The Petrol Bomber
Jim Parker
During a tour of Belfast, my Section Second in Command was bust to Private and moved. His replacement was a Lance Corporal, who I'll call Bob. He came from another Company.
Quite soon after, my section was on vehicle patrol. A large battalion operation was in progress and we were in an area unknown to us. I was in the front passenger seat next to the RCT driver. The remainder of the blokes were in the back of the Pig.
We passed a cross roads and I spotted a crowd of people in the street to the left. Immediately after petrol bombs exploded near the Pig. I realised that I had seen the bomber, I ordered the drive to halt and jumped out of the cab and shouted for the section to follow me!
I sprinted back to the cross-roads and there in the middle of the road was a man with an unlit petrol bomb in his right hand ready to throw. Our Yellow Cards, (orders for opening fire) specifically allowed us legally to shoot and kill a person throwing a petrol bomb. I knelt down and aimed at the chest of the bomber. I also realised I was on my own. Where was my Section? I wanted a witness. I had no problems with shooting the bomber, but I wanted a witness.
There was a clanking as one of my blokes run up and I shouted for him to kneel beside me. "That bloke is the petrol bomber!" I shouted and nodded to the bomber.
However, between the bomber, and me there now stood a woman holding a baby. The bomber was walking backwards down the street, the woman holding out the baby as if offering it to me as a gift. She walked backward too. After what seamed like hours my section arrived and I started to advance down the street. The bomber had reached the next junction and fled out of sight. The woman nestling the baby stood in the middle of the road smiling.
Call sign 3 ordered me to another location, and wouldn't listen to my request to be allowed to destroy the petrol bombs clustered in doorways in that street.
Later I discovered Bob following SOPs of his Former Company would not allow anyone to leave the Pig without his helmet. (He was quite right). This resulted in what to me was the long delay in them following me. |
