Rubber Bullet/Nominal Roll
It was nearly over. Almost 4 months had past since we had arrived. It was all nearly over. The guards, the patrols, the escorts, the fights and squabbles that come with 4 months of living in each others sleeping bags practically. Yes it was nearly over.
I had spent a couple of days getting the company nominal roll in order for Tac HQ so that flights could be allocated to all the company. Very important I did not miss anyone off the nominal roll. It had to be checked and rechecked and typed up again if wrong. There was none of your computers in those days. It was always three copies and if they were wrong you could just not cut and paste or delete with the simple click of a key. It all had to be done again. Finally it was complete and nobody was left off. I had checked it a million times with the CSM.
We set off for TAC HQ in Hastings Street. Me, my escort who were the OC's Crew, an RCT Driver and the nominal roll. All tucked up together in a lovely safe and solid Pig.
We left the Distillery and drove up Grosvenor Road and turned right at the main junction onto the Falls Road. We had to use a pig as no soft skinned vehicles were allowed down the Falls Road. The falls Road was prime sniper territory.
The Falls that day had that "Theres something not quite right" feel about it. Lots of yobs standing on corners. We could see them as soon as we turned into it. Bob, who was normally OC's Driver was sitting next to me on the vehicle at the rear door. As soon as we turned into the Falls Road and saw the yobs he closed the back door of the pig and opened the window in the back door, A wise decision as it turned out.
As we drove along the Falls and came up to a junction opposite Lesson Street a crowd of youths moved into the main street which slowed the pig down. At this point everyone had their weapons at the ready, even the nominal roll had been discarded to the floor of the vehicle. Suddenly a youth of about 18 years of age ran from one of the side streets and launched himself at the back of the pig. He managed to grab the top and hang onto the back of the vehicle. He was looking directly into the back of it through the port hole on the back door and he was grinning.
I then witnessed a very cool and unhurried action on the part of Bob. He calmly uttered a few words, which I can not remember now, but something like "Oh no you don't" he did not swear as I and others would have done. He then unslung his baton gun, poked it through the porthole and shot the yob straight in the face................
The yob screamed and dropped onto the road, someone shouted for the driver to "get the"F**k out of it" and away we sped around the corner on our way to TAC HQ.
Bob sat back down and said "F**k did you see that. Right in the face". Brill we all agreed to a man.
OC'sCrew
Des - Middle left, Eddie - Front Centre and Bob Davis Top right -
Me Middle Right and Ray Downing Top left out for the ride |
I understood Bobs attitude that day. A few weeks earlier, in practically the same spot we had been out with the OC to visit the spot were one of our lads had been shot in the thigh and almost died. Bob was driving a landrover without a door and as we passed a junction I think Leeson Street someone had thrown a half house brick which had caught Bob on the side of the head. He brought the Landrover to a halt, and he was visibly dazed. The OC ordered everyone out and to take cover and he told me to get Bob out and into cover, which I did by dragging him out of the drivers seat and behind the vehicle to give him time to recover. When backup arrived the scene at the junction was getting a bit hairy. A yob was was snatched and the OC told me to arrest him..........big mistake, I ended up having to go to court in Belfast as a witness for him to get a £10 fine............. |
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