Sometimes Keith you tell one of these historical moments and it's like the equivalent of picking up a good book and you can't put the bloody thing down! Tremendous viewing this one, well done.
Thank you very much Martin, I try to get better at this, but as you know I'm no history teller, and I don't read from a script so often I get things a little wrong. Luckily there are people out there that put me right.
I failed my Pre-SAS selection in 1969 and was sent to Ulster. My Unit was soon sampling the Joy's of OP Banner. Then off to Londonderry for "A break " followed by my last move to Palace Barracks. At least the grub was Excellent ! And the Parachute jump from a tactical take-off was quite a surprising event. Soon the next memory to enjoy was flying to Bermuda but it coincided with the The Governor being assassinated. Never a dull moment in my Army life ! Best Wishes to all Tabbers 👍
An excellent recounting of the escape. I was in Londonderry at the time and remember it being on the news constantly, but this is the first time I have heard the story of how the prisoners actually pulled off the escape. 👍
Gd day m8ty u ok etc brother? Hoping ur all ok n well an family members brother blessing to u all brother top show n channel guy's keep this up n rolling out mucker!! 😊
Really interesting description of something I'd forgotten about & read up on UA-cam/internet etc. Keith describes it so clearly, with an ex-soldier's perspective, but whatever he may have thought about it at the time, still manages to describe it in a fairly neutral way which adds credibility to him. Whatever you think about the escapees & the deeds that got them banged up, I don't think "civilian casualties" were part of the plan on that occasion. Though a quite likely side-effect perhaps
I was an officer working in a max security prison on the Isle of Wight at the time of the breakout.We had intelligence/ information of a possible escape and so we were searching all the high risk inmates every couple of hours, the info was partially correct, it was an Ireland prison just not the Isle of Wight .
Was up at the site of the Crumlin Road jail not long back, it's actually a tourist attraction. Also has a fully functional restaurant, and holds small concerts and shows. Only one tower left standing. Very interesting place to walk through and around. Personally I never done any of the prisons, usually stuck our Regiment around the border.
Yep, I did the MAZE/ Belfast tour 82-83 I think we handed over to the Royal Artillery I believe. We were told that the prisoners had informers on the outside and if they thought we were slacking the prisoners would try it on.
Great video Keith! I have been watching the You Tube series "A Troubled Land". Very timely. I don't think any Army in the world could have dealt with that whole situation in a more appropriate manner than the Brits. Terrible situation for any soldier to be put in. It proves that any two groups can get together and find multiple reasons to hate each other. I wonder if "the troubles" are actually over or just on a hiatus. Still crazy stuff going on. All the best. Chuck
The troubles as we know it, are basically over. Don't be fooled, that they all handed in their weapons, yes they handed in all the older stuff, and buried the good more modern weapons, for a rainy day. Occasionally things happen, nothing too bad, so doesn't even make the news. On the whole, things are quiet, but it still simmers away in the background.
I was involved in the response to that event. I rolled out of HQNI with Tevni. Telegraph Equipment vehicle NI. I was the nco in charge of the commcen. It was a feckin nightmare for us. The NI Rep they gave us to send was about 30 pages long, and classified immediate. Given that the max time allowed for an immediate signal was 10 minutes we had no feckin chance. I sent it by road to the Commcen at hqni, then downgraded the electronic version to priority so we had a fighting chance to meet the timeframe. The Ruperts were whinging like feck. They just did not get it that you can not classify a signal as immediate when they have written war and peace for fecks sake. They caught one of the feckers in the river lagan, he was laying on the bottom of the river just at the river bank breathing through a bicycle tire innertube. But the sun was shining very brightly. And the boys saw him lying on the bottom of the river.
They escaped from Mountjoy prison if I recall correctly by hijacking a helicopter and it's pilot, landing in the prison yard and flying off with three IRA prisoners much to the embarrassment of the Irish government. In Crumlin Road jail, eight IRA men escaped and were nicknamed 'The Crumlin Kangaroo's' and of course there was the HMS Maidstone escape in which seven IRA men plastered their bodies in butter, cut a hole, presumably in the side of the ship, slid down a metal cable into the cold water of the Belfast Lough wherein they proceeded to swim back to shore. It's said they simply boarded a public bus at that point ending up in the relative safety of the 'Markets' area, a republican stronghold. I gather the bus driver didn't or wouldn't connect any dots that might explain why seven drenched men plastered in butter boarded his vehicle.
