Northern Ireland 1973

Tac HQ at Hastings Street Mill, "A" Coy. and Echelon at Albert Street, "B" Coy. at Broadway, "D" Coy. at Mulhouse and Support Coy. at Northumberland Street Mill.

2nd April a patrol from "D" Coy. came under fire and L/Cpl. Murphy was "winged" by a riccochet which removed his map pocket button but did not injure him.

7th April during another patrol 24274467 Pte R.H. Owen was shot in the back in the Divis Flats. The patrol was unable to return fire as there were many civilians in the area. Pte Owen's parents were flown out by the Red Cross to be near him. Though seriously wounded he recovered.

10th April a rocket was fired at one of "D" Coys. supporting armoured cars. The rocket burst a tire and went off into a shop, injuring a civilian and a child. One of the rocket launcher team was arrested and the other identified.

12th April 24259730 Pte B. Gamble wounded.

28th April Lieut. T.G. Ongley and 23933996 Cpl. C. Gleeson wounded.

10th June 24169373 Pte D.P. Burt wounded.

17th July two men killed and one seriously injured in an explosion:

24225245 Private Christopher P. Brady
From Plymouth. Aged 21. Killed by a 20lb IRA bomb while checking the fifth floor of Divis Flats, West Belfast. He died 20 minutes after the explosion. Private Breakwell was also killed. Two youths (aged 17 and 16) were convicted of 'causing an explosion.'

24285860 Private Geoffrey Alan Breakwell
From Brierly Hill, Staffordshire. Aged 20. Single. He died in hospital 2 hours after the explosion.

24169080 Pte A.S. King and 24080340 Cpl. R.H. Peart were wounded. Cpl. Peart was blinded.

"A" Company - Divis Flats area.

OC - Major S.D.A. Firth
2IC Capt. P.R. Rostron, Major M.G. Smith-Rewse
CSM - WO2 P. Edwards
CQMS - CSergt R. Wheeldon
Ops Offr. - Lt. Phipps (REME)

1 Platoon
OC - 2nd Lt. Belson, 2nd Lt. Phipps
Pl. Sergt. - Sgt. I. Hall
11A - Cpl. Evans, L/Cpl. Payne
11B - Cpl. Dawes, L/Cpl. Wilkes
11C - Cpl. Willis, Cpl. Goss, L/Cpl. Galloway

2 Platoon
OC - 2nd Lt. Coulson-Gilmer
Pl. Sergt. - Sergt. Hart
12 A - Cpl. Chambers, L/Cpl. Lewis
12 B - Cpl. Connolly, L/Cpl. Graham
12 C - Cpl. Barber, L/Cpl. Udolloress

3 Platoon
OC - Sergt. Lewis
Pl. Sergt. - Sergt. Breeze
13 A - Cpl. Peart, L/Cpl. Brookes
13 B - Cpl. Jones, Cpl. Allison, L/Cpl. Wilcox
13 C - Cpl. Knight, L/Cpl. Knight

"A" Coy. Intelligence Group

OC - Major Smith-Rewse
'Catholic Intelligence' - Sergt. Macpherson
'Protestant Intelligence' - Sergt. Knee
Research - L/Cpl. Copeland

"B" and "D" Companies - Lower Falls

"B" Company

Company Commander - Major J. Hewitt
2IC - Capt. M.J. Owen
CSM - WO2 Allen
CQMS - C/Sergt. Eke
Intelligence Sergt - Sergt. Galley
MT Sergt - Sergt. Osborne

5 Platoon

Lt. Smart (to July '73)
Lt. Hodson (from July '73)
Sergt. Pullen

6 Platoon

Lt. Storey
Sergt. Cooke

7 Platoon

Lt. Allan
Sergt. Fry

"D" Company

Company Commander - Major W.R.N. Ladds
2IC - Capt. J.K. West, Capt. P. Cangley, MC.
CSM - WO2 K. Fisher
CQMS - C/Sergt. A. Walker
Intelligence Sergt - Sergt. K. Kinsey
MT Sergt - Sergt. J. Leonard

13 Platoon

Lt. T. Ongley
2nd Lt. M. Vine
Sergt. D. Skinner

14 Platoon

Lt. J. Shaw
Sergt. A. Hall

15 Platoon

Lt. P. Littlewood
Sergt. G. Gaze
Sergt. A. Aston

IRA rocket attack in Grosvenor road - no casualties sustained.

Following a tip-off of an IRA meeting a house was surrounded and a gun battle followed. One IRA 'Quartermaster' was killed, one wounded, and 2 others captured.

Search teams, particularly one commanded by Cpl. "Sniffer" Courtenay located large stocks of terrorist weapons, ammunition and explosives. Teams under Cpls. Millard, Heavens and Hazard also made finds.

28th April Lieut. T.G. Ongley and 23933996 Cpl. C. Gleeson wounded in an ambush. Both recovered from their injuries.

During local Council and Assembly elections a mortar attack was launched on a polling station. The quick action of Pte Milne, "D" Coy. prevented any casualties.

After a large bomb damaged houses in Penton Street, members of the Company, under Sergt. Shyan Bansraj (QM's Department), helped to repair houses.

"B" Coy. was moved into the area as a Reserve. Also a Para Squadron RAC arrived with Ferret Scout cars. 10 Regt RCT provided transport and also joined foot patrols.