In my final briefings as Director of Operations (Northern Command), I advised once again,"open military warfare" and giving your enemy a chance to defend himself.
In 1983-5 I had ordered the importation of a flame-thrower from a friendly power for the classic 'German' infantry assault. That flame-thrower was imported from Libya.
During the high-point of the activities which came after my briefings,six soldiers were killed at Derryard,Roslea in an interchange of fire using "surprise tactics" and "superiority in weapons and men".
That was the initial report of casualties.
Later reports said two soldiers were killed.
The use of the flame-thrower indicates that their positions were overrun and that six soldiers were,in fact, killed.
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13.9.2023
The four soldiers who survived the exchange of fire,were freed by the IRA as the rules of war dictate. They were unharmed.
I though fanatical in my earlier involvement with the IRA,had counselled releasing some of our adversaries and letting some of those taken into custody by the Counter Intelligence Unit go.
Why so?
Because it was clear that everyone who the IRA got its hands on,was being killed or executed. Bradley who I briefed had to be put in fear of his life to stop him killing more innocent people. I told him that I had cleared his execution with Pat Doherty and would personally kill him for "bringing the IRA and myself into disrepute".
That is what comes of sending a Belfast cornerboy or a boy soldier to do a man's job as the IRA did in its formative years.
I had let three policemen go at Belcoo in August 1982 and was branded an "escapist" by Carron in November 1982 and a "security risk" by Michael Mc Manus and eventually ridiculed as "politically unreliable" by Mc Manus as he beat his retreat into retirement.
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