Alright mate. It wasn't so much the UDA back in the day but the UVF that had musta parades and training weapons politics history etc! the UDA was a legal origination for years! Gerry Kelly was the one who shot the P O in the back of the head and then under the agreement became an MLA in the Stormount government, we in Northern Ireland have no democracy its democracy by black mail!!! SF can never be voted out full stop! My dad was Royal Ulster Riffles and latter UDR. The hunger strikes were blamed on Thatcher but it was the previous labour government that took away the special cat that lead to the dirty protest and hunger strikes, over that period outside was bad British soldiers getting it left right and centre police getting it big time and as you said prison officers as well, as for most UDR soldiers they were not to bad as most lived in Prod loyalist areas and were protected by paramilitary's who patrolled said areas, most that were killed or injured were either on duty or going or coming home from work. Bad bad days and after years the terrorists were all rewarded and let out, so if you were or are of a certain persuasion lets say and if you wanted to start something then you already know the UK government at some point will give you what yous want! that's the only message here. We were lucky where we lived it was made up of RUC and UDR and loyalists so when dad was on duty mum had a 44 upstairs and the neighbours next door who would be off duty kept watch and on alert in case something was to happen. Growing up for a time there was fantastic 4 & 5 years of age being in the living room with soldiers and guns lol they would all be having a drink and showing me and letting me hold guns lol as a kid and action man mad it was the best thing ever. I keep saying this If you look at Gerry or wee Marty they were not even treated in the same way as a certain Tommy Robinson! Tommy just speaks where as they allegedly have a hell of a lot of blood on their hands allegedly!!!! The good thing is is that SF there own are turning on them now because they see them for what they really are, even in west Belfast a lot see them as traitors and down south during the elections there members were being chased out. It was all for nothing sadly on all sides.
When I was growing up in East Belfast, most of the paramilitaries were mainly UDA. They even had the HQ building on the Newtownards road. My first memory of them, was 1974 the period of the Workers strike. I was walking to Elmgrove Primary school on the Beersbridge Road. As I came out of walkway onto the road, the UDA had hijacked a bus, parked it across the road, just where the Avoniel walkway starts. They stopped us going to school, stood there with masks on, and carrying the homemade Tommy Guns, well the shipyard made ones. For me and my age group, around 7 years old, was an exciting, but dangerous time. These days my area in East Belfast is more UVF orientated, as they are always fighting among themselves. If I hadn't joined the Army, I'm pretty sure as a young 16 year old in 1984, I would have ended up in the paramilitaries. I could see myself getting slowly dragged into them. Best thing I done was to get away at that particular time.
@@LetsTab59-bd4fdIt was actually earmarked to be the location of our brand new National Stadium, for football, rugby and Gaelic Football. However, due to the history of the place, it got shelved. Other things played a part in it being shelved, no transport links and such like. Certainly the history, was the biggest reason.
Sometimes Keith you tell one of these historical moments and it's like the equivalent of picking up a good book and you can't put the bloody thing down! Tremendous viewing this one, well done.
Thank you very much Martin, I try to get better at this, but as you know I'm no history teller, and I don't read from a script so often I get things a little wrong. Luckily there are people out there that put me right.
His facts are wrong
thanks that's exactly it well said
I failed my Pre-SAS selection in 1969 and was sent to Ulster. My Unit was soon sampling the Joy's of OP Banner. Then off to Londonderry for "A break " followed by my last move to Palace Barracks. At least the grub was Excellent ! And the Parachute jump from a tactical take-off was quite a surprising event. Soon the next memory to enjoy was flying to Bermuda but it coincided with the The Governor being assassinated. Never a dull moment in my Army life ! Best Wishes to all Tabbers 👍
Don’t worry I’m a 2 time loser I failed 2 selection’s 😂😂😂 they did however invite me back for a third which is almost unheard of 😂
Love listening to your content while I work great stuff thanks
Thank you very much for your support 🙏 🫡🪖
An excellent recounting of the escape. I was in Londonderry at the time and remember it being on the news constantly, but this is the first time I have heard the story of how the prisoners actually pulled off the escape. 👍
Thank you 👍
Gd day m8ty u ok etc brother? Hoping ur all ok n well an family members brother blessing to u all brother top show n channel guy's keep this up n rolling out mucker!! 😊
All good here Jay, thank you brother. Stay safe. All our best wishes to you from both of us ❤️ 🫡🪖🇬🇧
Just in in time for my birthday and a story of Operation Banner, i couldn't ask better. Thanks mate
Happy birthday! And thank you for your support 🙏
I enjoyed this alot. I remember the headline but I knew nothing about it Keith. Thank you sir!
