Deal barracks bombing

Last updated

Deal barracks bombing
Part of The Troubles
LocationRoyal Marine barracks, Deal, Kent, England
Coordinates 51°12′49″N1°24′0″E / 51.21361°N 1.40000°E / 51.21361; 1.40000
Date22 September 1989
08:22 (GMT)
TargetRoyal Marines School of Music
Attack type
Time bomb
Deaths11 Royal Marines
Injured21 Royal Marines
Perpetrator Provisional IRA

The Deal barracks bombing was an attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on the Royal Marine Depot, Deal, England. It took place at 8:22 am on 22 September 1989, when the IRA exploded a time bomb at the Royal Marines School of Music building. The building collapsed, killing 11 marines from the Royal Marines Band Service and wounding another 21.

Contents

Background

The Royal Marines School of Music is a professional training centre for musicians of the Royal Marines Band Service, the musical arm of the Royal Navy. Originally created at Portsmouth in 1930, it moved to Deal in 1950 and in 1989 was still there as part of the Royal Marine Depot, Deal. [1] Throughout the 1980s, the IRA had been waging a paramilitary campaign against targets in Britain and Northern Ireland with the stated aim of achieving the separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom. [2] These operations had included an attempt to kill the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984 and a similar attack on a military band in London in 1982.

Explosion

At 8:22am on 22 September 1989, a 15-pound (6.8 kg) time bomb detonated in the recreational centre changing room at the Royal Marines School of Music. [3] [4] [5] The blast destroyed the recreational centre, levelled the three-storey accommodation building next to it and caused extensive damage to the rest of the base and nearby civilian homes. [3] The blast was heard several kilometres away, shaking windows in the centre of Deal, and creating a large pall of smoke over the town. [3] Most of the personnel who used the building as a barracks had already risen and were practising marching on the parade ground when the blast occurred. These marines witnessed the buildings collapse, and many of the teenaged personnel were in a state of shock for days afterwards. [6]

Some marines had remained behind in the building, and thus received the full force of the explosion. Many were trapped in the rubble for hours and military heavy lifting equipment was needed to clear much of it. Kent Ambulance Service voluntarily agreed to end its industrial strike action to aid those wounded by the blast. Ten marines died at the scene with most trapped in the collapsed building, although one body was later found on the roof of a nearby house. [6] Another 21 were seriously injured and received treatment at hospitals in Dover, Deal and Canterbury. One of these men, 21-year-old Christopher Nolan, died of his injuries on 18 October 1989. Three of those killed were buried nearby at the Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal. The names of the victims were - Msn Mick Ball, 24, Msn Andy Cleatheroe, 25, Msn Trevor Davis, 39, Msn Richard Fice, 22, Msn Richard "Taff" Jones, 27, Band Cpl David "Mac" McMillan, 26, Msn Christopher Nolan, 21, Band Cpl Dean Pavey, 31, Msn Mark Petch, 26, Msn Tim Reeves, 24 and Msn Bob Simmonds, 34.

Reactions

Grave of Mark Petch, one of the dead bandsmen Hamilton Road Cemetery Royal Marines Bandsmen.jpg
Grave of Mark Petch, one of the dead bandsmen
Memorial bandstand at Walmer Green Bandstand at Walmer - geograph.org.uk - 603930.jpg
Memorial bandstand at Walmer Green
20th Anniversary Concert and Memorial Service at Deal Bandstand, 12 July 2009 Royal Marines in Concert at Deal Bandstand.jpg
20th Anniversary Concert and Memorial Service at Deal Bandstand, 12 July 2009

The IRA claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was a continuation of their campaign to rid Northern Ireland of all British troops who had been deployed there since 1969. [6] Many British people were shocked by the attack, carried out on a ceremonial military band whose military training was mostly geared towards saving lives. [6] [7] The public were also shocked by the ages of those killed, as many were new recruits to the School and most of those injured were teenagers. [2]

The British Government also condemned the IRA's attack. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a statement from Moscow, where she was on an official visit, saying that she was "shocked and extremely sad". [4] Leader of the opposition, Neil Kinnock, described the attack as an "awful atrocity" and said, "Even the people who say they support what the IRA calls its cause must be sickened by the way in which such death and injury is mercilessly inflicted". [4]

The Commandant General Royal Marines Lieutenant-General Sir Martin Garrod appeared on television soon after the bombing, condemning the bombers as "thugs, extortionists, torturers, murderers and cowards – the scum of the earth" and "We will emerge stronger and more determined than ever before to end and destroy this foul and dark force of evil." [8]

