In February 1973 Italian-American gangster, who was dubbed “The Prime Minister of the Underworld”, Frank Costello, died of a heart attack. One of Frank's famous quotes was “There’s no justice in this world”. In Northern Ireland at the time, the sentiment was the same in the loyalist community, which began to strike, rally and inflict terror in the region.
Political Developments in February 1973
After two years, Harry Tuzo was replaced as General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland by Frank King. During his tenure, after consultation with Whitehall, Tuzo was the one that had ordered Operation Motorman, which sent 30,000 troops into Republican-dominated 'no-go' areas of West Belfast and Derry to take back control. He would later be appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on the 2nd of June 1973.
February 1973 had seen a continuation of the resistance against internment in Northern Ireland. On the 3rd of February, 2wo Loyalists were detained, and then subsequently interned (5th February 1973), because of their alleged involvement in the killing of an innocent Catholic man. Following their arrest, a crowd of approximately 2,000 marched in protest to the Castlereagh RUC station to demand the release of the two men.
Following the decision to intern the two Loyalists, there was a call for a general strike under the auspices of the United Loyalist Council. Although Internment had been introduced on Monday 9th of August 1971 and hundreds of Catholics / Nationalists had been arrested and interned, this was the first time that Protestants had been held under the Detention of Terrorists Order. This decision was to lead to a strike by Loyalists and an upsurge in Loyalist violence.
On the 6th of February, although several 'moderate' Unionist politicians called on people not to heed the call by the United Loyalist Council for a region-wide strike, by the evening cuts in the electricity supply began to affect Belfast. The ULC strike officially began the following day, on the 7th of February 1973.
The United Loyalist Council, led by William Craig, the then-leader of Ulster Vanguard, organised a one-day general strike. The ULC was an umbrella group which co-ordinated the activities of the Loyalist Association of Workers, the UDA, and several other Loyalist paramilitary groups. The strike aimed to "re-establish some kind of Protestant or loyalist control over the affairs in the province, especially over security policy". Many areas of Northern Ireland were affected by power cuts and public transport was also badly affected. These in turn had the effect of closing many businesses, shops and schools.
Loyalist paramilitary groups used 'persuasion' or intimidation to force many people from going to work and also to close any premises which had opened. Several RUC stations were attacked by crowds of Loyalists. There were also many violent incidents throughout the day with the worst of them centred around Belfast.
The strike was not very well supported by the Protestant population of Northern Ireland. Many Unionists were upset by the level of violence that accompanied the strike.
Public records that were released on the 1st of January 2003 contained a document from the 9th of February that provided an overview of the situation in Northern Ireland as seen by British Intelligence. On the document, there is a note that names have been "deleted and retained under Section 3(4)" before the release.
On page 2, paragraph 6, there is an interesting report on the movements of suspected Republican leaders.
"It has been reliably reported that ADAMS (who has been the Provisionals Brigade Adjutant in BELFAST) is now in DUBLIN as assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Provisional IRA and that the latter is #####. It is alleged that #### [ADAMS] was given this appointment to provide representation from the North among Provisional leaders in the South, and also to please the younger elements of the Provisionals in BELFAST."
On the 15th of February, Albert Browne, then a member of the UDA, was found guilty of killing a member of the RUC in October 1972. Initially, Browne was sentenced to death but this was later commuted to life imprisonment. The death penalty was later abolished as part of the Emergency Provisions Act.
As rallies and protests continued, William Craig, then leader of Vanguard, addressed a rally in the Ulster Hall, Belfast on the 17th of February. In his speech, Craig said;
"Much though we wish to maintain the Union we should all be seriously thinking of an independent dominion of Ulster".
Shootings in February 1973
01/02/73 - British soldier William Boardley (30), was shot dead in an IRA sniper attack while he was manning a Vehicle Check Point, Meeting House Street, Strabane, County Tyrone.
02/02/73 - James Greer (21), a Protestant civilian, was shot by the IRA at his workplace, a paint store, off Springfield Road, Belfast. The reason remains unknown.
02/02/73 - The body of Patrick Brady (28), a member of the Catholic Ex-Servicemen's Association, was found in an abandoned car, on Maurice Street, off Springfield Road, Belfast. It’s believed loyalist paramilitaries were responsible.
02/02/73 - UDA member Robert Burns (18), was killed in an IRA drive-by gun attack on the Oldpark Road, Belfast.
03/02/73 - Civilian Alfredo Fusco (56), was shot and killed by the UDA at his cafe, York Road, Belfast.