Thank you Buz 👍
Really great Keith.
Your content is very interesting, love listening to you and the various subjects that you cover.
Thank you kindly Mark
Great chat Keith 👍. It's nice to see that you are getting more subscribers. All the best.
Thanks 👍
God bless you sir. Keeping going. You keep us in touch..
Thank you Alan 👍 all the best mate
Nice one Keith, very well told, and very interesting, keep up the good work, well at least consider it!!
🤣🤣🤣brilliant cheers Alan 🍻
Fantastic as usual Keith 🫡
Cheers Michael 🫡
Brill Keith keep it up bud
Will do Kenny all the best mate 👍
Really interesting description of something I'd forgotten about & read up on UA-cam/internet etc. Keith describes it so clearly, with an ex-soldier's perspective, but whatever he may have thought about it at the time, still manages to describe it in a fairly neutral way which adds credibility to him. Whatever you think about the escapees & the deeds that got them banged up, I don't think "civilian casualties" were part of the plan on that occasion. Though a quite likely side-effect perhaps
Many thanks 🫡👍
I was an officer working in a max security prison on the Isle of Wight at the time of the breakout.We had intelligence/ information of a possible escape and so we were searching all the high risk inmates every couple of hours, the info was partially correct, it was an Ireland prison just not the Isle of Wight .
we was based up in fort whiterock at the time of the breakout. down we all went to kennedy way west belfast checking everything hours upon hours vcps.
Loved my time at the Maze and Crumlin road doing the PGF tours. Remember those towers like it was yesterday
Was up at the site of the Crumlin Road jail not long back, it's actually a tourist attraction. Also has a fully functional restaurant, and holds small concerts and shows. Only one tower left standing. Very interesting place to walk through and around. Personally I never done any of the prisons, usually stuck our Regiment around the border.
They were classed as political prisoners.
I don't remember this, I remember the Hunger strike, but not a mass break out. I would have only been 9 at the time. Another fascinating story.
Thank you Simon 👍
Was a dog handler at Long Kesh in early 1972 patrolling interior and perimeter.
Yep, I did the MAZE/ Belfast tour 82-83 I think we handed over to the Royal Artillery I believe. We were told that the prisoners had informers on the outside and if they thought we were slacking the prisoners would try it on.
Great video Keith! I have been watching the You Tube series "A Troubled Land". Very timely. I don't think any Army in the world could have dealt with that whole situation in a more appropriate manner than the Brits. Terrible situation for any soldier to be put in. It proves that any two groups can get together and find multiple reasons to hate each other. I wonder if "the troubles" are actually over or just on a hiatus. Still crazy stuff going on. All the best. Chuck
The troubles as we know it, are basically over. Don't be fooled, that they all handed in their weapons, yes they handed in all the older stuff, and buried the good more modern weapons, for a rainy day. Occasionally things happen, nothing too bad, so doesn't even make the news. On the whole, things are quiet, but it still simmers away in the background.
I was involved in the response to that event. I rolled out of HQNI with Tevni. Telegraph Equipment vehicle NI. I was the nco in charge of the commcen. It was a feckin nightmare for us.
The NI Rep they gave us to send was about 30 pages long, and classified immediate. Given that the max time allowed for an immediate signal was 10 minutes we had no feckin chance.
I sent it by road to the Commcen at hqni, then downgraded the electronic version to priority so we had a fighting chance to meet the timeframe. The Ruperts were whinging like feck.
They just did not get it that you can not classify a signal as immediate when they have written war and peace for fecks sake.
They caught one of the feckers in the river lagan, he was laying on the bottom of the river just at the river bank breathing through a bicycle tire innertube. But the sun was shining very brightly. And the boys saw him lying on the bottom of the river.
Should have been kept for asylum seekers
Brilliant idea
I was serving out there when that happened what a stinker that was our coy was at fort White rock west Belfast.
Both the RUC and British Army didn't want the members of Catherlic Terrorists and Pro Terrorists to prison without ⚖️ it was the British Government.
