Lieutenant Stephen Kirby 1 RWF - 14th February 1979

[Bob Bacon]

[img2=left]http://rwf-forum.co.uk//vBulletin/images/misc/poppy.jpg[/img2]Lt Stephen Kirby was shot dead in Londonderry on the evening of the 14th February 1979. He was standing at the junction of Abercorn Rd/Wapping Lane overlooking the Craigavon Bridge. Lt Kirby was the first soldier to be killed in 1979.

His killer escaped firstly on foot via the Bluebell bar and then onto Lower Bennet Street travelling in a Radio Rentals van. The driver of the van was subsequently arrested. However, despite a massive effort by the security forces, the gunman had not been arrested before the Battalion had finished its tour of duty.

Lt Kirby was 22 years old and from Erith in Kent. He was a Platoon Commander in Bravo Company 1 RWF. He had joined his unit on the 10th August 1978. He was cremated after a funeral service at Whitstable in Kent. It was noted in Y Ddraig Goch 1980 “That through his conduct and service (he) won the liking and respect of all members of the Battalion who knew him. He will be sadly missed”.

In March 1979 four youths from the Creggan Estate were charged with Lt Kirby’s murder and, in an unusual move, they were granted bail. The men then turned up for the trial on the 13th October 1980. The judge then granted continuing bail, but aware that the prosecution was going to object to further bail, the four defendants went on the run in the Irish Republic.

In December 1988 the charges against the four were dropped, and they returned to Derry. The defendants complained that they had been living openly in the Republic, yet the RUC had never tried to extradite them, though they had left the arrest warrants for the men in place, effectively exiling them.

A painting of Lt Kirby was commissioned by his fellow officers and painted by Mrs Margaret Rechtmeier. The picture hangs in the Officers' Mess of the 1st Battalion.


Sources:

1. RWF Regimental Records Vol 7 - IBSN 0 9525408 9 4
2. Lost Lives - IBSN 1 84018 227 X
3. Y Ddraig Goch 1980

[Clive Hughes]

Hi,
though I'm a brand new forum member, I'd like to say that I knew Steve Kirby very well. We were in University together at Bangor, and both served in Delta Company of the 3rd RWF (TAVR), though he became an officer cadet and I stayed a squaddie!

He even took up archaeology at my behest and in 1977 spent a few weeks with me on the Roman Fort dig at Segontium, Caernarfon, and then at a Roman villa near St.Albans. At Caernarfon he was pleased to learn that the rusty old bit of iron he'd dug up was in fact a rare late-Imperial hand-thrown missile rather like a lethal dart.

I think he'd always wanted to be a soldier - he'd joined the "Sealed Knot" Civil War reenactors as a schoolboy. I've seen the information about his being from Erith in Ddraig Goch years ago, and am still puzzled by this, because he was very proud of being a "Man of Kent", from below the River Medway, whilst Erith is above it and you're called a "Kentish Man" if that's the case (so he said).

In fact the family lived at Whitstable, and I stayed with them there once. He'd lost his dad to cancer years before, and to my and my family's distress in 1977 at the College Graduation meal he quietly told us that his mum had just died of the same condition. From then on he was a sort of honorary member of our family. He had a couple of sisters, but I lost touch with them years ago.

I didn't see him after he went to Sandhurst, but received some photos of his passing-out and a couple of letters from Germany & Ulster, before hearing the news of his death on the radio. With other College friends I attended his funeral service (actually at Whitstable) and can still remember the men of his platoon in combats carrying the coffin, as well as the single flower resting on it from a girl he'd grown very close to in Northern Ireland. I had just got engaged myself and was about to write to him with the news, and pre-book him as Best Man. A good mutual friend, then serving with the Royal Signals, eventually did the duty instead.

As you can tell, the episode had quite an effect on me and I still bring him to mind on Remembrance Day. He was a good mate and close friend for four formative years of my life, and I don't think I'll ever forget him. RIP.

Thanks very much for remembering him in a posting.
Clive

[tom74]

With other College friends I attended his funeral service (actually at Whitstable) and can still remember the men of his platoon in combats carrying the coffin, as well as the single flower resting on it from a girl he'd grown very close to in Northern Ireland.

I remember him. I served with him, and I was one of men in combats carrying his coffin. He had the respect of all his platoon.

R.I.P.

[Ifan Price-Edwards]

Dear Bob,

I was just two streets away when Steven Kirby got shot. He was carrying out the predictable locking of the old City gates on the Eastern side, which was a B Coy responsibility. When the shot rang out, 7Pl, C Coy reacted and crossed the Coy TAOR. Cpl McGlory, a medic, tried to stem SK's bleeding; however, he had been mortally wounded. Our hot pursuit took us onto the Abercorn Rd where we found the probable firing point, and legged it down the possible escape route, coming across the getaway van in the Brandywell with both doors open and the engine running. My brick consisted of Fus Grabawski, Chris Jones 23 and either Mo Ullah, Crowley or Lock.

Steven had just got back from his R&R and had I believe got engaged, but was even less experienced as a 2Lt than I was, having only just joined the Bn in time for our Tin City training. Martin Meehan was his assassin, who never got caught and went on the run. It is ironic that he was KIA whilst on St Valentine's Day and that the remaining regimental subalterns never got to know him at all well, as he had only just arrived with the Colours.

A very sad moment in my life and for others moreover.

Ifan Price-Edwards

[davidrmac]

I was with Lt Steve Kirby that fateful night . With us were Paul Evans and Paul Richards . The events of that night had a dramatic effect on me and I probably grew into a man within 24 hours . He was a great guy who had a dry sense of humour but also seemed quiet and shy . I for one shall never forget him or Scouses efforts to revive him .
Mac McCarthy

[Fortyfive]

I remember that night. I was in Derek Mays brick on that tour & we had to do a op on the border that night to try to catch the gun man. It was a blood cold night as there was ice on the outside of the sleeping bag

[Davies GW]

As a TA soldier I never saw action and suspect that if I had I would have been a wreck. These types of stories bring forth strong emotions in me. I never knew the man, but the death of a man I never knew saddens me beyond words. I send my personal best wishes to Stephens family and hope that they get to read these words. For those involved, you have my undying admiration.

By writing these stories down you are preserving forever the memory of man who died serving his country and giving future generations an insite into a conflict that may seem very odd to them.

No other wars have been as widely recorded as the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan are these days. Lets hope that the personalisation of war to this extent will give our politicians pause for thought before they throw the lives of our comrades away. This is not to strip them of the courage of their convictions, but to realise that when soldiers do what they have to do, they and their families pay a price that no one else has to bear.

You can pay tribute to the courage of firemen, police officers and the emergency services but they can stop fill out a risk assessment and pull back. Soldiers can't. They go out on patrol and know someone WILL try and kill them. Not as a desperate attempt to escape or a terrible accident but as a cold and calculated decision to take their life. Very few people in our modern world face this level of danger and the British public need to be reminded of the sacrifice those men in green and sand coloured DPM make.

Wootton Bassett is a sign of the affection that the British public have for our military, the very least we can do is for one town to stop and pay silent tribute to those who died in action. What more could we do? Bring a private soldiers pay up to the level of firemens pay would be nice but will never happen.

Once again, my thoughts go out to Stephens family, to those of you who tried so hard to save that life and to those of you who remember a friend fondly.

[Bernie Ellery]

Mac , it has alway,s stayed with me to this day, i can remember seeing you stop and kneel over Lt kirby while irv pig(phelps) hession and myself did the follow up, we were all on the boil for the rest of that night and had people coming up to us expressing their sorrow at the murder of our comrade, never forgotten.

[jones20]

Not a 14th Of February goes by when I think of this shooting my birthday falls on the 13th and that was the day I returned back off my R&R along with Lt Kirby We were taking over the Sangers of P3 and P3A Spud Murphy was the section commander I remember getting out of the vehicle walking down the left hand side towards the junction at the time I still had the building line as protection I got to the end of the building line stopped looked to my left and saw Lt Kirby walking towards me and when he was about 12 feet away the fatal shot rang out and Lt Kirby went down I remembered cocking my rifle then running out grabbing him by the neck of his flak jacket and pulling him into cover where the medic went to work on him and Spud crashing Starlight which got there so quick and took him to hospital.We got on with taking over the sangers when we were later told that he had died as others have said a night they will never forget, you look at the continuing trouble over there now and wonder if it was all worth it.

[nasher546]

I cannot believe this was 35 years ago yesterday.

Rest in Peace Sir.