Carlton Tower and Portman Hotel shootings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carlton Tower and Portman Hotel Shootings |
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| Part of The Troubles | |
The Jumeirah Carlton Tower, previously just the Carlton Tower hotel which the IRA fired shots at
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| Location | Portman Square, London & Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge, London, England |
| Date | 19 January 1975 |
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Attack type
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shooting |
| Weapons | Sten & M1 carbine |
| Deaths | 0 |
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Non-fatal injuries
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12 |
| Perpetrator | Provisional IRA |
| Assailants | Provisional IRA |
On January 19, 1975, a group called the Provisional IRA's Balcombe Street Gang attacked two hotels in London, England. They used automatic weapons to fire shots at the buildings. Twelve people were hurt, mostly by broken glass.
The Provisional IRA was a group involved in a conflict known as The Troubles. This conflict was mainly in Northern Ireland. This attack was similar to one the IRA carried out a month before. They also attacked one of these hotels again later that year.
This was the first attack of 1975 by this specific IRA unit. This same group had been responsible for other serious attacks. A few months earlier, they caused the Woolwich pub bombing and Guildford pub bombings. Those attacks sadly led to the deaths of seven people. Five of them were off-duty British soldiers, and two were civilians.
What Happened During the Attacks?
An IRA team led by Eddie Butler drove slowly past the Portman Hotel. This hotel is in Portman Square. They fired about 20 shots into the hotel. They used a type of gun called a Sten Submachine gun.
About two hours later, another IRA team attacked the Carlton Tower Hotel. This hotel is located in Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge. They fired shots into this hotel using an M1 carbine gun. Four people were injured in this second attack. Their injuries were mainly from glass that shattered and flew around.
At first, some people thought the attacks might have been against Jewish business owners. This was because both hotels were owned by Jewish people. However, the police believed the Provisional IRA was responsible. The IRA had done a similar shooting a month earlier. On December 14, 1974, they attacked the Churchill Hotel. That hotel is also in Portman Square. Three people were hurt in that attack, including two American tourists.
What Happened Next?
The IRA continued to carry out attacks in England during January 1975. On January 23, a bomb exploded at a water pumping station. This was in North London. Three people were injured in that blast.
Then, on January 27, two more bombs exploded. These were planted by the Balcombe Street Gang. The bombs went off in Kensington High Street and Victoria Street. A total of six people were injured. Another bomb exploded in Manchester. Over 20 people were hurt in that incident.
In September 1975, the IRA attacked the Portman Hotel again. They exploded a bomb outside the entrance. This injured three people. The blast also blew out the hotel's windows.
See also
- Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1970–79)
