The Fallen - Northern Ireland

[Aled Roberts]

Following on from the men who lost there lives in Malaya, I think we are missing Alan Coughlan from the roll under Northern Ireland.

I believe he was killed in a car bombing outside Ballykinler Army Base on the 28th October 1974.

Does anyone remember him?

Richard

[ap1]

I have his details Richard, Bob or myself may also have that write up. His headstone is DERR, he was fully accepted into the DERR family having been sent to that Bn at the end of his depot training. He never actually served with the regiment. Derek Adams was friends with him in the Depot and was able to confirm his history. I did post a write up for him which I suspect was lost when the website crashed a few years ago.

[Bob Bacon]

1974

• 28 October 1974 - Michael Swanick (20) and Alan Coughlan (22), both members of the British Army, were killed in a Provisional Irish Republican Army van bomb attack outside Ballykinler British Army base. The 300lb bomb, concealed in a delivery van parked on the opposite side of the road from the Sandes home at the base, exploded without warning causing the building to catch fire and collapse. It was completely gutted within minutes. Two soldiers died in the explosion, and 33 others, mainly soldiers but including two civilians, were injured in the attack.

In 1986 a memorial stone to the two soldiers who died was unveiled outside a new Sandes home built on the site of the one destroyed.

[steve bird]

chris hobbs denise o'connal and my-elf all new allan although he was a little younger than us we new him from our schoolday's and he did join 1 rwf we were on our way home from hong kong alan was seconded to the derr and later tranferred to them i last seen him when we were on leave from hong kong gone but not forgotten.

[ap1]

Thanks Steve, to my knowledge your the first person ever to confirm that Alan served with the 1st Bn. When we write them, we do try and ensure accuracy, but sometimes small detail is missed. I have found the picture of his headstone, but not the write up yet. I will look at it over the next few days.

[Bob Lloyd]

You are right Al accuracy is important but recruits join a Regiment and are then posted to a unit which could be 1RWF or any other unit. Only those serving with 1RWF, including those attached, are members of 1RWF. All those serving away are still RWF but not 1RWF. It is a common misunderstanding many have. Often Royal Welchmen write that their Regiment is 1RWF when it is really RWF. Being a knowledgable military historian I know you know this, but just checking! Hwyl fawr, Bob

[ap1]

I'm glad this thread has been raised. When I originally wrote the pieces for The Fallen. I obtained some of the info about Alan from a DERR site called "The Farmers Boys". Looking today, I see his name is no longer on their roll of honour, which greatly concerns me. Especially as his headstone is a DERR Capbadge(Dutch Holland visited the grave in Newport and took the picture). I will work with Bob Bacon and get a replacement article posted on our site.

I take your point about RWF/1RWF Bob. I would assure you all he wasn't forgotten. He originally was in The Fallen as he was cap badged RWF, but the details of many obits were lost during the site crash a few years ago, including his. Until Steve's post we were unaware he had made it to the battalion.

Thanks for all your comments.

[Rog Ball 01]

Al,

With the knowledge you have on Alan, could you place a piece on 'The Fallen' as I did for John Roser?

[Aled Roberts]

Thanks for this Al, and everyone else who has been good enough to post.

Good work. These things are important.