SOMEONE HAS TO BE THE FIRST, LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND, 1972
Major Robin Alers-Hankey, 2nd Battalion, Royal Greenjackets
Magdalen Hill Cemetery, Winchester, Hampshire
I have written enough of these stories to appreciate that much of Britain's empire building over the last three hundred years has not been glorious. I can also appreciate that every argument has two sides, and that in Ireland it is comprehensible that Republicans can think they have been fighting a war against British invaders for centuries. There are occasions, however, when the line is overstepped, and war becomes murder, and that, I think, applies to the killing of Major Robin Alers-Hankey, of the Royal Greenjackets.
Allow me to appear to go slightly off-track for a few sentences. In the year I am writing this, 2021, the North-east of England has had several instances of fire crews and police being drawn into ambush. The method usually involves something being set on fire, for example stolen wheelie-bins, with the fire being serious enough for the emergency services to be summoned by concerned locals. When they arrive they are then pelted with bottles and stones, providing amusement for the more disaffected local youths (and maybe older).
The tactics are not, therefore, unusual, and still occurring today. It was also happening in Derry/Londonderry in 1971. On 2nd September of that year the fire brigade was called out to a fire in the Bogside neighbourhood. As they and the police had been attacked when attending previous incidents, the Army attended as support. This time, however, more than bottles and stones were involved. As officer commanding Major Alers-Hankey was a prime target, and he was picked out and shot by an IRA sniper. The troops were not engaged in combat; they were there to assist the emergency services, should assistance have been needed. The suspicion has to be that, just as in Middlesbrough and Sunderland this year, the fire was started to draw the army in, and the intention was for a soldier to be shot. Robin Alers-Hankey was unlucky enough to be that man, the first army officer to be killed in The Troubles.
Although a member of a prominent banking and stockbroking family, Alers-Hankey was a professional soldier. A former pupil of Winchester School, where he coxed the School boat, he went to Sandhurst, and then served in conflict zones such as Malaya, Cyprus and Oman before being posted to Ireland. Married, with two young sons, he was not killed immediately, but breathed on until the end of January, 1972. He died on 30th January, the same day thirteen civilians died from British soldiers' fire, only a few hundred metres from where Alers-Hankey was shot. One can only hope it wasn't revenge.
Allow me to appear to go slightly off-track for a few sentences. In the year I am writing this, 2021, the North-east of England has had several instances of fire crews and police being drawn into ambush. The method usually involves something being set on fire, for example stolen wheelie-bins, with the fire being serious enough for the emergency services to be summoned by concerned locals. When they arrive they are then pelted with bottles and stones, providing amusement for the more disaffected local youths (and maybe older).
The tactics are not, therefore, unusual, and still occurring today. It was also happening in Derry/Londonderry in 1971. On 2nd September of that year the fire brigade was called out to a fire in the Bogside neighbourhood. As they and the police had been attacked when attending previous incidents, the Army attended as support. This time, however, more than bottles and stones were involved. As officer commanding Major Alers-Hankey was a prime target, and he was picked out and shot by an IRA sniper. The troops were not engaged in combat; they were there to assist the emergency services, should assistance have been needed. The suspicion has to be that, just as in Middlesbrough and Sunderland this year, the fire was started to draw the army in, and the intention was for a soldier to be shot. Robin Alers-Hankey was unlucky enough to be that man, the first army officer to be killed in The Troubles.
Although a member of a prominent banking and stockbroking family, Alers-Hankey was a professional soldier. A former pupil of Winchester School, where he coxed the School boat, he went to Sandhurst, and then served in conflict zones such as Malaya, Cyprus and Oman before being posted to Ireland. Married, with two young sons, he was not killed immediately, but breathed on until the end of January, 1972. He died on 30th January, the same day thirteen civilians died from British soldiers' fire, only a few hundred metres from where Alers-Hankey was shot. One can only hope it wasn't revenge.
ROBIN NIGEL HUMPHREY/ ALERS-HANKEY/ MAJOR/ THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS/ FATALLY WOUNDED IN LONDERRY 2ND SEPTEMBER 1971/ DIED 30TH JANUARY 1972
Sources
www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/
www.historyireland.com - letter from Brian Lacey published in History Ireland Issue 6, Nov/Dec 2010
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials
www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/
www.historyireland.com - letter from Brian Lacey published in History Ireland Issue 6, Nov/Dec 2010
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials
