'Machine gun fired at troops on Bloody Sunday'

Troops came under machine gun fire in Derry on Bloody Sunday, a soldier claimed today.

Soldier 136, a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Green Jackets, said he heard the shots as he manned a security barrier at the city’s Castle Gate on the day 13 civil rights marchers were shot dead by soldiers. A 14th man died later.

The soldier told the Saville Inquiry in London he made a statement to Royal Military Police shortly after the shootings, which took place on January 30, 1972.

“I have referred in my statement to hearing automatic fire from a Thompson sub-machine gun which I believed was being fired from the Brandywell, south-west of the city,” he said.

“I cannot now remember much about this incident. Bullets fired from a Thompson sub-machine gun would sound quite slow and would make a ’boom’ noise rather than the ’crack’ of a rifle.”

Soldier 136 told Alan Roxburgh, counsel to the inquiry, that he did not believe he was in any danger from the gunfire.

“Thompson sub-machine guns were not very accurate,” he said.

“I cannot remember how many shots were fired, but I recall that these appeared to be fired from the Brandywell towards the city.”

The soldier said troops barricaded off parts of the city as trouble was expected on Bloody Sunday.

“The men in my platoon were to man a barricade at Castle Gate to prevent people going into and out of the Bogside and rioting in the Protestant and commercial areas which were situated within the city walls,” he said.

“I was aware that other barricades had been erected for the same purpose. There was a general expectation that there would be trouble.

“Had trouble not been expected, we would not have been required to barricade off parts of the city.”

Soldier 136 was the 754th witness to appear before the Saville Inquiry.

The inquiry, which usually sits at the Guildhall in Derry, is currently hearing the evidence of military witnesses and others in London because of concerns for their safety.

Lord Saville of Newdigate and the Commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday inquiry began their work nearly four years ago and are not expected to report back until 2004.