Airborne Assault MuseumArticle
Northern Ireland (Operation Banner)
A brief honeymoon as peace keepers between two warring communities locked in civil unrest descended into a virtual civil war ...
I joined Junior Para Coy, Aldershot, as a boy soldier in 1975. In the long hot Summer of 1976 I was in the Junior Para's Pegasus Gymnastics Display Team, and in late '76 joined Recruit Coy, Platoon 432, in week seven. Many members of 432 Platoon were from Junior Para Drums Platoon, and obviously good friends (Warrenpoint bomb inflicted huge loss on 2 Paras Drum Platoon and the amount of mates I lost that day beggars belief).I passed out in early 1977 and joined 2 Para D Coy, 12 Platoon, in Berlin. Whilst in Berlin I transferred, after selection, to C (Patrols) Coy, then the battalion was posted to Northern Ireland 1979-81.
Service History
- 1975 Junior Parachute Company (Junior Infantry)
- 1977 The 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) (Private)