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A ‘secret massacre’ emerges from the shadows

A new documentary film aims to expose the events surrounding the Ballymurphy Massacre. RICHARD RUDKIN reports

THE names Noel Phillips, Joan Connolly, Joseph Corr, Pat McCarthy, John McKerr, Joseph Laverty, Daniel Taggart, Eddie Doherty, Frank Quinn and Fr Hugh Mullan are not names that people living on the English side of the Irish Sea may be familiar with. 

However, thanks to a new documentary film made by award-winning director Callum Macrae, hopefully that will soon change.

His film The Ballymurphy Precedent tells the story of how all those named were killed by British soldiers within a 36-hour period, beginning on August 9 1971, and how the relatives and survivors have been fighting for truth and justice ever since.

The testimony of relatives of the victims along with the survivors provide a chilling account of events and how it has affected their lives for over four decades. 

Their stories are moving. So too is the reconstruction of shootings, based on forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts that detail exactly what occurred without the need for graphic “bloody” scenes.

At the time the details of killings went mainly unreported by the media. It was in fact a “secret massacre.” At best, any reports of shootings that made the evening news would follow along the lines of: “An IRA gunman was shot dead by the British army in West Belfast last night.” 

No mention that the victims were unarmed. No mention that one victim was a woman called Joan Connolly, shot in the face and left to die on waste ground.

No mention that another victim, Daniel Taggart, died after being shot 14 times, with many of the rounds hitting him as he lay lifeless on the ground. No mention that when maintenance worker John Kerr was shot by a British army sniper, he was taking a break from his work at the Corpus Christi church only yards away. And definitely no mention that all the victims were in fact innocent civilians and not members of IRA. 

Maybe because the killings took place on the first day of Operation Demetrius — the code name given by the British government for “internment” — the shootings went relatively unnoticed by the mainstream media. However, even for that to happen, the British army “misinformation” machine would have had to kick in to justify the killings, and from my own experience, I would suggest that’s exactly what happened.

As young soldiers undergoing basic training we were told all those killed in Ballymurphy were armed members of the IRA. 

In the case of Joan Connolly, the story was she had been shot after picking up the weapon that had been dropped by another wounded gunman. 

At the time the story was believable, mainly because there was no other version to contradict it. 

Even the community of West Belfast were not fully aware of the facts at that time, and if the mainstream media had no idea of the massacre, there was little chance of anyone else knowing the truth.

Besides, apart from the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), military police and the Ministry of Defence, what government agency officials would see the soldiers’ statements and question their accuracy? 

Also, did any of the security forces believe that over 40 years later their statements would be scrutinised? Having read some of the statements, I very much doubt it.

For instance, statements claimed the victims were killed during a gun battle, when both logic and evidence suggest that was highly unlikely.

Again, take the death of Connolly. Is it reasonable to believe that this mother of eight who had gone out to look for her young daughter, having just witnessed the shooting of Noel Phillips and gone to his aid, would then decide to pick up his weapon, knowing she would be clearly seen and shot? Also is it likely that Connolly would know how to use a weapon?

Apart from it being an unlikely course of action for Connolly or any other civilian to take, the problem is Phillips never had a weapon. 
In fact records show that, of the 10 who were killed as a result of gunshot wounds, not one weapon was ever recovered. 

The film is called The Ballymurphy Precedent for a very good reason. For that is exactly what it was, for only months later in January 1972, with no repercussions over the killings in Ballymurphy, the same troops from the Parachute Regiment went to Derry with drastic results.

One need only look at the statistics to see what effect the Ballymurphy Massacre had on the situation in the North of Ireland. 

For example, from 1969 to August 8 1971, although still too many, fewer than 80 people had lost their lives including 11 British soldiers. Of that figure, 30 of the victims were killed in 1971 prior to August 9. 

However, from the first fatality of the massacre on August 9 up to August 31 1971, a further 32 people were killed including five more British soldiers. This is a remarkable statistic showing more people had died in 23 days than were killed in the previous seven months.  

Worse was to follow. By the end of 1971 the total reached 180, including 33 more British soldiers. However, it appears despite these statistics there are government agencies and others still in denial about the impact the Ballymurphy Massacre had on the Troubles.

The film will be screened in cinemas in many major cities including Birmingham, London, Stirling and Swansea and is available on Channel 4 On Demand. 

Having come to know some of the families seeking justice, I know this film means a lot to them and has been a long time coming. We know the mainstream media will at best ignore this film and at worst have only negative comments. 

However, to quote David Cameron when as prime minister in 2010 he responded to the finding of the Saville Report on Bloody Sunday: “You do not defend the British army by defending the indefensible.”

Unfortunately, that is exactly what the government and some MPs of all parties, along with others, have continued to do for many years.

The importance of the film can’t be emphasised enough. Through this film, what occurred in those three days in Ballymurphy in 1971 will no longer be the “secret massacre.” Hopefully, then, justice for the victims can finally be achieved. 
 
Dates and locations of screenings can found at theballymurphyprecedent.com.

 

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