1972 Aldershot Bombing
Encyclopedia
The Aldershot bombing was a car bomb
attack by the Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA) on 22 February 1972 in Aldershot
, England
. The bomb targeted the headquarters of the British Army
's 16th Parachute Brigade and was claimed as a revenge attack for Bloody Sunday
. Seven civilian staff were killed and 18 people were wounded. It was the Official IRA's largest attack in Britain
during "the Troubles
" and one of its last major actions before it declared a ceasefire in May 1972.
The Northern Ireland riots of August 1969
marked the beginning of the conflict known as "The Troubles". To help restore order, the British Army
was deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland. In December 1969, the Irish Republican Army
split into two factions – the Official IRA and Provisional IRA
. Both factions then began military campaigns against the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary
.
On 30 January 1972, soldiers of the British Army's Parachute Regiment shot twenty-six civilians during a civil rights
march in Derry
. Thirteen people died. This incident became known as Bloody Sunday
.
A Ford Cortina
containing a 280lb time bomb
was left in the car park, deliberately positioned outside the officer's mess. The bomb exploded at 12:40 pm on 22 February, destroying the officer's mess and wrecking several nearby Army office buildings.
The soldiers who were the intended targets were not present, as the regiment itself was stationed abroad and most staff officers were in their offices rather than the mess. Nonetheless, seven civilian staff were killed – five female kitchen staff who were leaving the premises, an elderly gardener, and Father Gerard Weston
(a Catholic British Army chaplain). Nineteen people were also wounded by the explosion.
On 23 February, the Official IRA issued a statement claiming that it had carried out the attack in revenge for Bloody Sunday. It added: "Any civilian casualties would be very much regretted as our target was the officers responsible for the Derry outrages". The Official IRA also said that the bombing would be the first of many such attacks on the headquarters of British Army regiments serving in Northern Ireland.
and vowed that it would only launch attacks in self-defence. The Aldershot bombing was believed to have been one of the factors that led to this decision.
In November 1972, Noel Jenkinson was convicted for his part in the bombing and received a lengthy jail term, dying in prison of heart failure four years later.
The larger and more militant Provisional IRA continued its military campaign and also began to attack military and commercial targets in Britain. Its first attack in Britain took place on 8 March 1973, when it exploded car bombs in London
.
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
attack by the Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA) on 22 February 1972 in Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The bomb targeted the headquarters of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's 16th Parachute Brigade and was claimed as a revenge attack for Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
. Seven civilian staff were killed and 18 people were wounded. It was the Official IRA's largest attack in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
during "the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
" and one of its last major actions before it declared a ceasefire in May 1972.
Background
1969 Northern Ireland Riots
During 12–17 August 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intense political and sectarian rioting. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising from the civil rights campaign, which was demanding an end to government discrimination against Irish Catholics and nationalists...
marked the beginning of the conflict known as "The Troubles". To help restore order, the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
was deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland. In December 1969, the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919–1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
split into two factions – the Official IRA and Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
. Both factions then began military campaigns against the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
.
On 30 January 1972, soldiers of the British Army's Parachute Regiment shot twenty-six civilians during a civil rights
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
march in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. Thirteen people died. This incident became known as Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
.
The bombing
The target of the Official IRA bomb was the headquarters of the 16th Parachute Brigade, elements of which had been involved in the Bloody Sunday shootings.A Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
containing a 280lb time bomb
Time bomb
A time bomb is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use time bombs has been for various purposes ranging from insurance fraud to warfare to assassination; however, the most common use has been for politically-motivated terrorism.-Construction:The explosive charge is the main...
was left in the car park, deliberately positioned outside the officer's mess. The bomb exploded at 12:40 pm on 22 February, destroying the officer's mess and wrecking several nearby Army office buildings.
The soldiers who were the intended targets were not present, as the regiment itself was stationed abroad and most staff officers were in their offices rather than the mess. Nonetheless, seven civilian staff were killed – five female kitchen staff who were leaving the premises, an elderly gardener, and Father Gerard Weston
Gerard Weston
Father Gerard Edward Weston MBE was a Roman Catholic priest and military chaplain.Educated at St Mary's College, Crosby and Upholland, where he was ordained by Archbishop Heenan in 1960. He joined the British Army in 1966 as an army chaplain, serving in Germany, the Persian Gulf, Kenya and...
(a Catholic British Army chaplain). Nineteen people were also wounded by the explosion.
On 23 February, the Official IRA issued a statement claiming that it had carried out the attack in revenge for Bloody Sunday. It added: "Any civilian casualties would be very much regretted as our target was the officers responsible for the Derry outrages". The Official IRA also said that the bombing would be the first of many such attacks on the headquarters of British Army regiments serving in Northern Ireland.
Aftermath
As the bomb had killed only civilian staff, the Official IRA received harsh and widespread criticism. On 29 May 1972, the Official IRA's leadership called a ceasefireCeasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
and vowed that it would only launch attacks in self-defence. The Aldershot bombing was believed to have been one of the factors that led to this decision.
In November 1972, Noel Jenkinson was convicted for his part in the bombing and received a lengthy jail term, dying in prison of heart failure four years later.
The larger and more militant Provisional IRA continued its military campaign and also began to attack military and commercial targets in Britain. Its first attack in Britain took place on 8 March 1973, when it exploded car bombs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.