27/08/2026
A very sad day in the history of The Parachute Regiment. 🇬🇧
We will remember them.
Lest we forget. 🪂❤️
Today we remember the men of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) and The Queen’s Own Highlanders who lost their lives or were wounded in a terrorist attack at Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland on 27 August 1979.
It resulted in the British Army’s greatest loss of life in a single incident in Northern Ireland with 18 men killed.
It occurred during a 20-month tour of duty in Northern Ireland for 2 PARA when a convoy carrying men of 3 Platoon, A-Company was travelling along the coastal road towards the company base at Newry.
As the convoy drew level with a lay-by close to Narrow Water Castle, Provisional IRA terrorists remotely triggered a bomb containing 700lb of explosives, which had been situated in a trailer parked in the lay-by.
The rear 4-ton truck of the convoy, which carried 9 men, took the full force of the explosion and of these, only 1 survived unhurt. The other vehicles in the convoy halted and their occupants ran back to help their comrades.
Further support and medical assistance was soon at the scene and an incident control point was set up next to a gate house by the side of the road.
Just before 1700hrs a second explosion occurred. This was a 1,000lb bomb, initiated by radio control and concealed inside the gate house lodge, demolishing the building and killing a further 12 men and seriously wounding 3 more.
Six men from 2 PARA were killed in the first explosion, with the second blast killing a further 10 from 2 PARA along with 2 from The Queen’s Own Highlanders, including Commanding Officer of the Highlanders, Lieutenant Colonel David Blair.
There was also a civilian casualty, with a young tourist named Michael Hudson unfortunately mistaken for a terrorist and shot after the second bomb explosion.
Men killed in the first bomb explosion: 2 PARA: Cpl JC Giles (3 Platoon, A-Company), L/Cpl CG Ireland (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte GI Barnes (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte JA Jones (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte RDV Jones (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte M Woods (3 Platoon, A-Company).
Men killed in the second bomb explosion: 2 PARA: Maj PJ Fursman (OC A-Company), L/Cpl DF Blair (OC’s Radio Op, A-Company), WOII W Beard (Drum Major, Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Sgt IA Rogers (Pl Sgt, Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Cpl NJ Andrews (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Cpl L Jones (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte R Dunn (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte RN England (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte TR Vance (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte AG Wood (Medium Machine Gun Platoon). The Queen’s Own Highlanders: Lt-Col DNA Blair (CO: 1 QOHLDRS), L/Cpl V MacLeod (CO’s Radio Op, 1 QOHLDRS).
Men wounded at Warrenpoint: 2 PARA: Pte PM Burns (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte T Caughey (3 Platoon, A-Company), Cpl NH Porter (3 Platoon, A-Company), Cpl SJ Webb (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte MJ Furrow (Medium Machine Gun Platoon).
www.paradata.org.uk/content/4663972-warrenpoint-27-august-1979
