Drummuckavall ambush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Drummuckavall Ambush
Part of The Troubles
Date 22 November 1975 Location Drummuckavall, County Armagh 54°3′6.71″N 6°34′11.48″W / 54.0518639°N 6.5698556°W / 54.0518639; -6.5698556 Result IRA victory SAS deployed to Northern Ireland officially
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Provisional IRA
Commanders and leaders
LCpl. Paul Johnson	Unknown
Units involved
British Army	South Armagh Brigade
Strength
1 infantry section	12 IRA members
Casualties and losses
3 killed 1 wounded	None

The Drummuckavall ambush was an attack by a group called the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on a British Army observation post. This happened in a place called Drummuckavall, in County Armagh, on November 22, 1975. The attack took place near the border with the Republic of Ireland. Three British soldiers died in this event. The ambush showed that regular army methods were not working well in South Armagh. Because of this, the Special Air Service (SAS), a special forces unit, was officially sent to the area.

What Led to the Ambush

In the mid-1970s, a period known as the Troubles was very violent in Northern Ireland. The British Army used several fixed observation posts (OPs) to watch the border. These OPs aimed to stop attacks coming from across the border. However, these posts were often manned only part-time. This made them easy targets for attacks. For example, in 1974, a bomb attack at Drummuckavall killed two soldiers. Drummuckavall is a small area about 3 kilometers (2 miles) southeast of Crossmaglen, very close to the border.

It wasn't until 1986 that the British Army started building tall surveillance towers. These towers, part of operations called Condor and Magistrate, helped the army gain more control. Before that, for about ten years, the army mostly relied on small groups of soldiers moving around. These groups were called mobile posts. They were often in open areas, which made them vulnerable.

The Attack

On November 21, 1975, a group of four soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers set up an observation post. They came from Crossmaglen and started their watch at 2 AM. Their post was on a slope in Drummuckavall, hidden behind bushes. It overlooked a small stream that ran along the border. What the soldiers didn't know was that local people had seen their position. These locals then told the IRA.

The next day, at 4:20 PM, an IRA unit of up to 12 members attacked the post. They fired many shots, killing three of the soldiers. The attack also broke their radio equipment, so they couldn't call for help. Later, an investigation found that the IRA unit had fired from two different spots inside the Republic of Ireland. The soldiers who died were James Duncan (19), Peter McDonald (19), and Michael Sampson (20). Peter McDonald was the only soldier on guard duty, using a light machine gun. The other soldiers were resting or eating.

The leader of the group, Lance Corporal Paul Johnson, was not hit by the first shots. He stayed on the ground. But he was badly hurt in his wrist, side, and back by more gunfire after the IRA told him to give up. After another call to surrender and more shots, the IRA unit left. They went back across the border. Johnson managed to escape by crawling about 25 yards to a nearby road. British troops later picked him up by helicopter and took him to safety.

One of the rifles used in this attack was also used in another attack. This was on the Tullyvallen Orange Hall, where five civilians were killed.

What Happened After

Soon after the ambush, Merlyn Rees, who was in charge of Northern Ireland at the time, made a famous statement. He called South Armagh Bandit Country. The next year, the British Government announced that the Special Air Service (SAS) would be sent to Northern Ireland. Even though they were officially deployed then, the SAS had already been working secretly in the area for some years. The SAS is a very secret and skilled force. They were seen as the best choice to work in South Armagh. This was because an official report on the ambush showed problems with how the observation post was set up.

To help the SAS, the British Army also changed its methods. Major General Dick Trant created small teams of soldiers called COPs (close observation platoons). Their job was to gather information. They often wore regular clothes or camouflage to blend in. These teams could also set up their own ambushes, like the difficult Operation Conservation in 1990.

See also

• Attack on Cloghoge checkpoint
• Attack on Derryard checkpoint
• Glasdrumman ambush
• Operation Conservation
• Timeline of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions