Ballygawley Bus Bomb 20 August 1988

[Lynx7 Association Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lynx7]

On facebook yesterday reminded me where I was 26 years ago when members of the Light Infantry returned from R&R on a coach from Belfast International to their Barracks at Omagh. With the 655 Squadron QHI (Instructor) as pilot we relieved the previous days 24hr Omagh Lynx crew who had been called out to the bombing. RIP 8 soldiers of the Light Infantry.

August 20 XZ207 Ballykelly - Omagh Duties 3.2hrs Day.

655-SQN-AAC.jpg

[weemac Golden Greeter/Association Standard Bearer Find all posts View Profile Close weemac]

RIP

[Jock2413 Site Guardian Find all posts View Profile Close Jock2413]

I still feel very angry every time I think of this tragedy for the simple reason it could and should have been avoided. For years, this type of transportation was used for soldiers going and coming back from leave, R & R, deploying or leaving and it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
As far back as 1973, I had personal experience of a similar types of trips. And anyone who served in Londonderry did the same. Land at Aldergrove and board the coaches to Londonderry or Ballykinler or Omagh .... the list goes on. Yet every major base in NI had an airfield of sorts. The one at Ballykelly could handle large transport aircraft so why was that not used. A Chinook could carry more troops than a bus so why were they not used. I think the obvious answer was cost. Money meant more than lives.

[On1on Association Member Find all posts View Profile Close On1on]

I can't believe they never hit Aldergrove when major units flew in or out, I may be doing whoever guarded it a disservice but I always felt more vulnerable there than anywhere else with the whole Regiment being transported in one go more or less with a couple of Land Rovers as escort when we had neither flak jackets nor ammo, crazy.

[Lynx7 Association Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lynx7]

Not long after this incident, the 12th September 1988 to be exact, I flew into Belfast after R&R. Using the military phone I checked in with my Squadron to find out what were the transport arrangements to get me back to Ballykelly for a Lynx Duty at Omagh the next day, normally the duty driver. Not to worry I was told there will be plenty of room just go with the rest of the Infantry guys returning to BK. I walked outside to find an f**king bus! I went back inside and again phoned up the SQN to tell them I was not happy with the transport. I slept that night in the Ops Room at NI Regt AAC at Aldergrove despite being threatened with a charge. The next day 655 SQN sent a Lynx with my maps, load carrying, SLR, flying suit & helmet to pick me up for my duty at Omagh. The bus made it to BK OK and I didn't get charged for missing it, though some thought I should have been, I never got promoted for another 5 years either.

1988 September 13 Lynx XZ187 Omagh Duties 4.0hrs Day 1.0hrs Night NVG 1.5hrs Handling
1988 September 14 Lynx XZ187 Omagh Duties - Ballykelly 2.0hrs Day 0.6 Handling

Omagh Lynx Crew change over, with Gazelle departing for Aldergrove:

JB (108).jpg

[damoclese Association Member Find all posts View Profile Close damoclese]

I was stationed in Omagh with the LI at the time, first thing we knew about it was when a relative in Wales rang the house to ask the missus if I was ok. Following the incident they (the powers that be ) did start transporting everyone twixt Omagh / Aldergrove by Chinook hoverflopters. Trouble was that some of the heli jockeys seemed to relish seeing how many puking kids and wives they could produce per flight by flying like they had a radio controlled aeroplane under their control. But the real benefit was that the Chinook's downwash reduced any need to have area cleaning in the vicinity of the square. There was also a lot of complaints from the locals living very close to the barracks as the fly-boys were regularly blowing roof tiles of their houses. (LOL).
RIP boys

[Guest Close snoopdog]

I do believe those responsible for this , were disposed of at a later date.(In the best possible way)

[Jock2413 Site Guardian Find all posts View Profile Close Jock2413]

Yes. The Harte brothers and Mullin. Rot in hell scumbags.

[Guest Close dunmystint]

Yes. The Harte brothers and Mullin. Rot in hell scumbags.

Just read this................It is believed the IRA men were planning to attack an off-duty member of the UDR who seemed to be fixing a tyre on a coal lorry. As their car approached they were ambushed by undercover soliders. In total 236 shots were fired during the ambush, and an inquest held afterwards failed to determine who had opened fire first.

At the time, local people reported hearing several bursts of sustained gunfire and single shots and afterwards saw a number of men in civilian clothes being ushered into a waiting helicopter.
- See more at: http://ulsterherald.com/2013/08/30/s....f7YfNkYe.dpuf

Sounds like a job well done !

[Jock2413 Site Guardian Find all posts View Profile Close Jock2413]

One of the SAS lads stood in for the UDR man. They showed a re-enactment of it on TV. A classic case of the biter bit.

[spanner Association Member & WUSA Overseas rep aka Cathie Find all posts View Profile Close spanner]

RIP to those on the bus. '72 I was posted from Fort George so Dec saw me in civvies unarmed, boarding a green Bedford bus to go to Belfast to get the ferry, RCT driver in uniform not noticeably armed, no escort and no one else got on the bus. Sitting ducks or what.

[damoclese Association Member Find all posts View Profile Close damoclese]

Yes I remember the coalman incident well, he delivered to the MQs in Lisanelly and was always good for a chat about "locals". Following the "bump" he was allocated a quarter in the barracks but eventually left for the mainland I believe. His lorry was riddled with bullet holes when it was eventually brought back to Omagh for forensics and was soon whisked away out of sight to who knows where. Following his departure no more coalmen would come on to the barracks and the Families office had to get coal elsewhere and it was distributed from the garage next to mine (not free), until alternative arrangements were eventually made.