BULLETS, BOMBS AND CUPS OF TEA: Further Voices of the British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-98

731 Pages·2009·9.01 MB·English

by  Ken Wharton

Brought to you by KeVkRaY
www.bolt.cd
What the veterans said … praise for A Long Long War
“A superb job. This story had to be told. What's so important is that he
galvanised the many of us to tell our stories – before we got too old and forgot
the details – in the memory of our lost comrades and those permantently affected
by that long forgotten war. I doubt if any of our politicans will read this book –
but they ought to. Ken – thanks from the active and silent voices from A Long
Long War.”
“When Ken contacted me to ask me to publicise what was then a project
only little did I know what an excellent read the book would be. One of the few
books to tell of “the troubles” from the soldiers point of view, remarkably frank,
a compelling read, politicians should read this before committing soldiers to the
front line anywhere.”
“Over the years the voices of the main protagonists of ‘The Troubles’ were
very often heard. The voice perhaps heard least of all was that of the ordinary
British soldier, the guy sent over there to try and keep the peace, in what at times
was an almost impossible situation. A thankless task for scant reward. What Ken
has achieved is a testimony to those who walked the streets and more
importantly to those who never came back. Essential Reading !!!!”
“Awesome – a stunning read. I was one of the 300,000 that served in N.I.
and this book is long overdue. If you are going to read one book on the troubles
in N.I. then it has to be this one, you will feel the fear, the pain, the worry, the
heartache, the joy and the bond of brotherhood felt by of all who served their
friends and families.”
“An excellent and weighty book with stories well worth telling – how it
really was for and from those on the ground. Long overdue as memories are
already beginning to blur and fade and those that were left behind deserve better.
Thanks Ken.”
“My Dad was a soldier in Ulster and I bought the book for him. He says
that it was so real that it brought back the smells and fears of Belfast. He says
that it is, without doubt, the best book on the troubles and he has read a few.
Good stuff.”
“Excellent piece of work from a true gentleman. Conveys the
professionalism and courage of soldiers working in impossible conditions. Down
to earth stories compiled in a practical and interesting manner. First class read.”

Helion & Company Limited
26 Willow Road
Solihull
West Midlands
B91 1UE
England
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.helion.co.uk
Published by Helion & Company 2009
eBook edition 2011
Designed and typeset by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire
Cover designed by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire
Printed by Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Text © Ken M. Wharton
Maps of Belfast and Londonderry originally appeared in The British Army in
Northern Ireland by Michael Dewar (1985) and are © Weidenfeld & Nicolson, a
division of The Orion Publishing Group (London).
Photographs © as individually credited within the book.
Front cover images: (top) ‘Down the Sights’ © Paul Crispin; (bottom) ‘Nowhere
to Shop’ © Paul Crispin.
Rear cover image: ‘Poverty the Noose’ © Paul Crispin.
All cover photographs taken in Belfast 1986.
The opinions expressed in the book are those of the individuals quoted and do
not necessarily accord with views held by the author or publisher.
ISBN 978-1906033-34-7
eBook ISBN 9781907677-89-2
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written
consent of Helion & Company Limited.
For details of other military history titles published by Helion & Company
Limited contact the above address, or visit our website: http://www.helion.co.uk.
We always welcome receiving book proposals from prospective authors.
This book is dedicated to Nell Webster, Mo Norton, Carol Richards,
Doreen Gilchrist, Patsy Hurst, Annie Bowman, Marie Hale, Tracey Butcher,
Kathleen Gillespie and to Karen and Stevie Rumble. They are eleven
remarkable ladies who shared the pain and grief of the soldiers who served
in Northern Ireland
To Anne-Marie, Anna-Martina, Jonathan, Jenny, Robbie, Alex and
Nathan, my seven wonderful children
To Sherriden, Kelsey and William; my three incredible grandchildren
To my lovely lady, Helen, the Navy brat who turned my life around
To my Jacket mates, Dave Hallam & Darren Ware
To all my many mates in the ‘Jackets’
To Colour Sergeant Ken Ambrose from the best Regiment in the
British Army
To my Kings mate, George Prosser who did so much and still continues
to give himself to help others
To all those who mastered the art of walking backwards on the streets
and lanes of Northern Ireland and especially to those who did it with such
style and bravery
To every ‘bullet catcher’ and ‘tail end Charlie’
To every Regiment but a special dedication to
the men and women of the U.D.R.
The people at NIVA who do so much for every Northern Ireland
veteran
To the memory of Lieutenant Commander Joseph Geraghty, R.N.
(Who would have been my Father-in-Law)
and
To my late mother, Irene Wharton (1929–99)
and my father, Mark Clifford Wharton (1927–2009)
The Death of Robert Curtis
Ask the family not to hate the Irish; neither I nor my daughter chose to be
born there; we just were. This is the baby I crawled with, up Hillman Street with
the bullets flying; this was the baby born from love; her mum and dad fed Robert
Curtis (officially the first British soldier to die in N.I.) his last meal, fish and
chips from the Silver Key Chip shop on Duncairn Gardens; with fun, laughter,
love and total respect. This was before the IRA took him from this world, so
unfairly before he could see his own daughter Jasmine born, 6 months after he
was murdered.
Please let the family know we care, and there were others who did, and held
her son as a hero in our hearts. He was there to protect us, he made the world a
better place for our daughter to be born in, and may God hold him in the Palm of
His Hands.
Thank you to all you wonderful boys, who we depended on for some sort of
freedom and safety. Your sacrifices were never taken for granted; I know; I have
two beautiful grandchildren to prove it.
Doreen Gilchrist, Belfast Resident

Although it is clear that the politicians and policy makers were clueless it is
evident that the people on the ‘frontline’ knew the situation. It's a pity they were
not listened to at the time; a lot of hurt could have been avoided.
James Henderson, Ulster Defence Regiment

I loved the man I sent to Belfast; I didn't much like the man who came
back.
Ruby Hill, former wife of a soldier
The author gratefully acknowledges and endorses the words of the
following contributors:
‘To our Members of Parliament, who, through their mismanagement and
failure to understand the problems of Northern Ireland, by not allowing the