Paratrooper 'saw civilian gunmen on Bloody Sunday'

At least two civilian gunmen were seen openly walking towards a rubble barricade in Derry on Bloody Sunday, a paratrooper claimed today.

Soldier INQ 635 told the Saville Inquiry in London he clearly remembered seeing the wooden stocks of two rifles as the men made their way to a barricade in the city’s Rossville Street.

The former paratrooper said he recalled either coming under fire or hearing someone shout that troops were under fire as he entered the nationalist Bogside area on January 30, 1972 when 13 civil rights marchers were shot dead. A 14th man died later.

“The next thing I remember was seeing three, possibly four men move out from the south gable end of the eastern block of Glenfada Park North towards the rubble barricade which I now know was on Rossville Street,” he said.

“I believe that two, possibly three of these men were carrying weapons. I remember seeing clearly the wooden stocks of two weapons.

“I am absolutely certain it was weapons with wooden stocks that they were carrying.”

Soldier INQ 635 told Cathryn McGahey, counsel to the inquiry, that the gunmen must have been readily visible to other soldiers with him.

Ms McGahey asked: “Were they not, therefore, taking an enormous risk of being seen and shot by you and members of your section?”

“Very much so,” he replied.

Ms McGahey asked: “That is clearly very strange behaviour from armed men, is it not, to take no adequate cover?”

“Maybe they were not professional,” he replied.

Ms McGahey asked: “You are absolutely certain that the men you saw had weapons?”

“Absolutely,” he replied.

Soldier INQ 635 said he did not believe he shouted a warning to his colleagues about the gunmen.

“I believe that the other men from my section must have seen the gunmen as well, as they were so blatant and because everybody immediately took cover,” he said.

“The men that I had seen behind the barricade moved forward at a fast walking pace across the barricade from right to left.

“The barricade was not high enough to cover them or they were not crouching to take full cover.”

Soldier INQ 635 said he then heard army shots being fired at the barricade but insisted he did not open fire.

Six men were shot dead near the rubble barricade on Bloody Sunday, but Soldier INQ 635 said he did not see anyone fall because he was taking cover.

The soldier said he did not see any other civilian gunmen that day or hear any nail bombs or petrol bombs exploding.

Soldier INQ 635 was the 770th 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.