The base's security caused controversy as this was partly provided by a private security firm. This arrangement prompted a thorough review of security procedures at all British military bases and the replacement of the firm's employees at Deal with Royal Marine guards. [4]

One week after the bombing, the staff and students of the School of Music marched through the town of Deal, watched and applauded by thousands of spectators. They maintained gaps in their ranks to mark the positions of those unable to march through death or serious injury. [7] [9] A memorial bandstand was constructed at Walmer Green to the memory of those who "only ever wanted to play music". [10] A memorial in the Deal Barracks chapel was destroyed when the building burnt down in 2003, but the site is now a memorial garden. [11] The surviving barracks at Deal were converted into flats when the base was decommissioned in 1996, and the School of Music is once again based in Portsmouth. [1]

Every year the Royal Marines Band from Portsmouth visit the memorial bandstand in Deal to pay their respects to those who died in the bombing. In July 2009, a memorial concert and re-dedication ceremony was held at the bandstand on Walmer Green, attended by thousands. [12] The event drew over 12,000 spectators in 2019, which marked the 30th anniversary of the bombing. [13]

Deal Parochial Church of England School now stands in the former barracks' Drill Fields. A large carved stone bearing the Globe and Laurel (the cap badge and emblem of the Royal Marines) sits at the entrance of the school. It originally adorned one of the buildings facing the parade square in the barracks. On Tuesday 22 September 2015, the 26th anniversary of the bombing, following a restoration of the stone by the school's Year 6 pupils, the school held a re-dedication service to mark the role played by the Royal Marines in the town.

No one has ever been arrested or convicted in connection with the Deal bombing. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deal, Kent</span> Town in England

Deal is a coastal town in Kent, England, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Dover and 8 miles (13 km) south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked to the anchorage in the Downs. Close to Deal is Walmer, a possible location for Julius Caesar's first arrival in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandstand</span> Structure designed to accommodate bands during concerts

A bandstand is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamental focal point and also serves acoustic requirements while providing shelter for the changeable weather, if outdoors. In form bandstands resemble ornamental European garden gazebos modeled on outdoor open-sided pavilions found in Asian countries from early times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Marines Band Service</span> Military unit

The Royal Marines Band Service is the musical wing of the Royal Navy and an independent element of the Royal Marines. It currently consists of five bands plus a training wing – the Royal Marines School of Music at HMS Nelson – and its headquarters is at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings</span> 1982 IRA attack in London, England

The Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings were carried out on 20 July 1982 in London, England. Members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated two improvised explosive devices during British military ceremonies in Hyde Park and Regent's Park, both in central London.

The history of the Royal Marines began on 28 October 1664 with the formation of the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot soon becoming known as the Admiral's Regiment. During the War of the Spanish Succession the most historic achievement of the Marines was the capture of the mole during the assault on Gibraltar in 1704. On 5 April 1755, His Majesty's Marine Forces, fifty Companies in three Divisions, headquartered at Portsmouth, Chatham and Plymouth, were formed by Order of Council under Admiralty control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenanne barracks bombing</span> 1991 IRA attack in Northern Ireland

The Glenanne barracks bombing was a large truck bomb attack carried out by the Provisional IRA against a British Army base at Glenanne, near Mountnorris, County Armagh. The driverless lorry was rolled down a hill at the rear of the barracks and crashed through the perimeter fence. The bombing took place on 31 May 1991 and left three soldiers killed and 14 people wounded, four of them civilians.

On 7 December 1985 the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base at Ballygawley, County Tyrone. Two RUC officers were shot dead and the base was raked with gunfire before being destroyed by a bomb, which wounded a further three officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal</span>

Hamilton Road Cemetery is a combined municipal and military burial ground situated in the coastal town of Deal, Kent, in South East England. Opened in May 1856, it was created to provide a new burial ground for Deal at a time when its general population was expanding and when previous, often ad hoc facilities for dealing with deaths in the area no longer sufficed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace Barracks</span>

Palace Barracks, Holywood is a military installation and the Northern Ireland headquarters of MI5, in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland.

