71

·                                 I have just watched the film 71 about a young British soldier that gets left behind by his comrades after a botched patrol in Belfast. I read a few bad comments about the film on a Northern Ireland veteran’s web site on Facebook, from veterans who served there. Having served in Northern Ireland and Belfast myself I was keen to watch it. This is not a Hollywood Blockbuster type movie with money to burn on special effects and big name movie stars and in my opinion it was all the better for it. They only had one old Bedford Army truck and land rover and an APC, all used in the 70s. From what I saw of the uniform they were wearing it looked ok for the time. They used the same rifles I used over there the 7.62mm SLR, the only difference I noticed was that the rifle slings were kept on the rifle and not attached to the wrist as we used them in the 80s. When a soldier in the film was knocked unconscious by the mob, its was easily stolen by a young kid. Filming began on location in Blackburn, Lancashire in April 2013 and continued in Sheffield and Liverpool and for me this didn't spoil the effects, I mean they couldn't really make the movie on the streets of Belfast could they? I think the producers captured that feeling of impending violence and the sectarian friction between the communities. I sure if I had served in the early 70s I would be picking the film to pieces, but I didn't and on the whole I enjoyed the film and was never bored at any time, I was desperate to see what happened to the young soldier who Jack O’Connell played very well. Overall eight out of ten.

The Boston Bombings and its connection to Terrorism.

Like all right minded individuals I was appalled at the Boston marathon bombings. Here in the UK we have suffered for decades from Terrorism notably the IRA and now the scourge of the world Islamic Jihadists. Whilst watching the scenes on Sky news of the carnage , my mind went back to a time when cities like Boston with a large Irish American community would happily put their dollars in collection tins for NORAID, that money would go on to buy weapons and explosives to target men woman and children in England, notably 12  year old Tim Parry  who was murdered in Warrington as a result of the American funds for the IRA. The ironic thing was the 9/11 attacks on the world trade centre was a game changer for the IRA and the Americans perception of terrorism. I had a friend who went to New York shortly after the 9/11 attacks and was raising money with the Fire Brigade, he went into an Irish American pub and they were still handing around the plate to collect for the IRA and to help defeat the nasty English `redcoats`, when he was offered the plate, he asked the collector how he would feel if someone was collecting money for Al Qaeda and directly funding more attacks like 9/11? He got no answer but the silence said everything. Rest in peace all those killed by cowardly terrorists be they Muslim or Irish.

British Soldiers ‘shot amid security lapse’

Dissident republican terrorists exploited security lapses at an Army base in Northern Ireland to shoot dead two defenceless British soldiers, the trial of a man accused of the murders has heard. Three separate pieces of DNA evidence link defendant Brian Shivers, 47, to the car used in the attack that killed sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, and Patrick Azimkar, 21, and seriously injured four others outside Massereene barracks in Antrim four years ago, a prosecution lawyer told Belfast Crown Court. After grainy CCTV footage of the March 2009 shooting was shown to court, Terence Mooney QC said the likelihood of three genetic matches being found in the abandoned partially burnt-out vehicle - from matchsticks and a mobile phone - being a chance occurrence was “so unlikely that it may be discounted”. Opening the Crown case, Mr Mooney told judge Mr Justice Donnell Deeny that physically connecting Shivers, from Sperrin Mews, Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, to the attack car was enough to prove he was part of a well-planned plot to kill members of the security forces. The lawyer insisted knowledge that a potentially-deadly criminal act was to be committed was sufficient to prosecute him for the murders. He argued that the terrorists would not entrust a random, unwitting acquaintance with involvement with or destroying the attack car. “Such an important role would not be left to chance,” said Mr Mooney. The lawyer claimed evidence presented to the trial would demonstrate Shivers’ “willing involvement in the attack”. Shivers also faces six counts of attempted murder and one of possession of two firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life in relation to the attack, which was claimed by the Real IRA. Sappers Quinsey, from Birmingham, and Azimkar, from London, were shot as they collected pizza outside the gates of the barracks. The soldiers from 38 Engineer Regiment were just hours away from deploying to Afghanistan and already dressed in desert fatigues.Read more HERE   R.I.P.

Blue Labour condemn British Army as murderers

Hang Your Head In Shame Cameron.


The Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry