Announcement

Collapse

Contact details

Effective today, the contact details for the Northern Ireland Veterans' Association have changed to the following

The Secretary
57 Mortimer Street,
Derby.

DE24 8FX

Email: membership@nivets.org.uk
Web: www.nivets.org.uk
Mob: 07368 293729

NIVA Administration.
See more
See less

Gunner Robert "Geordie" Curtis

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Gunner Robert "Geordie" Curtis

    Gunner Robert Curtis of 156 (Inkerman) Battery, 94 Locating Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery.
    6 February 1971 New Lodge, Belfast.

    In the early hours, a troop from 156 Battery were deployed in anti riot formation across Lepper Street at the junction of New Lodge Road tasked with preventing a mob from attacking people at the interface with Tiger Bay. A nail bomb was thrown at the troop and in the aftermath of the blast, the crowd split allowing a gunman to fire a long burst of automatic fire from an SMG. The crowd then reformed allowing the gunman to escape. Gunner Curtis was hit and died almost instantly. Four other troop members were wounded, one seriously.
    This was the first officially recognised fatality that the army suffered as a direct result of terrorist action.

    R.I.P. Geordie.

    We Will Remember Them.
    You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.

  • #2
    As an after note to this, the terrorist thought to be responsible for this act was himself shot dead in a shootout with security forces in .....Curtis Street.
    You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.

    Comment


    • #3
      Always remembered.

      Comment


      • #4
        never forgotten
        wee mac

        Smallest man in NATO. ascendit stilla, numquam vastate duplici

        Comment


        • #5
          Lest We Forget

          Comment


          • #6
            once a Gunner allways a Gunner

            R.I.P

            Comment


            • #7
              Rest In Peace
              ​​

              Comment


              • #8
                The first of so many remembered today and for evermore.
                Alll the 444444444's the Pompadours !

                If at first you don't succeed give up and let some other mug do it .

                Comment


                • #9
                  His wife was pregnant at the time, wonder how the kid he never saw went on? The box formation used that day was last used in the indian mutiny and was never used in NI again. Heinz Pisarek had a lucky escape that day only to be killed on our next tour. rest in peace Geordie

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    On that night, Heinz Pisarek was carrying an A41 radio. During the shooting, he felt a heavy thump to his back but didn't pay it much attention. When the lads got back to HMS Maidstone, Heinz was taking off his kit when something fell onto the deck. It was a spent 9mm bullet. That heavy thump he felt was a bullet hitting him. It went through the battery of the A41, through his flak jacket and lodged in his web belt. Sadly, fate conspired against him and he was one of two lads tragically killed during the attack on Tango 2 OP at Rossville flats in the Bogside on 25 November 1973.
                    You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Germany 69 on 24hr standby for NI we where being taught box formation,as luck would have it we had a contingent of SAS billeted with us.After watching for a while their OC had a word with ours and the "box formation" was duly scrapped.
                      Attached Files
                      Be who you are and say what you feel...
                      Because those that matter, don't mind.
                      And those that mind, don't matter!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        RIP GUNNER,o7

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I remember well the night he was killed. It changed the 'game' completely in Belfast. We were at Flax Street, awaiting a POL replen when the news came through. The gloves were off after that night.
                          RIP mate.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            On this day of days, once again remembered.
                            You cannot fight a war with one hand tied behind your back.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              we will remember him.
                              wee mac

                              Smallest man in NATO. ascendit stilla, numquam vastate duplici

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X