This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1980 to 1989. For actions before and after this period see Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teebane bombing</span> 1992 IRA attack in Northern Ireland

The Teebane bombing took place on 17 January 1992 at a rural crossroads between Omagh and Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. A roadside bomb destroyed a van carrying 14 construction workers who had been repairing a British Army base in Omagh. Eight of the men were killed and the rest were wounded. Most were civilians, while one of those killed and two of the wounded were British soldiers. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) claimed responsibility, saying the workers were targeted because they were collaborating with the "forces of occupation".

The Thiepval Barracks bombing was a double car bomb attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 7 October 1996. The bombs exploded inside Thiepval Barracks, the British Army headquarters in Northern Ireland. One British soldier was killed and 31 people were injured. This bombing was the first major attack on a military base in Northern Ireland since the end of the IRA's ceasefire eight months earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Marine Depot, Deal</span>

The Royal Marine Depot, Deal was a military installation occupied by the Royal Marines and located in South Deal, Kent, on the road to Walmer. The Depot was first established in Deal in 1861, occupying part of the Royal Naval Hospital. In 1868 the Depot expanded and took over the nearby 18th-century Army barracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichfield gun attack</span> 1990 Provisional IRA shooting

The Lichfield gun attack was an ambush carried out by the Provisional IRA (IRA) on 1 June 1990 against three off-duty British soldiers who were waiting at Lichfield City railway station in Staffordshire. The attack resulted in one soldier being killed and two others badly wounded.

On 11 August 1986, the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base at The Birches near Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The unmanned base was raked with gunfire before being destroyed by a 200 pounds (91 kg) bomb, which was driven through the gate of the base in the bucket of a JCB digger.

This is a timeline of the events and actions during the Troubles that were carried out in Great Britain, the vast majority of which were carried out by Irish Republican paramilitaries mainly the Provisional IRA were by far the most active but both the Official IRA and the Irish National Liberation Army, also carried out a number of attacks, which included bombings and shootings. Ulster Loyalist paramilitary groups also carried out a small number of violent actions.

The Glamorgan barracks bombing was the bombing of a British Army military barracks in Duisburg, West Germany, carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The attack injured nine soldiers. The Glamorgan barracks housed soldiers from the Royal Corps of Transport. Seventy soldiers were sleeping at the time of the explosion. The two 20 lb (9 kg) bombs blew a hole in the barracks and tore the roof. Nine British soldiers received minor wounds. It was the first IRA attack on the European mainland since the Netherlands attacks in May. The two bombs were placed some eight yards inside the barracks compound, against the wall of the quarters were some 70 soldiers were sleeping. None of the nine injured soldiers needed hospital treatment, although an army sergeant spokesman said they were very lucky nobody was killed. Moments after the blast police saw the IRA getaway car run a red lightand gave chase, but the IRA unit fired shots at the police car and the police gave up the chase, letting the IRA volunteers escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attack on UDR Clogher barracks</span> 1974 IRA attack in Northern Ireland

On 2 May 1974 the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked a British Army base manned by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) near the Northern Ireland–Republic of Ireland border at Clogher, County Tyrone. The IRA unit engaged the small base with automatic weapons, rockets and improvised mortars. Ferret armoured cars were deployed to the scene and a fierce firefight erupted. The IRA withdrew behind the border with the Republic. The assault on the outpost killed greenfinch Eva Martin and wounded another UDR soldier.

References

  1. 1 2 [ dead link ] royalnavy.mod.uk, 'Royal Marines School of Music' Archived 27 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 6 March 2007
  2. 1 2 P.374, Williams & Head
  3. 1 2 3 P.376, Williams & Head
  4. 1 2 3 4 BBC On This Day, '1989 Ten dead in Kent barracks bomb', retrieved 6 March 2007
  5. CAIN incorrectly states that the bomb was placed in the concert hall at the base. CAIN database, Chronology of the Conflict – 1989, retrieved on 6 March 2007
  6. 1 2 3 4 P.377, Williams & Head
  7. 1 2 BBC On This Day, '1989 Remembering the Deal bombing', retrieved 6 March 2007
  8. Lieutenant-General Sir Martin Garrod, Daily Telegraph
  9. Kent, Alexander. "And the band played on: 30 years after the Deal bombing". Expert Comment. Canterbury Christ Church University. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  10. Inscribed on the bandstand, p. 379, Williams & Head
  11. 1 2 P.379, Williams & Head
  12. "Concert recalls 11 killed by IRA". BBC News. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  13. Kent, Alexander. "And the band played on: 30 years after the Deal bombing". Expert Comment. Canterbury Christ Church University. Retrieved 15 May 2020.

Further reading