Do you believe in fate?

Just following on from what Dilwyn (Tom 15) said in one of the earlier threads asking about Williams 31 and when Dilwyn was the CO's driver.

I was in Woodburn Camp (I think), N/Ireland, mid 70's and I was due to take a patrol out. When I got there Tom 12 (Mortars) had taken my Patrol out for me, no idea why. Normally the patrol Commander would drive the vehicle and as Tom 12 took my patrol out on this day he drove. I think the patrol were heading to BTN hq and went via Turf Lodge, a very posh part of N/Ireland, (Not!) when they came under fire.

Unfortunately Tom got shot, but it was not until they got to Btn HQ did he realise that he had been hit. Fortunately he only lost a lung and lived to tell the tale. I often tell the tale and wonder what would have happened if it had been me driving...........

Do you believe in fate?


Clive

I certainly do Clive, we both seemed to have had a couple of close shaves. I also remember one of our patrols being shot at and a round struck rubber bullets in one of the guys flak jacket pockets. I believe the force spun him around but did not actually hit him at all.
Fate I tell you.

Dil

well fate and woodburn camp seem to have a common thread as in the 81' tour hoggy hewitt then in the int cell was due to go out on the election run, picking up ballot papers or some such like and a guy called arnold (thats his second name can't remember his first ex royal marine if i remember right) swapped with him becuase he was bored and he caught a round in the shoulder , fate or luck who knows ?

There was an incident outside Fort Whiteroock, when there were report of youths filling bottles with petrol, 5 platoon were tasked to go and stop this, we arrived at the garage and there was no one there. The reports were still coming in and we were tasked a further 2 times. On the 3rd occasion we had a RRF bloke (CONCO) that decided to come with us that being 32 welchmen and one English man, when we arrived at the garage there were a number of shots and the RRF bloke went down. Not saying this was fate but how unlucky was he.

Hi Benny,
I recall that day well! The RRF guy was in fact “Tommo” who worked in the int cell with us and a very good guy to boot. We both diced to go with the platoon on what was a busy time, not only for Whiterock but for Belfast as a whole. When we deployed out of the back gate we proceed to the garage where Tommo took a position to the right and I to the left. The round that hit Tommo went through his arm and leg, however it proved not to be fatal and Tommo was back on the ground in a matter of months.

My enduring memory of the incident was seeing Peter (Charlie) Fenton sprinting up hill with Tommo on his shoulder towards the camp and with Richey “Erve” Irvine screaming at the Platoon up and at them, like a scene out of Black Adder goes forth.

We in fact missed the gunmen by a knats whisker, found the FP (Roy Price, Rickhard etc) and we ended up doing the SOCO report as RMP where flat out with other incidents.


“Fate” or wrong place at the wrong time! You decide.