Nov 6 2009 11:30 pm
I was at Ebrington Barracks from March '86-Dec '87.I was one of the REME armourers & spent my tour with 1 Royal Anglians & 1 Green Howards,both great regiments.It was my only posting where I felt I was really earning my wage.Especially when a bomb went off in the city at 2 in the morning.I'd only been there a couple of days & thought the camp was being mortared!Sad to see Ebrington Barracks the way it is now,all those memories bulldozed in a matter of days.I often wonder where all the lads I served with are now,all scattered to the 4 winds-Sean H.
Sep 16 2009 11:49 am
I worked in the Naafi from mid 1987 to the end of 1988. During that time I married a green howard Richie Gordon and had my son. I loved the barracks and living there. I spent many a night working in club 19 and the main Naafi bar with Jenny and Gina. Does anyone know what happened to them? I know Jenny married Gibbo a GH who then apparently became an RUC member. I was delighted to see the pictures on the website and they served to remind me of my time there. Karen Jones ( stone)
Sep 13 2009 02:55 am
I was a member of 42 Commando RM and took part in the assault on Port Said in Nov 1956. We returned to the UK in time for Christmas. On returning from leave, a notice appeared on the board - Volunteers required for N. Ireland. This had to be better than hiking round the Devon Moors in the middle of winter, so with My oppo Lofty I volunterred. We were sent to HMS Sea Eagle and accommodated in Trenchard Block. Our duties included security of the base, patrols in the surrounding countryside, security at the oil storage tanks at Lisahally and escorting certain vehicles to Belfast. There were approximately 30 marines at Sea Eagle, but twice we were reinforced with a full troop of 50 men from 42 Commando. I returned to Plymouth in Dec 1957 for my discharge. Some time I will write about my year in N.Ireland. I have already written about the assault on Port Said on the Britains-smallwars web site
Angus Jones.
Aug 7 2009 10:48 am
I used to live in Ebrington Barracks in 1938 - 1939, as my father was an RSM in the RASC. We used to have to have to use the ferry ( man in a rowing boat) to get across the foyle to go to school.Our first school was Rosdowny and several children would go to school without shoes as they could not afford them. The whole school, used to line up to have a spoonful of emulsion every morning ( with the same spoon). I have many happy memories. I am now 79.
Apr 26 2009 06:37 pm
I served on the same tour as Coatsy. He was lucky that bomb didn't go off and bring the roof down. Thanks to a bit of horseplay and larking around in the room the device was knocked and discovered. I was in A Coy and we were barracked in the white building 90 degrees from the Clock tower, next to the WRAC block.
The picture is 1 platoon. I am looking for the 2 platoon group shot if anybody has a copy.
Loved the picture of the cell in the Limavady Road end Guard room, though it had bunks in it when I lived in there for a while :¬) Smudge Smith didn't like it much when I went for a walk when he was on duty. (Sorry Smudge!)
I think I was in that cell when the lads got it on the Craigavon Bridge Sangar. I remember hearing that one of the lads had 4 kids, it was a bad night when that bomb went off. My cell shook and dust came down from the ceiling. (We still had to do the 4 am sandbag thing though)Later on, at Sion Mills, I was playing cards with Dennis just before he went out to Derry and never came back. I can't remember what happened to the 'Driver' of that Lanny, was he badly injured?
Pete Cav. lost it after a letter from home, another really bad night!
I hope everybody (After 76) enjoyed the bar at Strabane that we built - all mock Tudor timbers and everything so you could enjoy your 2 pints a day. Good times and Nightmares all in one.
Mar 29 2009 06:23 pm
I'm a former Kingo from the kings Regiment served in Ebrington Bks 1975 to 1976 Some good times some bad I was in 3 plt in the clock tower. We had a 10 pound bomb in are bedroom witch was defused. another time we were in civvies about 50 of us by the chippy when there was a kickoff with the PIRA suppoters we kicked the shit out of them it was great. There is loads more to tell. But i will leave that for another day. I think the plt photo of the kingos is 1 plt 1976
coatsy
Dec 16 2008 07:50 pm
I was based there 1990-3 with the 1 kORBR,we used to do parols from masonic,rosemount and fortgeorge.My block i cant see from any pictures but if you stood outside the main whitebiulding facing the city its the white biulding in the far right of the parade square opposite the grass verge that use to be there.We use to play footy on there in the summer when there wasnt to much of a threat.Im pretty sad to see it getting demolished i spent 3 and ahalf years there and it became my home.
