1978 British Army Gazelle downing
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On 17 February 1978, a
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
Gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...
helicopter, serial number XX404, went down near Jonesborough, County Armagh,
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 ...
, after being fired at by a
Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...
unit from the South Armagh Brigade. The IRA unit was involved at the time in a gun battle with a Green Jackets
observation post An observation post (commonly abbreviated OP), temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers (such as in trench warfare), or to direct fire. In strict military terminology, an ...
deployed in the area, and the helicopter was sent in to support the ground troops. The helicopter crashed after the pilot lost control of the aircraft whilst evading ground fire. Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Douglas Corden-Lloyd, 2nd Battalion Green Jackets commanding officer, died in the crash. The incident was overshadowed in the press by the
La Mon restaurant bombing The La Mon restaurant bombing was an incendiary bomb attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 17 February 1978 and has been described as one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. It took place at the La Mon House hotel and re ...
, which took place just hours later near
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
.


Background

By early 1978, the British Army forces involved in
Operation Banner Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...
had recently replaced their ageing Bell H-13 Sioux helicopters for the more versatile Aérospatiale Gazelles. The introduction of the new machines increased the area covered on a reconnaissance sortie as well as the improved time spent in airborne missions. In the same period, the
Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...
received its first consignment of M60 machine guns from the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, which were displayed by masked volunteers during a
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...
commemoration in Derry. Airborne operations were crucial for the British presence along the border, especially in south
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of an ...
, where the level of IRA activity meant that every supply and soldier had to be ferried in and out of their bases by helicopter since 1975. The
Royal Green Jackets The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry). History The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966 by the amalgama ...
had been in South Armagh since December 1977, and had already seen some action.Dewar p. 154 Just a few days after arrival, two mortar rounds hit the C Company base at
Forkhill Forkhill or Forkill ( , ; ) is a small village and civil parish in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the Ring of Gullion and in the 2011 Census it had a recorded population of 498. It lies within the former barony of Orior Upp ...
, injuring a number of soldiers. In the aftermath of the attack, two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were wounded by a booby-trap while recovering the lorry where the mortar tubes were mounted.Barzilay, p. 177 Two days later, a patrol near the border suffered a bomb and gun attack, leaving the commanding sergeant with severe head wounds. The sergeant was picked up from the scene by helicopter. He was later invalided from the British Army as a result of his injuries.


Shooting and crash

On 17 January 1978, a Green Jackets observation post deployed around the village of Jonesborough began to take heavy fire from the "March Wall", which drew parallel with the Irish border to the east, along the Dromad woods. The soldiers returned fire, but the short distance to the border and the open ground prevented them from advancing. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ian Corden-Lloyd, along with Captain Schofield and Sergeant Ives flew from the battalion base at
Bessbrook Bessbrook is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies about three miles (5 km) northwest of Newry and near the Newry bypass on the main A1 Belfast-Dublin road and Belfast-Dublin railway line. Today the village of Bessbrook str ...
Mill to assess the situation and provide information to the troops. They were escorted by a Scout helicopter with an Airborne Reaction Force (ARF), comprising a medic and three soldiers from the 2nd Bn
Light Infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
. While hovering over the scene of the engagement, the Gazelle received a barrage of 7.62 mm tracer rounds. The pilot lost control of the aircraft during a turn at high speed to avoid the stream of fire. The Gazelle ( serial number XX404) hit a wall and crashed on a field, some 2 km from Jonesborough. According to the crew and passengers of the Scout, the Gazelle hit the ground twice after losing power, with its rotor blades trashing into the soil following the second impact, and then cartwheeled across the field. The Scout landed the ARF still under IRA fire. The soldiers rushed to the wrecked helicopter, some 100 metres away from the site of the initial crash. Corden-Lloyd was killed and the other two passengers were wounded. The machine came to rest on its right side. The pilot remained trapped inside the wreckage, but he survived thanks to his helmet.UK Military Aircraft Losses – 1978
/ref> The IRA later claimed they had shot at the helicopter with an M60 machine gun. The IRA unit vanished into the Dromad woods to the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
.Barzilay, p. 180 Some Gardaí witnessed the attack from the other side of the border."British Army to publish Gazelle crash findings."
''Flight International'', 18 March 1978.


Aftermath

The gun battle and Gazelle shootdown was displaced from the headlines by the deaths of twelve civilians in the
La Mon restaurant bombing The La Mon restaurant bombing was an incendiary bomb attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 17 February 1978 and has been described as one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. It took place at the La Mon House hotel and re ...
on the same day, some of whom were burned to death.Coogan
p. 292
/ref> Initially the British Army downplayed the IRA's claim as published by '' An Phoblacht'', that the helicopter was shot down, on the basis that no hits were found on the wreckage, but finally they acknowledged that the IRA action had caused the crash. The death of Corden-Lloyd, a former Special Air Service officer, was deeply regretted by the British Army, who regarded him as promising. He was awarded a posthumous
mention in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
"in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland". In 1973, Irish republicans had accused Corden-Lloyd and his subordinates of brutality against Belfast Catholics during an earlier tour of the Green Jackets in 1971, at the time of
Operation Demetrius Operation Demetrius was a British Army operation in Northern Ireland on 9–10 August 1971, during the Troubles. It involved the mass arrest and internment (imprisonment without trial) of people suspected of being involved with the Irish Republi ...
.Van Der Bijl, Nick (2009). ''Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland, 1969 to 2007''. Pen & Sword Military, p. 82;


See also

* 1990 British Army Gazelle shootdown * 1988 British Army Lynx shootdown * 1994 British Army Lynx shootdown * Battle of Newry Road * 1993 Fivemiletown ambush * Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1970–79) * List of attacks on British aircraft during The Troubles * Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade


References


External links

* Barzilay, David (1978). ''The British Army in Ulster'', Volumen 3. Century Services Ltd. * Coogan, Tim Pat (1994). ''The IRA: A History''. Robert Rinehart Publishers, * Dewar, Michael (1985). ''The British Army in Northern Ireland''. Arms and Armour Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:British Gazelle, 1978 shootdown 1978 in Northern Ireland 20th century in County Armagh 20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 Aviation accidents and incidents in Northern Ireland Accidents and incidents involving helicopters Army Air Corps (United Kingdom) British Army in Operation Banner Military actions and engagements during the Troubles (Northern Ireland) Military history of County Armagh Provisional Irish Republican Army actions The Troubles in County Armagh February 1978 events in the United Kingdom 1978 in military history Conflicts in 1978