John Bingham (loyalist)
Encyclopedia
John Dowey Bingham was a prominent Northern Irish loyalist
who led "D Company" (Ballysillan), 1st Battalion, Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). He was shot dead by the Provisional IRA
after they had broken into his home. Bingham was one of three prominent UVF members to have been killed in the 1980s, the other two being Lenny Murphy
and William "Frenchie" Marchant
in 1982 and 1987 respectively.
, and also owned a holiday caravan home in Millisle
, County Down
.
He was a member of the "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge of the Orange Order. On an unknown date, he joined the loyalist paramilitary organisation, the UVF, and eventually became the commander of its "D Company", 1st Battalion, Ballysillan
., with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was the mastermind behind a productive gun-running operation from Canada, which over the years had involved the smuggling of illegal weapons into Northern Ireland to supply UVF arsenals; however, three months after Bingham's death, the entire operation collapsed following a raid on a house in Toronto
by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
in December 1986.
Bingham was one of the loyalist paramilitaries named in the evidence given by supergrass
Joe Bennett, who accused him of being a UVF commander As a result, Bingham was sentenced to 20 years inmprisonment having been charged and convicted of committing serious crimes. He publicly denounced the supergrass system before live television cameras outside Belfast's Crumlin Road Courthouse
when he was released in December 1984 after his conviction had been overturned, having spent two and a half years in prison.
On one occasion, Bingham allegedly placed a loaded pistol inside journalist Martin Dillon
's mouth because he had not liked what Dillon had written about him. In an attempt to make amends for his threat, Bingham invited Dillon to visit him at his home in North Belfast. Dillon accepted the invitation and after several whiskeys and brandishing a pistol, Bingham offered to show him his racing pigeons as he was an avid pigeon fancier. He then told Dillon that he shouldn't believe what people said about him claiming that he couldn't harm a pigeon. As they said farewell at the front door, Bingham reportedly murmured in a cold voice to Dillon: "You ever write about me again and I'll blow yer fuckin' brains out, because you're not a pigeon".
, armed with two automatic rifles and a .38 Special, smashed down his front door with a sledgehammer and shot Bingham twice in the legs. Despite his injuries, Bingham ran up the stairs in an attempt to escape his attackers and had just reached a secret door at the top when the gunmen shot him three more times, killing him. He was 33 years old. He was given a UVF paramilitary funeral, which was attended by politicians from the two main unionist
parties, the Ulster Unionist Party
and the Democratic Unionist Party
. Members of the his "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge formed the guard of honor
, around his coffin which was covered with the UVF flag, and his gloves and beret.
In retaliation, the UVF killed Larry Marley, a leading IRA member from Ardoyne
who was also a close friend of Sinn Féin
president Gerry Adams
. The IRA in their turn gunned down William "Frenchie" Marchant
the following spring in the Shankill Road. The deaths of three leading UVF members caused suspicion amongst the UVF leadership that someone within their ranks was setting up high-ranking UVF men by passing on pertinent information to the IRA; therefore they decided to conduct an enquiry. Although it was revealed that the three men: Shankill Butcher
Lenny Murphy, Bingham, and Marchant had all quarrelled with powerful UDA fund-raiser and racketeer James Pratt Craig
prior to their deaths, the UVF did not believe the evidence was sufficient to warrant an attack against Craig, who ran a large protection racket in Belfast. Craig was later shot to death in an East Belfast pub by the UDA (using their cover name "Ulster Freedom Fighters") for "treason", claiming he had been involved in the assassination of South Belfast UDA brigadier John McMichael
, who was blown up by a booby-trap car bomb planted by the IRA outside his Lisburn
home in December 1987.
In Ballysillan Road, there is a memorial plaque dedicated to the memory of Bingham. His name is also on the banner of the "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge.
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
who led "D Company" (Ballysillan), 1st Battalion, Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). He was shot dead by the 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...
after they had broken into his home. Bingham was one of three prominent UVF members to have been killed in the 1980s, the other two being Lenny Murphy
Lenny Murphy
Hugh Leonard Thompson Murphy, who commonly went by the name Lenny , was an Ulster loyalist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Murphy was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and leader of the infamous Shankill Butchers a gang which became notorious for its torture and murder of Catholic men...
and William "Frenchie" Marchant
William Marchant (loyalist)
William "Frenchie" Marchant was a Northern Irish loyalist and a middle-ranking volunteer in the Ulster Volunteer Force . He was on a Garda list of suspects in the 1974 Dublin car bombings which left a total of 26 people dead, and close to 300 injured...
in 1982 and 1987 respectively.
Ulster Volunteer Force
John Bingham was born in Northern Ireland in about 1953 and was brought up in a Protestant family. Described as a shopkeeper, he was married with two children. He lived in Ballysillan Cresent, in the loyalist estate of Ballysillan in North BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, and also owned a holiday caravan home in Millisle
Millisle
Millisle or Mill Isle is a village on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Ballymacruise, about south of Donaghadee. It had a population of 1,800 in the 2001 Census...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
.
He was a member of the "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge of the Orange Order. On an unknown date, he joined the loyalist paramilitary organisation, the UVF, and eventually became the commander of its "D Company", 1st Battalion, Ballysillan
., with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was the mastermind behind a productive gun-running operation from Canada, which over the years had involved the smuggling of illegal weapons into Northern Ireland to supply UVF arsenals; however, three months after Bingham's death, the entire operation collapsed following a raid on a house in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
in December 1986.