Kieth have you got any old disused ww2 Army camps near you ? Any Nissan huts around ? 🔥
There are a few old RAF Bases 😆
I heard about when i was station in uk i 80s
They escaped from Mountjoy prison if I recall correctly by hijacking a helicopter and it's pilot, landing in the prison yard and flying off with three IRA prisoners much to the embarrassment of the Irish government. In Crumlin Road jail, eight IRA men escaped and were nicknamed 'The Crumlin Kangaroo's' and of course there was the HMS Maidstone escape in which seven IRA men plastered their bodies in butter, cut a hole, presumably in the side of the ship, slid down a metal cable into the cold water of the Belfast Lough wherein they proceeded to swim back to shore. It's said they simply boarded a public bus at that point ending up in the relative safety of the 'Markets' area, a republican stronghold. I gather the bus driver didn't or wouldn't connect any dots that might explain why seven drenched men plastered in butter boarded his vehicle.
😂 Just another day at work. Cheese, anyone?❤
❤️🫡
H 7 sounds like the problem children 😂😂😂
🤣imagine being a PO and trying to keep them in line
Alright mate. It wasn't so much the UDA back in the day but the UVF that had musta parades and training weapons politics history etc! the UDA was a legal origination for years! Gerry Kelly was the one who shot the P O in the back of the head and then under the agreement became an MLA in the Stormount government, we in Northern Ireland have no democracy its democracy by black mail!!! SF can never be voted out full stop! My dad was Royal Ulster Riffles and latter UDR. The hunger strikes were blamed on Thatcher but it was the previous labour government that took away the special cat that lead to the dirty protest and hunger strikes, over that period outside was bad British soldiers getting it left right and centre police getting it big time and as you said prison officers as well, as for most UDR soldiers they were not to bad as most lived in Prod loyalist areas and were protected by paramilitary's who patrolled said areas, most that were killed or injured were either on duty or going or coming home from work. Bad bad days and after years the terrorists were all rewarded and let out, so if you were or are of a certain persuasion lets say and if you wanted to start something then you already know the UK government at some point will give you what yous want! that's the only message here. We were lucky where we lived it was made up of RUC and UDR and loyalists so when dad was on duty mum had a 44 upstairs and the neighbours next door who would be off duty kept watch and on alert in case something was to happen. Growing up for a time there was fantastic 4 & 5 years of age being in the living room with soldiers and guns lol they would all be having a drink and showing me and letting me hold guns lol as a kid and action man mad it was the best thing ever. I keep saying this If you look at Gerry or wee Marty they were not even treated in the same way as a certain Tommy Robinson! Tommy just speaks where as they allegedly have a hell of a lot of blood on their hands allegedly!!!! The good thing is is that SF there own are turning on them now because they see them for what they really are, even in west Belfast a lot see them as traitors and down south during the elections there members were being chased out. It was all for nothing sadly on all sides.
When I was growing up in East Belfast, most of the paramilitaries were mainly UDA. They even had the HQ building on the Newtownards road. My first memory of them, was 1974 the period of the Workers strike. I was walking to Elmgrove Primary school on the Beersbridge Road. As I came out of walkway onto the road, the UDA had hijacked a bus, parked it across the road, just where the Avoniel walkway starts. They stopped us going to school, stood there with masks on, and carrying the homemade Tommy Guns, well the shipyard made ones. For me and my age group, around 7 years old, was an exciting, but dangerous time. These days my area in East Belfast is more UVF orientated, as they are always fighting among themselves. If I hadn't joined the Army, I'm pretty sure as a young 16 year old in 1984, I would have ended up in the paramilitaries. I could see myself getting slowly dragged into them. Best thing I done was to get away at that particular time.
i saw some thing on tv about Maze being raze to ground about yr ago
Yes, apparently just one H Block still stands, was talk about it becoming a peace and reconciliation centre.
@@LetsTab59-bd4fdIt was actually earmarked to be the location of our brand new National Stadium, for football, rugby and Gaelic Football. However, due to the history of the place, it got shelved. Other things played a part in it being shelved, no transport links and such like. Certainly the history, was the biggest reason.
Didn't 12 men die for prisoner of war status
Ok
Film great escape, how many times we get out
Ok
Not know paramilitaries anyone as long as you were taig
Ok
I'm being paid to do it ,the pira never were
Well done you
Killed in action so to speak?
Ok
My cousin led it 😂😂😂😂
Ok