The Deal barracks bombing was an attack by the
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
(IRA) on the
Royal Marine Depot, Deal, England. It took place at 8:22 am on 22 September 1989, when the IRA exploded a
time bomb
A time bomb (or a timebomb, time-bomb) is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use (or attempted use) of time bombs has been for various purposes including insurance fraud, terrorism, assassination, sabotage and warfare. They ar ...
at the Royal Marines School of Music building. The building collapsed, killing 11 marines from the
Royal Marines Band Service
The Royal Marines Band Service is the musical wing of the Royal Navy and an independent element of the Royal Marines. It currently consists of five bands plus a training wing – the Royal Marines School of Music at HMS ''Nelson'' – and its ...
and wounding another 21.
Background
The Royal Marines School of Music is a professional training centre for musicians of the Royal Marines Band Service, the musical arm of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
. Originally created at
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
in 1930, it moved to Deal in 1950 and in 1989 was still there as part of the
Royal Marine Depot, Deal.
[royalnavy.mod.uk, 'Royal Marines School of Music'](_blank)
, retrieved 6 March 2007 Throughout the 1980s, the IRA had been waging a paramilitary campaign against targets in Britain and Northern Ireland with the stated aim of achieving the separation of
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
from the rest of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
These operations had included an
attempt to kill
''Attempt to Kill'' is a 1961 British film. It was a rare feature directed by Royston Morley, and based on a story by Edgar Wallace, ''The Lone House Mystery''. It was one of a series of ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'', British second-features, produ ...
the British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
in 1984 and a
similar attack on a military band in London in 1982.
Explosion
At 8:22am on 22 September 1989, a time bomb detonated in the recreational centre changing room at the Royal Marines School of Music.
CAIN
Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He wa ...
incorrectly states that the bomb was placed in the concert hall at the base
CAIN database, Chronology of the Conflict – 1989
retrieved on 6 March 2007 The blast destroyed the recreational centre, levelled the three-storey accommodation building next to it and caused extensive damage to the rest of the base and nearby civilian homes.
[P.376, Williams & Head] The blast was heard several kilometres away, shaking windows in the centre of Deal, and created a large pall of smoke over the town.
Most of the personnel who used the building as a barracks had already risen and were practising marching on the parade ground when the blast occurred. These marines witnessed the buildings collapse, and many of the teenaged personnel were in a state of shock for days afterwards.
[P.377, Williams & Head]
Some marines had remained behind in the building, and thus received the full force of the explosion. Many were trapped in the rubble for hours and military heavy lifting equipment was needed to clear much of it.
Kent Ambulance Service voluntarily agreed to end its industrial strike action to aid those wounded by the blast. Ten marines died at the scene with most trapped in the collapsed building, although one body was later found on the roof of a nearby house.
Another 21 were seriously injured and received treatment at hospitals in Dover, Deal and
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
. One of these men, 21-year-old Christopher Nolan, died of his injuries on 18 October 1989. Three of those killed were buried nearby at the
Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal
Hamilton Road Cemetery is a combined municipal and military burial ground situated in the coastal town of Deal, Kent, in South East England. Opened in May 1856, it was created to provide a new burial ground for Deal at a time when its general pop ...
.
Reactions
![Royal Marines in Concert at Deal Bandstand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Royal_Marines_in_Concert_at_Deal_Bandstand.jpg)
The IRA claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was a continuation of their campaign to rid
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
of all British troops who had been deployed there since 1969.
Many British people were shocked at the attack, carried out on a ceremonial military band whose military training was mostly geared towards saving lives.
[BBC On This Day, '1989 Remembering the Deal bombing'](_blank)
retrieved 6 March 2007 The public were also shocked by the ages of those killed, as many were new recruits to the School and most of those injured were teenagers.
[P.374, Williams & Head]
The
British Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
also condemned the IRA's attack. Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
made a statement from
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, where she was on an official visit, saying that she was "shocked and extremely sad".