Bingham was one of the loyalist paramilitaries named in the evidence given by supergrass
Supergrass (informer)
Supergrass is a slang term for an informer, which originated in London. Informers had been referred to as "grasses" since the late-1930s, and the "super" prefix was coined by journalists in the early 1970s to describe those informers from the city's underworld who testified against former...
Joe Bennett, who accused him of being a UVF commander As a result, Bingham was sentenced to 20 years inmprisonment having been charged and convicted of committing serious crimes. He publicly denounced the supergrass system before live television cameras outside Belfast's Crumlin Road Courthouse
Crumlin Road Courthouse
The Crumlin Road Courthouse was designed by the architect Charles Lanyon and completed in 1850. It is situated across the road from the Crumlin Road Gaol and the two are linked by an underground passage....
when he was released in December 1984 after his conviction had been overturned, having spent two and a half years in prison.
On one occasion, Bingham allegedly placed a loaded pistol inside journalist Martin Dillon
Martin Dillon
Martin Dillon is an author and journalist from Northern Ireland. He worked for eighteen years at the BBC and has written a number of plays and novels, but he is best known for his non-fiction books about the Troubles....
's mouth because he had not liked what Dillon had written about him. In an attempt to make amends for his threat, Bingham invited Dillon to visit him at his home in North Belfast. Dillon accepted the invitation and after several whiskeys and brandishing a pistol, Bingham offered to show him his racing pigeons as he was an avid pigeon fancier. He then told Dillon that he shouldn't believe what people said about him claiming that he couldn't harm a pigeon. As they said farewell at the front door, Bingham reportedly murmured in a cold voice to Dillon: "You ever write about me again and I'll blow yer fuckin' brains out, because you're not a pigeon".
Killing
In July 1986, a 25 year-old Catholic man, Colm McCallan, was shot close to his Ligoneil home. Two days later, he died of his wounds and the IRA sought to avenge his death by killing Bingham, the man they held responsible for the shooting. He was also believed to have been behind the deaths of several other Catholic civilians. At 1.30 a.m. on 14 September 1986, Bingham had just returned to Ballysillan Crescent from his caravan home in Millisle. Three gunmen from the IRA's Ardoyne 3rd Battalion Belfast BrigadeBelfast Brigade
"Belfast Brigade" is an Irish folk song, to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic".-Context:The song is about the Belfast Brigade of the Irish Republican Army , and in particular the 1st, or West Belfast battalion, during the Irish War of Independence in the 1920s...
, armed with two automatic rifles and a .38 Special, smashed down his front door with a sledgehammer and shot Bingham twice in the legs. Despite his injuries, Bingham ran up the stairs in an attempt to escape his attackers and had just reached a secret door at the top when the gunmen shot him three more times, killing him. He was 33 years old. He was given a UVF paramilitary funeral, which was attended by politicians from the two main unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
parties, the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
and the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
. Members of the his "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge formed the guard of honor
Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Gould Cozzens published in 1948. The novel is set during World War II, with most of the action occurring on or near a fictional Army Air Forces base in central Florida. The action occurs over a period of approximately 48 hours...
, around his coffin which was covered with the UVF flag, and his gloves and beret.
In retaliation, the UVF killed Larry Marley, a leading IRA member from Ardoyne
Ardoyne
Ardoyne is an Irish nationalist, working class and mainly Catholic district in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. It gained notoriety due to the large number of incidents during "The Troubles". It is home to approximately 20,000 inhabitants...
who was also a close friend of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
president Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
. The IRA in their turn gunned down William "Frenchie" Marchant
William Marchant (loyalist)
William "Frenchie" Marchant was a Northern Irish loyalist and a middle-ranking volunteer in the Ulster Volunteer Force . He was on a Garda list of suspects in the 1974 Dublin car bombings which left a total of 26 people dead, and close to 300 injured...
the following spring in the Shankill Road. The deaths of three leading UVF members caused suspicion amongst the UVF leadership that someone within their ranks was setting up high-ranking UVF men by passing on pertinent information to the IRA; therefore they decided to conduct an enquiry. Although it was revealed that the three men: Shankill Butcher
Shankill Butchers
The Shankill Butchers is the name given to an Ulster loyalist gang, many of whom were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force . The gang conducted paramilitary activities during the 1970s in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was most notorious for its late-night kidnapping, torture and murder of random...
Lenny Murphy, Bingham, and Marchant had all quarrelled with powerful UDA fund-raiser and racketeer James Pratt Craig
James Craig (loyalist)
James Pratt "Jim" Craig was a Northern Irish loyalist, who served as a fund-raiser for the Ulster Defence Association and sat on its Inner Council. He also ran a large protection racket from west Belfast's Shankill Road area, where he lived...
prior to their deaths, the UVF did not believe the evidence was sufficient to warrant an attack against Craig, who ran a large protection racket in Belfast. Craig was later shot to death in an East Belfast pub by the UDA (using their cover name "Ulster Freedom Fighters") for "treason", claiming he had been involved in the assassination of South Belfast UDA brigadier John McMichael
John McMichael
John "Big John" McMichael was a leading Northern Irish loyalist who rose to become the most prominent figure within the Ulster Defence Association as the Deputy Commander and leader of its South Belfast Brigade. He was also commander of the organisation's cover name, the "Ulster Freedom Fighters"...
, who was blown up by a booby-trap car bomb planted by the IRA outside his Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
home in December 1987.
In Ballysillan Road, there is a memorial plaque dedicated to the memory of Bingham. His name is also on the banner of the "Old Boyne Island Heroes" Lodge.