Oct 6 2008 10:10 am
I was in Ebrington Barracks with the Royal Pioneer Corps I was in 8inf Bde Hq & Sig Sqn from January 1972 until December 1973 i did most jobs from gate guard duties, and taking mail all over the City best job i had was when i was asked to be the Deputy Commanders Bodyguard, Signal's club was called the Lemon Club, we built it for them while i was there. Allan Sutcliffe. Aka Sooty.
Aug 24 2008 11:28 am
I was the RCT saracen Ambulance driver at RUC Strabane and covered Sion Mills in 1974 during the 1 RRF tour, We attended a shooting of a Fusilier in the Estate behind where he was hit in the neck, got him back to derry OK but never heard anything more of him. I used to take the old Choggie Wallah back into Ebrington to pick up his supplies. I recall a RRF full screw Andy Anderson who was nearly always my commander. They had another Ffull crew who got the QMG for an action in Strabane. Great place but could'nt wait to get back to my outstation.
Jul 25 2008 02:06 am
I was a Clerk with the Queens Regiment 83 - 85. I remember we used to have a bunk in Cunningham Block where the Duty Clerk would spend a 24 hour duty. Many times I heard an explosion and then spend the next 4 hours typing reports and moving between Brigade HQ anbd the Ops Room transferring signals! We used to have to type a 24 hour Battalion report, copy it and distribute it throughout the Barracks at about 2am. When we finished out 24 hour duty at 9am, we still had to put a full days work in before we got any kip (Sleep) They were the best of times - and the worse of times also. I will always remember Eb with a smile and I'm shocked that no one is allowed to put a plaque on the site to remember our brothers who were killed there. Shame on whoever is responsible! Gerry
Jun 15 2008 08:20 pm
Arriving at Belfast City Airport straight out of training with no transport to meet you, not knowing what to expect and being only seventeen and a half, doesn't exactly fill a person with confidence.
I had only learned about Londonderry from what I had seen on the News - and to be fair when Londonderry was mentioned on the news, it was because a Soldier or Policeman had been killed or a large Bomb had gone off!
There were 5 of us travelling from England that day in January 1987, all of us straight out of the Junior Infantry Battalion in Ouston near Newcastle upon Tyne and none of us knew what to expect. After standing round Belfast Harbour Airport for over 3 hours, a minibus turned up and we set off on the 75 mile Journey to Londonderry. The Advance party had arrived just before Christmas to work up from the Anglians and we were given bunks up in the top end of camp in a room just behind the Club. we lived out of our Sausage Bags for 3 weeks till we got rooms in Rodney Block. I was assigned to work in the Orderly Room as a clerk. I was also "volunteered" to work 24 hour Guard Duty a few times because of my age. After signing out my SLR from the Armoury, I was given a serious lecture from the staff to "Hard Target" accross the parade Square because Snipers on the Cityside would be looking for Soldiers to shoot at. I ran my ass off accross the front of the Clock tower block and could remember hearing a lot of laughing and shouting behind me. At the time, I didn't find it funny but the Armoury staff were watching me running accross the open space jinking left and right, crouching down and the like. I didn't think at the time about the guys who were walking in the opposite direction to me looking at me like I was on something, Seems my initiation into Battalion life had begun with a simple lesson in the laws of probability. Thanks for the lesson LCpl Keith Moon REME! - Dave ex - 1 Green Howards
May 9 2008 09:54 pm
I was in 8 Inf Bde Spec Dog Section from Nov 73 until May 75. We were accommodated in the Clock Tower block, 1st floor to the left of the Tower looking at the block above the Dental Centre. BHQ for the unit at the time(1RRF)was in the single story building to the right. The NAAFI was where, I believe in later times, the Cpls Mess.
The dog kennels were across the square the other side of the wall and was accessed via some steps and a door. The WRAC block was the 2nd building up from the door to the kennels.
The Sig Sqn bar was at the time,I think, called the Onion Club?
I was tasked and located all over the Bde area, Creggan, Strabane, Magherfelt, Kilrea, Sion Mills, Dungiven, Toomebridge, etc.etc.
We used a chippy across the road from what was the Guard Room (Limavady Road entrance) called Cassoni's!
Used the other club at the 'top' of the barracks as well as being honorary members of the EOD bar.
That's all I can remember at the mo!
May 3 2008 02:33 pm
Were you a Soldier based in Ebrington Barracks during the conflict? did you serve your National Service at HMS Sea Eagle? Were you a Civilian Worker based in Londonderry? Yes?
This is the place to tell your story. Obviously we all are too aware of the security implications of revealing too many personal details - even today! but if you can indicate your Regiment/Corps/Service and the years served at Ebrington, it will help build up a fuller picture. Thanks.