[BBC On This Day, '1989 Ten dead in Kent barracks bomb'](_blank)
retrieved 6 March 2007 Leader of the
opposition
Opposition may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars
* The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band
* ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...
,
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader of ...
, described the attack as an "awful atrocity" and said, "Even the people who say they support what the IRA calls its cause must be sickened by the way in which such death and injury is mercilessly inflicted".
The
Commandant General Royal Marines
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of brigadier. This position is not t ...
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Sir
Martin Garrod
Lieutenant General Sir John Martin Carruthers Garrod, (29 May 1935 – 17 April 2009) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1987 to 1990.
Military career
Educated at Sherwood College, Nainital in India ...
appeared on television soon after the bombing, condemning the bombers as "thugs, extortionists, torturers, murderers and cowards – the scum of the earth" and "We will emerge stronger and more determined than ever before to end and destroy this foul and dark force of evil."
The base's security caused controversy as this was partly provided by a private security firm. This arrangement prompted a thorough review of security procedures at all British military bases and the replacement of the firm's employees at Deal with Royal Marine guards.
One week after the bombing, the staff and students of the School of Music marched through the town of Deal, watched and applauded by thousands of spectators. They maintained gaps in their ranks to mark the positions of those unable to march through death or serious injury.
A memorial bandstand was constructed at Walmer Green to the memory of those who "only ever wanted to play music".
[Inscribed on the bandstand, p. 379, Williams & Head] A memorial in the Deal Barracks chapel was destroyed when the building burnt down in 2003, but the site is now a memorial garden.
[P.379, Williams & Head] The surviving barracks at Deal were converted into flats when the base was decommissioned in 1996, and the School of Music is once again based in Portsmouth.
Every year the Royal Marines Band from Portsmouth visit the memorial bandstand in Deal to pay their respects to those who died in the bombing. In July 2009, a memorial concert and re-dedication ceremony was held at the bandstand on Walmer Green, attended by thousands. The event drew over 12,000 spectators in 2019, which marked the 30th anniversary of the bombing.
Deal Parochial Church of England School now stands in the former barracks' Drill Fields. A large carved stone bearing the Globe and Laurel (the cap badge and emblem of the Royal Marines) sits at the entrance of the school. It originally adorned one of the buildings facing the parade square in the barracks. On Tuesday 22 September 2015, the 26th anniversary of the bombing, following a restoration of the stone by the school's Year 6 pupils, the school held a re-dedication service to mark the role played by the Royal Marines in the town.
No one has ever been arrested or convicted in connection with the Deal bombing.
See also
*
Inglis Barracks bombing
Inglis may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* A. & J. Inglis, a shipbuilding company
* John Inglis and Company, a Canadian company now a subdivision of Whirlpool Corporation
* William Inglis and Sons, bloodstock auctioneers
Places
* Inglis ...
*
Clive Barracks bombing
Clive is a name. People and fictional characters with the name include:
People Given name
* Clive Allen (born 1961), English football player
* Clive Anderson (born 1952), British television, radio presenter, comedy writer and former barrister
* ...
*
1990 Eltham bombing
*
1990 Wembley bombing
*
JHQ Rheindahlen bombing (Germany)
*
1988 Netherlands attacks
*
Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles
The Troubles were a period of conflict in Northern Ireland involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, the British security forces, and civil rights groups. They are usually dated from the late 1960s through to the Good Friday Agree ...
*
Timeline of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions
A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
* – report on the continuing effects of the attack
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deal barracks bombing
1989 in England
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20th-century military history of the United Kingdom
Attacks on military installations in the 1980s
Deal, Kent
Explosions in 1989
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History of the Royal Marines
Mass murder in 1989
Mass murder in England
Military actions and engagements during the Troubles (Northern Ireland)
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Royal Marines Band Service
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September 1989 events in the United Kingdom
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