Tweet
Someone kick me (hard) for forgetting to post these names at the appropriate time ...... I do so now to keep their memories alive.
8th October 1977
Pte. Margaret A. Hearst - aged 24
2 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Shot by the IRA when they burst into her mobile home that was in her parents garden near Middletown. Her mother and brothers were held at gunpointwhile the killers waited for her. Her 3 year old daughter was in the next room when the shooting took placeand a bullet went through the toy she had been cuddling. Her father was later murdered by the IRA in 1980.
6th October 1978
Capt. Charles Henning - aged 51
2 UDR (Part Time) B Coy
Shot by the IRA as he drove his lorry out of a livestock mart in Newry. He was married and was off duty at the time of his murder.
10th October 1980
Pte. James H. Hewitt - aged 47
2 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Killed when an IRA booby trap exploded under his car at a stock yard. His two sons were the first on the scene. He was married with two children and off duty at the time of his murder.
7th October 1982
L/Cpl Freddie A. Williamson
2 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Murdered by the INLA as he drove to work. He was not hit by bullets, but was involved in a head-on collision with another car driven by a female Prison Officer (Elizabeth Chambers). His brother, who was RUC was killed by an IRA booby trap explosion in 1993. L/Cpl Williamson was married with three children and off duty at the time of his death.
Footnote: I new Liz Chambers very well, and I'm pleased to say that her name was added to the War Memorial in her home village of Broughshane just outside our town a few years ago.
10th October 1972
C/Sgt John Ruddy - aged 50
3 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Shot by the IRA as he left home to walk to his office in Newry. His wife witnessed his murder. He was married with nine children and was off duty at the time of his murder.
15th October 1979
Cpl Herbie G. Kernaghan - aged 36
4 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Shot by the IRA as he made his daily morning delivery run to the local Primary School. His wife gave birth to their third child two weeks after his murder. He was married with two children and off duty at the time of his murder.
6th October 1986
Pte Martin A.J. Blaney - aged 27
8 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Ambushed and shot by the IRA as he drove home to Eglish. The IRA hi-jacked a car and held the family for six hours. They then forced their way into a neighbour of Martin's and where they held a woman and her Widowed mother at gunpoint. Martin was single and off duty at the time of his murder.
16th October 1973
Pte Thomas Forsythe
9 UDR (Part Time) D Coy
Killed in a tragic shooting incident while on duty.
** Pte Forsythe was actually murdered by a Soldier from an English based Regiment.
14th October 1972
Pte Terence Maguire - aged 23
10 UDR (Part Time)
He said goodnight to his girlfriend in Belfast. His body was later found in an alleyway, shot in the head. He was single and off duty at the time of his murder.
3rd October 1973
Mr. Ivan Vennard - aged32
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA while carrying out his postal deliveries. at Kilwilkie, Lurgan, Co. Armagh. Mr. Vennard had previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment, but had left the Regiment.
5th October 1979
Mr. George Hawthorne - aged 37
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA as he drove his car into a car park in Newry. Mr. Hawthorne had previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment, but had left the Regiment.
5th October 1981
Mr. Hector Hall - aged 22
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA outside Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.
1st October 1982
Mr. John Eagleson
Ex UDR
He left the Ulster Defence Regiment to join the RUC Reserve, and was murdered by an IRA gunman as he rode his motorbike to work.
5th October 1982
Mr. Charles Crothers - aged 54
Ex UDR
He had left the Ulster Defence Regiment and was working as a security guard with Western HQ of the Water Service at Altnagelvin in Londonderry when he was shot by the IRA. He was married with four children at the time of his murder.
8th October 1984
Mr. Melvin Simpson - aged 40
Ex UDR
He had left the Ulster Defence Regiment and was working at a building site in Ann Street, Dungannon, when he was murdered by the IRA.
Lest We Forget
8th October 1977
Pte. Margaret A. Hearst - aged 24
2 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Shot by the IRA when they burst into her mobile home that was in her parents garden near Middletown. Her mother and brothers were held at gunpointwhile the killers waited for her. Her 3 year old daughter was in the next room when the shooting took placeand a bullet went through the toy she had been cuddling. Her father was later murdered by the IRA in 1980.
6th October 1978
Capt. Charles Henning - aged 51
2 UDR (Part Time) B Coy
Shot by the IRA as he drove his lorry out of a livestock mart in Newry. He was married and was off duty at the time of his murder.
10th October 1980
Pte. James H. Hewitt - aged 47
2 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Killed when an IRA booby trap exploded under his car at a stock yard. His two sons were the first on the scene. He was married with two children and off duty at the time of his murder.
7th October 1982
L/Cpl Freddie A. Williamson
2 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Murdered by the INLA as he drove to work. He was not hit by bullets, but was involved in a head-on collision with another car driven by a female Prison Officer (Elizabeth Chambers). His brother, who was RUC was killed by an IRA booby trap explosion in 1993. L/Cpl Williamson was married with three children and off duty at the time of his death.
Footnote: I new Liz Chambers very well, and I'm pleased to say that her name was added to the War Memorial in her home village of Broughshane just outside our town a few years ago.
10th October 1972
C/Sgt John Ruddy - aged 50
3 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Shot by the IRA as he left home to walk to his office in Newry. His wife witnessed his murder. He was married with nine children and was off duty at the time of his murder.
15th October 1979
Cpl Herbie G. Kernaghan - aged 36
4 UDR (Part Time) C Coy
Shot by the IRA as he made his daily morning delivery run to the local Primary School. His wife gave birth to their third child two weeks after his murder. He was married with two children and off duty at the time of his murder.
6th October 1986
Pte Martin A.J. Blaney - aged 27
8 UDR (Part Time) A Coy
Ambushed and shot by the IRA as he drove home to Eglish. The IRA hi-jacked a car and held the family for six hours. They then forced their way into a neighbour of Martin's and where they held a woman and her Widowed mother at gunpoint. Martin was single and off duty at the time of his murder.
16th October 1973
Pte Thomas Forsythe
9 UDR (Part Time) D Coy
Killed in a tragic shooting incident while on duty.
** Pte Forsythe was actually murdered by a Soldier from an English based Regiment.
14th October 1972
Pte Terence Maguire - aged 23
10 UDR (Part Time)
He said goodnight to his girlfriend in Belfast. His body was later found in an alleyway, shot in the head. He was single and off duty at the time of his murder.
3rd October 1973
Mr. Ivan Vennard - aged32
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA while carrying out his postal deliveries. at Kilwilkie, Lurgan, Co. Armagh. Mr. Vennard had previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment, but had left the Regiment.
5th October 1979
Mr. George Hawthorne - aged 37
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA as he drove his car into a car park in Newry. Mr. Hawthorne had previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment, but had left the Regiment.
5th October 1981
Mr. Hector Hall - aged 22
Ex UDR
Shot dead by the IRA outside Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.
1st October 1982
Mr. John Eagleson
Ex UDR
He left the Ulster Defence Regiment to join the RUC Reserve, and was murdered by an IRA gunman as he rode his motorbike to work.
5th October 1982
Mr. Charles Crothers - aged 54
Ex UDR
He had left the Ulster Defence Regiment and was working as a security guard with Western HQ of the Water Service at Altnagelvin in Londonderry when he was shot by the IRA. He was married with four children at the time of his murder.
8th October 1984
Mr. Melvin Simpson - aged 40
Ex UDR
He had left the Ulster Defence Regiment and was working at a building site in Ann Street, Dungannon, when he was murdered by the IRA.
Lest We Forget
Comment