Photographs from the Northern Ireland Residential Tour of 3 PARA (1989-1991)

Photographs from the Northern Ireland Residential Tour of 3 PARA (1989-1991)

‘When I was first posted 3 PARA in November 1989 I was only 17 years old therefore I was posted to the Sergeants Mess as a barman. When I turned 18 my father bought me an instamatic camera, which I kept in my webbing and used when I joined 4 Platoon B Company when patrolling the streets of West Belfast during the residential tour of 3 PARA in Northern Ireland. These amateur snapshot photographs are very typical of the many snapshots British soldiers took in Northern Ireland, snapshots of murals, snapshots of each other, snapshots about the mundanity of the troubles, the amateur photographer never takes photographs when it gets violent or heated, mainly because there was never any time to photograph during these turbulent and volatile times because as a young paratrooper fresh in a rifle company, you are too busy keeping your weapon in your shoulder and obeying the orders from your section commander’. 

Featured image shows Stuart sitting in the back of a 'Humber Pig'.