1989 Deal barracks bombing
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| Deal barracks bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Royal Marine barracks, Deal, United Kingdom |
| Target(s) | Royal Marines School of Music |
| Date | September 22, 1989
|
| Attack Type | Bomb |
| Fatalities | 11 |
| Injuries | 21 |
| Perpetrator(s) | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
The 1989 Deal barracks bombing took place on September 22, 1989 in the Royal Marines barracks at Deal, Kent, England.
At 8:30 GMT, a loud explosion occurred inside the barracks, devastating the recreation centre of the Staff Band at the Royal Marines School of Music. Ten musicians were killed instantly, and twenty-two were injured, most of whom were teenagers. The blast was clearly audible across the town, shaking windows in the centre of Deal, nearly two miles (3.2 km) away. The 150lb bomb, which had been placed in the recreation centre, also destroyed the three floors of the adjoining accommodation centre, as well as damaging several nearby houses. One marine would die a month later from injuries sustained in the explosion.
The Provisional Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was a continuation of their campaign to rid Northern Ireland of all British troops (who had been deployed in the region for nearly twenty years). Many people, including opposition MPs, were outraged that the military base was being guarded in places by employees of a private security firm. Security would be reviewed at all military installations in the United Kingdom and abroad, including West Germany, where five attacks were carried out by the PIRA against troops stationed there. The barracks in Deal were henceforth guarded by armed Marines.
The Deal bombing was not the first nor the last to occur in the UK against military outposts. In August 1988, a barracks in north London was bombed, and in February 1989, the headquarters of the Parachute Regiment in Shropshire was destroyed by three explosions.
A week after the attack, the remaining members of the band marched in the streets of Deal, leaving a gap in their ranks for each bandsman unable to take part in the performance due to death or injury.
No one was ever caught or convicted for the bombing in Deal.
[edit] List of fatalities
- Musician Michael F. Ball
- Musician John A. Cleatheroe
- Band Corporal Trevor E. Davies
- Musician Richard G. Fice
- Musician Richard M. Jones
- Band Corporal David McMillan
- Musician Christopher R. Nolan - Died on 18 October from his injuries
- Band Corporal Dean P. Pavey
- Musician Mark T. Petch
- Musician Timothy J. Reeves
- Musician Robert L. Simmonds