03/02/73 - IRA member James Sloan (19), was shot dead by the UDA from a passing car while standing outside Lynch's Bar, corner of Antrim Road and New Lodge Road, Belfast.
04/02/73 - IRA volunteer Anthony Campbell (19) and Catholic civilians Ambrose Hardy (26), Brendan Maguire (33), and John Loughran (35), were shot dead by British Army snipers at the junction of Edlingham Street and New Lodge Road, Belfast.
04/02/73 - The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian, Seamus Gilmore (18), at his workplace, Mount Pleasant Filling Station, Ballysillan Road, Belfast.
04/02/73 - IRA member James McCann (18), died shortly after being shot by the UDA from a passing car, while standing outside Lynch's Bar, corner of New Lodge Road and Antrim Road, Belfast.
04/02/73 - Civilian John Boyd (33), was found shot, by the side of Connswater River, off Severn Street, Belfast. It’s believed loyalist paramilitaries were responsible.
07/02/73 - UDA member Glenn Clarke (18), was kidnapped by the IRA and later found shot dead off Hallidays Road, New Lodge, Belfast.
07/02/73 - The British Army shot dead UVF member Robert Bennett (31), during a riot on Albertbridge Road, Belfast.
07/02/73 - The UDA shot dead fireman Brian Douglas (26), who was fighting a blaze during street disturbances, in Bradbury Place, Belfast.
07/02/73 - UDA member Andrew Petherbridge (18), was shot by the British Army during street disturbances, at the junction of Newtownards Road and Newcastle Street, Belfast.
08/02/73 - RUC officer Charles Morrison (26), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while sitting in a stationary patrol car, in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
08/02/73 - Civilian Hugh Connolly (38), was shot at the rear of his home by the British Army, Oranmore Street, Falls, Belfast.
14/02/73 - British soldier Edwin Weston (20), was shot dead by an IRA while patrolling the Divis Flats complex, West Belfast.
17/02/73 - Catholic civilian Francis Taggart (20), was found dead in his car on Watt Street, Belfast. He had been shot by the UDA.
18/02/73 - The UVF killed Catholic civilians Anthony Coleman (30) and David McAleese (38), in a drive-by shooting on Divis Street, Belfast.
19/02/73 - Protestant civilian William Cooke (29), was found shot dead at Wolfhill Quarry on the edge of Belfast. The UVF killed him as an alleged informer.
19/02/73 - St Brigid's Catholic Church in Derryvolgie Avenue came under attack during the night. Several shots were fired at the church and the remaining 5 people inside it. No one was injured in the attack. It is believed the UDA did the shooting.
20/02/73 - British soldiers Malcolm Shaw (23) and Robert Pearson (19), were shot dead when their mobile patrol was ambushed by IRA snipers in Cupar Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
21/02/73 - British soldier Michael Doyle (20), was killed in an IRA gun attack on Fort Pegasus British Army base, Whiterock, Belfast.
27/02/73 - RUC officers Raymond Wylie (25) and Ronald MacAuley (42) were shot dead while on mobile patrol during an IRA sniper attack, Aghagallon, near Moira, County Antrim. Wylie died at the scene and MacAuley died from his wounds on the 25th of March 1973.
28/02/73 - British soldier Alan Kennington (20), was killed in an IRA gun attack while on foot patrol, Crumlin Road, Ardoyne, Belfast.
28/02/73 - Civilian Kevin Heatley (12), was shot by the British Army near his home, Main Avenue, Derrybeg, Newry, County Down.
Bombings, Rocket Attacks and Grenades in February 1973
01/02/73 - UDA volunteers threw a grenade onto a bus at Kingsway Park, Belfast, killing the bus driver, Patrick Heenan (50). This was the first attack in which the name "Ulster Freedom Fighters" (UFF) was used to claim responsibility. It was later established that the UFF was a cover name which members of the UDA used to claim responsibility for the killing of Catholics.
06/02/73 - British soldier Michael Murtagh (22) was killed in an IRA rocket attack on an Armoured Personnel Carrier, Servia Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
07/02/73 - There were eight bombings and thirty-five acts of arsons on the night of the one-day general strike.
10/02/73 - IRA volunteers Leonard O'Hanlon (23) and Vivienne Fitzsimmons (17), were killed when a bomb they were assembling exploded prematurely in the grounds of Castleward National Trust Estate, near Strangford, County Down.
25/02/73 - A child, Gordon Gallagher (9), was killed after he accidentally triggered an IRA booby trap bomb which had been planted at the rear of his home, Leenan Gardens, Creggan, Derry.
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