Soldiers' Stories Northern Ireland
7 videos • 42,117 views • by skinnymason 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of the British Army's arrival in Northern Ireland.. They were deployed on 14 August 1969 by the Wilson government, as law and order had broken down in the province. Over the next three decades some 300,000 British troops would serve in what became a war in all but name. Occasionally they were welcomed, more often, they were spat at, pelted with missiles or shot. Operation Banner ended at midnight on 31 July 2007 making it the longest continuous deployment in the British Army's history; but the memories of the soldiers who had served here would last a lot longer... This documentary for HISTORY, presented by former soldier Ken Hames and based on the in-depth interviews conducted by Northern Ireland veteran Ken Wharton for his books on The Troubles, provides a new and unique insight into the conflict in Northern Ireland. Soldiers have never before given such personal interviews and reveal stories of bombings, humour in the face of adversity, of strong comradeship and of heartache, from their own personal perspective. In the four decades that British troops were stationed in Northern Ireland they were subjected to bombings and shootings on a daily basis. This was a brutal and terrifying time that scarred all who served there. A Letter of Thanks During The Troubles over 1300 British Military personnel were killed, 6000 were wounded and over 3000 civilians were killed. There were no parades and no heroes welcome for the 300,000 soldiers who served in Northern Ireland and for those who came home their memories will last a lifetime. This is their story. Using first-hand accounts and personal memories, brought to life with archive footage and some dramatic reconstruction, this powerful documentary paints a vivid, unforgettable and personal picture of the lives of the soldiers during the last forty years in Northern Ireland. These soldiers' stories provide the viewer with a compelling perspective on The Troubles, never seen before.