|
| |
| 1st
Bn Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment |
| 'C' Coys
Deployment to Londonderry in Support of 1st Bn Queens Regiment |
Once given the order to prepare the Company was reinforced by the 'Drums' and
the next few days were busily spent preparing to go to Londonderry. The 'Riot
Box' Formation was practiced on the square, and items such as flak jackets
appeared as by magic. Great emphasis was placed on turnout and we must
have painted steel helmets three or four times before they reached the required
standards by the C.S.M. After the preparation the Company were briefed by the
Commanding Officer Lt Col GIBSON in Alma Barracks, and then made their way to
Londonderry for an open ended posting. It was August 1969 and one of the more
experienced soldiers in the Company said 'It will be done and dusted by Christmas' I
wonder where we heard that before.
|
 |
| Lt
Col GIBSON addresses 'C' Company in Alma Barracks just prior to their
departure to Ulster |
| ONTO
THE STREETS OF LONDONDERRY |
|
 |
On arrival 'C' Company, 1st Bn Duke of Edinburgh's
Royal Regiment were thrown straight in at the deep end joining the 1st Bn
Queens Regiment as reinforcements. The area of operations is shown below, the
Company in common with remainder of the contingent in Ulster were on a massive
learning curve operating in an area that was to become familiar to many of the following generations of
'Farmersboys'
The Artwork shown on the left depicts an image of
what a soldier of the
Queens/DERR in Northern Ireland in August 1969 would have looked like.
|
| "Artwork by
Mike CHAPPELL from the book Elite series 44 Security Forces in Northern
Ireland 1969 -92 © Osprey Publishing Ltd" |
| 1st
Bn Queens Regiment (C Coy 1st DERR) Area of Operations, Londonderry 1969 |
|
 |
| LEGEND |
| 1. Magazine Gate |
15. Rosemount R.U.C.
Station |
| 2.Guildhall |
16. Factory |
| 3. Ferry Quay Gate |
17. Celtic Park |
| 4. New Gate |
18. St Columbs Cathedral |
| 5.Bishops gate |
19. The Diamond |
| 6.Butchers Gate |
20. Rossville flats |
| 7.Castle gate |
21. Maisonettes |
| 8.Ship Quay Gate |
22. Creggan Road |
| 9.Victoria R.U.C. Station |
23. Blighs Lane |
| 10. Presbyterian Church |
24. Park |
| 11.St Eugenes Cathedral |
25. St James Street |
| 12. Hospital |
26. Little James Street |
| 13. C of I Church |
27. Brooke Park |
| 14. Hospital |
28 William Street |
| 'The
Accommodation' in those early days |
 |
 |
| 11
Platoon, C Coy in Society street Londonderry being served tea by a local
lad |
Pte
WELSH, 11 Plt C Coy, being served with his tea in bed "I thought this
only happened at christmas" |
|
 |
| A picture printed in an Irish newspaper with the following
write-up............ "Tired British troops in Ulster just want peace
and quiet when they finish patrol. But that's just what they don't get in
one billet in Londonderry, not when bugler Keith lovegrove is about. Keith
of Fernham Berks is a Bugler with the first Battalion Duke of Edinburgh's
Royal Regiment. Yesterday he got in a spot of practice in his sleeping
bag. " I keep it low and the lads don't seem to mind to much" he
said One of his pals L/Cpl Dave FIELDING,
26 from Wiltshire said ". He's not to bad, at the barracks there's at
lot more of them, who play a lot louder". An Army officer said
"The Bugles are taken on patrols and used to draw the attention of
the crowd when we want to tell them to disperse" NOTE,
At that time there was a bugler with each Platoon who operated within the Riot
Box formation, the practice died out quite quickly. The publicity
photograph reproduced above looks very nice but the reality is if Bugler
LOVEGROVE played his bugle in the manner described, he would have very
quickly become 'The Late Bugler LOVEGROVE' |
The next four months was a combination of boredom and excitement, with a
system of nine days out on the street with three days rest and preparation. The
following images will reflect the tour and hopefully bring back memories to the
lads of 'C' Company.
| 'Charlie'
Company Headquarters, Londonderry 1969 |
|
 |
| Maj
Hugh CANNING (Right) C.S.M. Steve PARSONS and Coy Signaller in Company
H.Q. The diamond, Londonderry, 1969 |
| THE
'DIAMOND' PATROL, 1969 |
|
 |
| On
patrol in the Diamond, men of the Duke of Edinburghs Royal Regiment are
not carrying firearms and are used solely for riot control (From left) Pte
Alan HISCOCK, Cpl Brian PAVEY, Pte John BUSHELL, Pte Joseph THOMAS |
| SHADES
OF 'BOBBIE' at MAIWAND |
|
 |
| L/Cpl
Dave COLE from Wiltshire with the Company mascot 'Tiger' or 'Pullthrough'
depending on which platoon was looking after him. |
| THE
ARTIST |
|
 |
Whilst the Company were attached to the 1st Bn Queens
Regiment they were sketched in Several locations around the city. The
Artist was Tony MATTHEWS who had spent five years at Leicester collage of
art. Some of the illustrations shown below have been produced elsewhere,
and incorrectly labeled. The author of this page has direct knowledge
relating to the authenticity of these sketches as far as they relate to
'C' Coy |
 |
Little James Street, Londonderry 1969 |
|
 |
9 Platoon, 'C' Company 1st Bn D.E.R.R, Headquarters,
Londonderry 1969 |
|
 |
'C' Company Soldiers sketched in the Diamond 1969.
(The shoulder title clearly displayed) |
|
 |
'C' Company Soldiers in Magazine Street, Londonderry
1969.
(Author present at the time of sketching) |
|
