ 444
Corporal, 7 Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
Made Statement to the Inquiry on 4 May 2000 [C0444]
INQ 444 served in Aden in 1967 and was on his second tour of Northern Ireland in 1972. His understanding of the situation in Derry prior to January 1972 came from press and television coverage of the city. He said in his statement that the rioters in Derry had not been “taken on properly” by the security forces. By this he meant that so long as the ‘no go’ area was permitted to remain the rioters always had a place to which they could safely retreat.
He also judged the rioters more violent than the people in Belfast because of his experience at Magilligan the week before Bloody Sunday. INQ 444 was at Magilligan but not on the beach. He described rioters at Magilligan as very organised, throwing missiles at the soldiers’ feet as well as their heads.
30 January 1972
INQ 444 was deployed through barrier 14 in William Street. His platoon was the first through the barrier. He recalled there was some delay at the barrier and he understood this was because the Royal Green Jackets manning the barrier did not want them to go in. Consequently they had to file through the barrier before it was opened.
INQ 444 was able to identify a number of his platoon in stills taken from Video 1. Soldier 003, Lieutenant 110, Sergeant UNK 459 and INQ 1799 are all identified in a still saved as C0444.0010. INQ 444 also identified himself at the back of that group. In another photograph [P0253] INQ 444 identified INQ 1056, INQ 12, INQ 2000, INQ 579 and UNK 1041. The marked photograph is saved as C0444.0012.
INQ 444 was confused as to where he went. He believed he went straight down William Street to the junction of Rossville Street but then doubled back to Chamberlain Street eventually ending up on the waste ground having come through an alleyway towards the south end of Chamberlain Street. However there was no such alleyway and the rest of 7 platoon deployed down William Street to Rossville Street and then down Rossville Street and onto the waste ground. Although he had no memory of it INQ 444 accepted he must have gone this way. He did remember finally ending up behind the backs of the Chamberlain Street houses about 6 houses from the south end where Chamberlain Street joined the Rossville Flats car park.
Gunfire
INQ 444 claimed he heard a Thompson sub machine gun and nail bombs exploding but he could not say when he heard either. He conceded he could have mistaken SLR gunfire in a restricted space, such as Lieutenant N firing up the alleyway towards the north end of Chamberlain Street, for the sound of nail bombs exploding. However he denied he could have been mistaken about his recollection of having heard two bursts of 6–7 rounds from a Thompson. He insisted the sound of a Thompson was quite distinctive and although he could not say where he was when he heard it or where he heard the gunfire coming from he was certain he did hear a Thompson. He had said in his statement that he heard the Thompson as he went through the barrier but now says that is wrong. He said he was not particularly worried by hearing the Thompson.
He also heard other gunfire which he believed to be incoming high velocity rifle fire but again he could not identify where this had come from. He said in his statement he heard gunfire coming from the junction of William Street and Rossville Street as he approached the junction but accepted that had there been a civilian gunman there he would have seen him and would have been concerned for his own safety. At no time did he personally feel he was under fire.
Gunman
INQ 444 claimed that when he was taking cover at the backs of the Chamberlain Street houses he saw a man with a rifle cross the gap between Blocks 1 and 2 of the Rossville Flats. He denied there was any possibility that he could have been mistaken about the rifle although he accepted it was only a fleeting glimpse. He said he could not remember if there were other civilians in the area. He did not remember shouting a warning to others about having seen a gunman.
Acid Attack
INQ 444 had also said in his statement that he had witnessed acid bombs being thrown onto soldiers from the roof of Block 1 of the Rossville Flats. However in evidence he said he only saw someone pour liquid into the car park from somewhere in Block 1. He did see water being poured over soldiers apparently splashed by the liquid but his belief that the liquid had been acid probably came from talk amongst the soldiers after the event.
Reckless Gunfire
INQ 444 witnessed a soldier firing 10 - 20 rounds at an angle up towards Blocks 2 and 3 of the Rossville Flats. He could not be sure exactly how many rounds were fired but it was more than 6. He saw the soldier, who was not from C Company, cross Rossville Street and take up a position in the middle of the waste ground opposite where he was at the rear of the Chamberlain Street houses. The soldier fired repeatedly with his rifle elevated and with the butt not at his shoulder but under his arm. These were not aimed shots and it was quite undisciplined. In his statement to the Inquiry INQ 444 identified the soldier as Soldier H.
INQ 444 said he was concerned by the excessive and reckless shooting however he failed to report it to anyone. He could not explain why he had not reported it but said he felt guilty for not having done so. He was interviewed by the RMP Special Investigation Branch a couple of days later but he only mentioned having seen a civilian gunman. He did not make a written statement. He admitted to the Inquiry shirking responsibility in not telling anyone about what he saw but he said he assumed from the talk in the canteen about Soldier H that he would be identified anyway. He said he had been extremely worried about his having identified Soldier H in his statement as having been the soldier he saw. He did not recognise him at the time or subsequently. He just assumed it must have been Soldier H because of what he had heard about his firing on the day.
INQ 444 had marked a plan with the position of the soldier firing indiscriminately as “E” however when giving evidence he marked a general area in which he believed the soldier was standing [see C0444.0011].
He also said in his statement that directly after witnessing the reckless firing he heard a ceasefire order. However he is not now sure when the ceasefire was ordered, whether it was in person or over the radio or indeed whether he had just heard it on the television coverage he had seen later.
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
