The Troubles (NI)

For the lads that served in NI, and for those that never made it home alive.
THE SONG IS SOLDIER BY HARVEY ANDREWS AND IS ABOUT Sergeant Michael G. Willetts.

25th May 1971:

Sergeant Michael G. Willetts, 27, 3 Para, On the evening of the 25th May 1971 a terrorist entered the reception hall of Springfield Road Police station in Belfast. He carried a suitcase from which a smoking fuse protruded, dumping the case on the floor he fled out-side, inside the room were a man a woman and two children and several police officers. One of the police officers raised the alarm then began organising
an evacuation of the hall through the reception office. Sgt Willetts was on duty in the inner hall, on hearing the alarm he sent an NCO to the first floor to warn those above and hastened himself to the door towards which the police officer was thrusting those in the reception hall and office. He held the door open while all passed safely through and then stood in the doorway shielding those taking cover.
In the next moment the bomb exploded with terrible force. Sgt Willetts was mortally wounded. His duty did not require him to enter the threatened area. All those people who were approaching the door from the far side agreed that if they had had to check to open the door, They would have perished. Sgt Willetts waited, placing his body as a screen to shelter them.
By this act of bravery, he risked and lost his life for those of the adults and children.
Sgt Michael Willetts was awarded the George Cross (Posthumous)

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• BRITISH
• SOLDIERS
• NORTHEN
• IRELAND
• WAR
• BOMBS
• IRA
• GUNS

[TheBritishWatcher]

Long live the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Thanks to all those who have fought to keep this country free and united.

[TreesofYew]

I think the breaking up of the Union has begun, do you think that Scotland Wales and NI are going to be happy to stay they way they are...No they are going to want to break away from England in the long run. Plaid has already said they want this and the SNP and we all know about NI....The majority of the Brits are apethetic about what is happening.

[qwimbers]

@MegaDeejay101 God bless you Sir from 32 reg 18 battery RA,2 batt NI 1993

[qwimbers]

Im half british half scottish and served in NI on two tours but im also Roman catholic. God bless the UK and our long past Lance corporal Wilson who was killed in a sanger on my tour in south Armagh, besbrook mill 93. Also god bless the two solders killed at Romeo 1.5 that was replaced by Romeo 1.6.

[raz260696]

true heros, makes me proud to call myself british

[MegaDeejay101]

give a shite what the irish think im ex brit army but am welsh

the brit army my friends included died to save both sides and were jeered by both when killed

[MegaDeejay101]

give a shite what the irish think im ex brit army but am welsh

[mwillis1000]

@jaysus3443

Go die in a hole faggot, nobody will care.

[CBSProductions2010]

One of those soldiers was my father, a bomb disposal expert killed by the IRA in 1972

[stephenjamesfitz]

@olivercreevy fuckin do it then

[TheStrawdogs1]

fuck all this fascist shite

stiff little fingers for ever

equal rights and justice for one and all

[woodyuk61]

@Katie1988G He knows you are Katie he knows....