I did two tours in Northern Ireland during the early 1970's when things were really hairy. On my first tour in 1971/72 our Battery came under attack by bomb, bullet or riots on more than 400 occasions in a four month period. We also had the distinction to be the first unit to dare enter the Rossnareen estate on foot patrol.
At the end of that tour it was said by a serving army officer that our unit had come under the longest sustained period of attack that any unit in the British army had witnessed since the end of WW11. I know it sounds like bullsh**t. But I had the misfortune to be there at the time, so I for one would not argue with the sentiment expressed by the officer.
I kept detailed diaries of both my tours in a couple of large notebooks. I wrote these up into a book back in 2008. They are due to be published early next year by ' Helion Publications.' The title is... 'Belfast Diaries, The writings of a Gunner in Northern Ireland.'
I know there are other books out there on the troubles. But to the best of my knowledge this is the ONLY book that gives a detailed day by day account of a tour of duty in the province. Very few people have any idea of how bad it really was over there - except those of us who served there. And by and large our war has been forgotten, just like us!
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