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British Special Air Service Deployed into Northern Ireland
D Squadron deployed to Northern Ireland for just over a month -
Battle of the Bogside
Rioting erupts in Derry between Irish nationalists and loyalist-backed RUC officers. The RUC entered Bogside and tried to subdue protesters using tear gas, water cannons, and eventually firearms, however, the rioting was almost constant for two days straight. -
Official formation of 14 Intelligence Company
The Special Reconnaissance Unit, also known as the Intelligence Company was formed in 1972, and thereafter became involved in plainclothes operations in Northern Ireland. -
Bloody Sunday
26 unarmed civilians shot, 13 of which were killed, by the British army during a massive in Derry. One of those who died reportedly had nail bombs on his person, but was not actually shot because of his possession of the explosives. Bloody Sunday had the highest death toll of any single shooting event during the Troubles period. -
Donegal Street Bombing
The provisional IRA detonated a car bomb on Donegal Street in Belfast, killing four civilians due to inadequate warnings, as well as two RUC officers and a UDR soldier. 148 more people were injured in the deadly car bombing. -
Bloody Friday
Provisional IRA detonates 22 different bombs in Belfast, Northern Ireland, all within the space of 75 minutes. The bombings killed five civilians, two British soldiers, and one UDA officer, and injured 130 more. -
Guildford Pub Bombings
Provisional IRA planted bombs in two different pubs in Guildford, England. One detonated, four British soldiers and one civilians were killed by the blasts. -
Birmingham Pub Bombings
Suspected that the Provisional IRA planted bombs in two Public Houses in Birmingham, England, which killed 21 people and injured 182 more. The PIRA never fully claimed responsibility for the attack that was one of the deadliest of the troubles, and the deadliest act of terrorism to occur in England between WWII and the 2005 London bombings. -
Kidnapping of Robert Nairac
British Army Captain Robert Nairac was kidnapped by the IRA while in an undercover operation in South Armagh. He was later killed in a field in the Ravensdale woods, in the Republic of Ireland, just north of the County Loth. -
The death of John Boyle during SAS Operation
The British Special Air Service shot and killed 16 year old civilian bystander John Boyle, while he was standing near a Provisional IRA weapons cache in Dunloy, County Antrim. -
Ambush at Warrenpoint
two roadside bombs were detonated by the Provisional IRA as a British convoy drove by. The well thought out attack took place as the convoy passed water castle, near Warrenpoint, adjacent to the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. During an exchange of fire, a British soldier shot dead a civilian on the Republic side. The British Army experienced their highest death toll during a single attack in the Troubles period. Eighteen British Army Soldiers were killed. -
Lord Mountbatten's Assasination
On the same day of the Ambush at Warrenpoint, Lord Mountbatten, a cousin to the Queen and close advisor to the royal family was killed on his boat after a bomb planted by the IRA was detonated. The boat bombing killed 4, including Lord Mountbatten, and occurred near the coast of County Sligo.