HARRODS BOMBING

The 'Harrods Bombing' was a car-bomb attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) outside Harrods Department Store, London on December 17 1983 in which six people were killed.

Contents

The car bomb

Details of the bomb

Second bomb warning

Memorials

References

External links

See also

The car bomb

A warning of the bomb came when a man using an IRA code word telephoned the central London office of the Samaritans organisation at 12:44. The caller said there were bombs inside and outside Harrods specifying the registration number of the car the device was in. Police officers approached the car and were caught in the blast as the bomb exploded. ^[1] Six people were killed, three passers-by (including one citizen of the United States), and three Metropolitan Police officers.^{[2] [3]}
Those killed were: Philip Geddes (journalist, 24), Kenneth Salvesen (28), Jasmine Cochrane-Patrick (25), Police constable Noel Lane (28), Police constable Jane Arbuthnot (22) and Police sergeant Stephen Dodd (34) Injured and died 24 December. ^[2] Police constable Jon Gordon survived, but lost both legs and part of a hand in the blast.

Details of the bomb

The bomb contained between 25 and 30 lbs. of explosives. It was detonated by a timing device and not by remote control, as previously suspected. The device was left in a 1972 blue Austin 1300 GT four door saloon, with a black vinyl roof — which was subsequently blown onto the roof of a nearby five-story building.

Second bomb warning

A second warning call was made by the IRA to authorities at the time of the first explosion. It was stated that a bomb was placed in the C&A department store on the east side of Oxford Street, London. Police tried to clear the area crowded with shoppers and cordoned it off but this claim was later found to be false.^[5]

Memorials

A memorial that marks the spot where the three police officers were killed is located on the side of Harrods at Hans Crescent.^[6]
Philip Geddes, an Oxford graduate and journalist was one of those killed. In his honour annual prizes are awarded to aspiring journalists attending Oxford University. Also, every year the ''Philip Geddes Memorial Lecture'' on the theme of the future of journalism is given by a leading journalist ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. ''Bomb unauthorised says IRA'' The Guardian 19 December 1983
2. Sutton Index of Deaths CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the Internet)
3. Northern Ireland: Thatcher letter to Reagan (outrage at Harrods IRA bomb) Margaret Thatcher Foundation website
4. Sutton Index of Deaths CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the Internet)
5. ''On this Day BBC Report'' BBC website
6. ''Police'' City Themes London
7. ''Prize money for students rises to £2,500'' Holdthefrontpage
8. ''PHILIP GEDDES MEMORIAL PRIZES 2005'' Oxford University Gazette

External links

★ Witness accounts of the event on the BBC

See also

★ Harrods

★ Directory of the Northern Ireland Troubles

★ Chronology of Provisional IRA Actions

★ List of terrorist incidents (Worldwide)

★ List of terrorist incidents in the United Kingdom

★ List of terrorist incidents in London