العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolGUILDFORD PUB BOMBINGS
The 'Guildford pub bombings' occurred on 5 October, 1974. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted bombs in the ''Horse and Groom'' pub on North Street, Guildford and the nearby ''Seven Stars'' pub, which killed five people and injured 65.
An IRA active service unit, assumed by many to be the Balcombe Street Gang, manufactured two 6 pound gelignite bombs in London. One was placed in the ''Horse and Groom'' and the other in the ''Seven Stars''. Both pubs were popular with army personnel, and thus chosen as targets by the IRA.
The bomb in the ''Horse and Groom'' caused the most casualties when it detonated without warning at 8.30 p.m. Paul Craig, a 22-year old plasterer and four off-duty teenage soldiers of the Scots Guards and the Women's Royal Army Corps were killed in the blast. The ''Seven Stars'' was evacuated after the first blast, and so nobody was seriously hurt in the explosion there at 9.00 p.m.
These were to be the first two attacks in over a year of operations by the Active Service Unit of the IRA that were captured after the Balcombe Street Siege.[1] A similar bomb to those used in Guildford, with the addition of shrapnel, was thrown into the ''Kings Arms'' pub in Woolwich on the 7th of November. Gunner Richard Dunne and Alan Horsley, a sales clerk, died in that explosion. On the 21st of November, two bombs exploded in Birmingham at the ''Tavern in the Town'' and the ''Mulberry Bush'' pubs killing twenty-one people and injuring over one hundred and fifty;[2] these acts led to the conviction of the ''Birmingham Six''. Several other bombings caused casualties and fear across Britain particularly in London, during the year long campaign.
The bombings were at the height of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland. The Metropolitan Police were under enormous pressure to apprehend the IRA bombers who had brought the war to Britain. In December 1974 the police arrested three men and a woman, later known as the Guildford Four of:
★ Gerry Conlon
★ Paul Hill
★ Patrick Armstrong
★ Carole Richardson
They were falsely convicted of the bombings in October 1975, and held in prison for fifteen years. Their convictions were later overturned in the appeal courts after it was proved the convictions had been based on confessions obtained under duress, whilst evidence clearing them was not reported by the police.[3] During the trial of the Balcombe Street gang in February 1977 the four IRA men instructed their lawyers to "draw attention to the fact that four totally innocent people were serving massive sentences" for three bombings in Woolwich and Guildford.[4] They were never charged with these offences. However, the IRA have never identified the true perpetrators of this attack.
The movie ''In the Name of the Father'' is based on these events, though some artistic licence was used. The building of the Horse & Groom still stands, although it is now a furniture shop called "Lom Bok".
★ Paul Craig, 22
★ Guardsman William Forsyth, 18
★ Private Ann Hamilton, 19
★ Guardsman John Hunter, 17
★ Private Caroline Slater, 18
See also Guildford Four
1. McKee G, Franey R, 'Time Bomb', 1988, Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 0-7475-0099-1. Page 18 notes that a new ASU was set-up in August 1974 comprising O'Connell, Dowd etc who's first attack was the Guildford Bombings
2. 1991: Birmingham Six freed after 16 years
3. Pgs 426-436, McKee G, Franey R, 'Time Bomb', 1988, Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 0-7475-0099-1.
4. Joe O'Connell's speech from the dock
★ ''An Phoblacht/Republican News'' (7 May, 1998)
★ BBC report on the attacks
An IRA active service unit, assumed by many to be the Balcombe Street Gang, manufactured two 6 pound gelignite bombs in London. One was placed in the ''Horse and Groom'' and the other in the ''Seven Stars''. Both pubs were popular with army personnel, and thus chosen as targets by the IRA.
The bomb in the ''Horse and Groom'' caused the most casualties when it detonated without warning at 8.30 p.m. Paul Craig, a 22-year old plasterer and four off-duty teenage soldiers of the Scots Guards and the Women's Royal Army Corps were killed in the blast. The ''Seven Stars'' was evacuated after the first blast, and so nobody was seriously hurt in the explosion there at 9.00 p.m.
These were to be the first two attacks in over a year of operations by the Active Service Unit of the IRA that were captured after the Balcombe Street Siege.[1] A similar bomb to those used in Guildford, with the addition of shrapnel, was thrown into the ''Kings Arms'' pub in Woolwich on the 7th of November. Gunner Richard Dunne and Alan Horsley, a sales clerk, died in that explosion. On the 21st of November, two bombs exploded in Birmingham at the ''Tavern in the Town'' and the ''Mulberry Bush'' pubs killing twenty-one people and injuring over one hundred and fifty;[2] these acts led to the conviction of the ''Birmingham Six''. Several other bombings caused casualties and fear across Britain particularly in London, during the year long campaign.
| Contents |
| The Guildford Four |
| The Dead |
| Notes |
| References |
The Guildford Four
The bombings were at the height of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland. The Metropolitan Police were under enormous pressure to apprehend the IRA bombers who had brought the war to Britain. In December 1974 the police arrested three men and a woman, later known as the Guildford Four of:
★ Gerry Conlon
★ Paul Hill
★ Patrick Armstrong
★ Carole Richardson
They were falsely convicted of the bombings in October 1975, and held in prison for fifteen years. Their convictions were later overturned in the appeal courts after it was proved the convictions had been based on confessions obtained under duress, whilst evidence clearing them was not reported by the police.[3] During the trial of the Balcombe Street gang in February 1977 the four IRA men instructed their lawyers to "draw attention to the fact that four totally innocent people were serving massive sentences" for three bombings in Woolwich and Guildford.[4] They were never charged with these offences. However, the IRA have never identified the true perpetrators of this attack.
The movie ''In the Name of the Father'' is based on these events, though some artistic licence was used. The building of the Horse & Groom still stands, although it is now a furniture shop called "Lom Bok".
The Dead
★ Paul Craig, 22
★ Guardsman William Forsyth, 18
★ Private Ann Hamilton, 19
★ Guardsman John Hunter, 17
★ Private Caroline Slater, 18
Notes
See also Guildford Four
References
1. McKee G, Franey R, 'Time Bomb', 1988, Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 0-7475-0099-1. Page 18 notes that a new ASU was set-up in August 1974 comprising O'Connell, Dowd etc who's first attack was the Guildford Bombings
2. 1991: Birmingham Six freed after 16 years
3. Pgs 426-436, McKee G, Franey R, 'Time Bomb', 1988, Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 0-7475-0099-1.
4. Joe O'Connell's speech from the dock
★ ''An Phoblacht/Republican News'' (7 May, 1998)
★ BBC report on the attacks
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
