Police grill hero Chelsea Pensioner, 75, for FOUR hours over an IRA firefight which took place in 1972
- The Chelsea Pensioner is being hounded by investigators over his role in 1972
- He was interviewed for four hours over the death of an IRA terrorist in Belfast
- The former Royal Marine, now 75, fired at the armed man in the heat of a battle
A
Chelsea Pensioner is being hounded by investigators over his role in a
firefight in Northern Ireland more than four decades ago.
The
former Royal Marine was quizzed for four hours by Northern Ireland
officers at the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea over the death of an IRA
terrorist in an Army ambush in Belfast in July 1972.
The veteran, who is now 75, fired at the armed man in the heat of a battle as 'bullets rained down in all directions'.
He
said he had been thrown into a 'Catch-22 monstrosity', in which he
either tried to kill the man or watch his comrades be murdered.
A Chelsea Pensioner is being hounded
by investigators over his role in a firefight in Northern Ireland more
than four decades ago (stock photo)
Three
years after the firefight, he was awarded a 'certificate of
appreciation' by the commander of Northern Ireland operations, praising
him for his 'good service' and 'devotion to duty'.
But last night the decorated war hero said he had been 'chased' over the incident by detectives.
He is the first known Chelsea Pensioner to be targeted by detectives dragging up historical cases from the time of Troubles.
Now
the terrified veteran – who completed six tours of Northern Ireland
during the height of IRA terrorism – spends his days fearing another
knock at the door. He said he had been 'left to grow old' fearing
prosecution. The pensioner, who also served in the Army, does not want
to be named because he fears he could be attacked at his home in London.
Speaking
to the Daily Mail from the hospital, he said: 'I am now under
suspicion. My case is an example of how far these people are willing to
go.
'Are they going to look for 95-year-old Normandy veterans next?
'It
does not matter if you've served for 22 years in the Army and in the
Marines, these people are still going to chase you. It does not even
matter if you live in a castle in Scotland, a council estate in England,
or a magnificent place like the Royal Hospital Chelsea, these people
will still want to find you.'
Details of his plight came after it emerged a new unit has been set up to investigate every Army killing during the Troubles.
Up
to 1,000 men in their 60s and 70s face being put through the
'witch-hunt', which has been condemned by MPs and military chiefs as
'disgraceful'.
Two
ex-paratroopers are being prosecuted for murder over the killing of an
IRA commander more than 40 years ago. The former soldiers, who had twice
been assured they would not be hauled before the courts for gunning
down Joe McCann, are the surviving members of the 1st Battalion
Parachute Regiment patrol that opened fire in 1972. The men, now 67 and
65, are expected to stand trial next year for the Belfast killing – and
face jail if convicted. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's
taxpayer-funded Legacy Investigation Branch is set to re-open 238 'fatal
incidents', which led to 302 deaths.
The former Royal Marine was quizzed for four hours by Northern Ireland officers at the famous Royal Hospital Chelsea (pictured)
Speaking
about the incident in 1972, the Chelsea Pensioner said he had fired at a
terrorist holding a rifle in 'attack mode' towards his comrades. He
does not know if his bullets killed the man.
He said: 'My company commander put me in the situation to ambush and if necessary kill an enemy who was trying to kill us.
'An
ambush includes calamity never written about in any training manual. I
fired at him but I don't know where my rounds landed. After 45 years, I
still don't know. When I looked through my rifle scope I saw a man in
the attack mode with a weapon.
'He
was pointing his weapon toward my main gate where I knew there were
other marines on sentry duty. I could have killed a man in July 1972, a
man who was trying to kill Royal Marines that I was in a covert ambush
to protect. I was acting under orders.
'This is a Catch-22 monstrosity but the act of ambush is legal in the eyes of our defence laws.'
In
1975, he received a letter from the commander and director of
operations of Northern, Ireland praising him for his heroic service.
The Chelsea Pensioner said he had 'no doubt' that he was going to get another letter through the door from investigators.
He
said: 'These people are going to get back to me but I don't know when.
I'm worried because I'm certain they are going to jump on me.'
But
he said he had taken part in a 'lawful ambush' in which 'you are there
to kill and when they turn up with that weapon your job is to blow them
apart'.
He added: 'For 45 years I have stood alone on this event with no offer of investigative explanation from any authority.
'Our
services never needed more support than they do today.' He said the
investigations were 'destroying morale' and serving as 'comfort to the
enemy'.
The former soldier, who never married, decided to become a Chelsea Pensioner seven years ago.
Normally
a Royal Marine cannot become a Chelsea Pensioner but because he served
in the Army for six years, he was allowed to move into the famous
hospital.
He
said: 'As I got a bit older I knew it was a very safe and secure place
for pensioners and an ideal place to spend the last years of my life.'