| THE
EXPLOSION AT SANDES SOLDIERS HOME, BALLYKINLER |
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huge explosion rocked the camp. In the main barracks windows blew out, and
the walls shuddered with the shock wave. Outside the main gate to the camp
a thick greasy cloud of grey and black smoke pillared skywards from what
had been the Sandes home building, but which had become in a matter
of seconds a shell of torn corrugated iron and burning timber, rapidly
reducing to a pile of ashes as an inferno of flame raged at its centre. A
large bomb concealed in the delivery van parked on the opposite side of
the road from Sandes home had exploded without warning causing the
building to catch fire and collapse. It was completely gutted within
minutes Tragically two young soldiers died in the explosion, L/Cpl A
COUGHLAN and Pte M SWANICK. Thirty three others, mainly soldiers of the
Battalion but including two civilians were injured in the attack
COLD
WAR WARRIORS |
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| The
immediate aftermath of the explosion |
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| Tending
the wounded |
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| The
fire takes hold |
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| Casavac
the wounded |
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| The
remains of the building |
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| The
shell of Sandes |
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| photographic
Gallery
(Click to enlarge) |
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| The
shell of Sandy's as shown in the press the following day |
A
press photo showing local firemen |
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| DERR
Soldiers liaise with the local fire brigade (Believed Rod HICKS centre) |
A
newspaper report from an English newspaper the following day |
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The rebuilt 'Sandy's' the memorial plaque
visible to the front |
The Memorial stone dedicated two the two
'Farmersboys' |
| ttttttt |
hhhhhhh |
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| 12
Years later when the 1st Battalion were on another tour of Northern
Ireland at Aldergrove a memorial stone dedicated to the memory of L/Cpl
Alan COUGHLAN and Pte Michael SWANICK was unveiled. The Commanding officer
and R.S.M. lead a party of soldiers from the Battalion, many of whom knew
the soldiers who had been killed.. Mr (Ex Pte) ROLLS one of those injured
in the blast was present. The plinth stands just outside the new Sandes
home, built on the site of the old one |
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- Memorial Site
- The Memorial site at Sandies visited by
Ex members of the 1st Battalion Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment
in 2001. Present were Ron SUTTON and Roger ROLLS both of whom were
injured in the Bombing.
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'LEST WE FORGET'
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