William Fleming (Irish republican)

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For other persons of the same name, see William Fleming.

William James Paul Fleming ((Irish Liam Seamus Pól Ó Pléamonn), (born 1965 – 6 December 1984), was a volunteer in the Derry Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from the predominantly Protestant "Top Of The Hill" area of the Waterside, Derry, Northern Ireland.

Fleming was killed along with fellow volunteer Danny Doherty after they were ambushed in the grounds of Gransha Hospital by Special Air Service (SAS) and 14 Intelligence Company soldiers of the British Army on 6 December 1984.[1][2][3]

Contents

[edit] Background

Fleming was the sixth of seven children and the youngest of four sons of Leo and Betty Fleming. Fleming grew up in the Waterside area to the east of Derry City. Three of Flemings brothers were interned during the Troubles and his wider family were also involved in the republican movement. [4][5][6]

Fleming had worked in a number of pubs in the Derry area, and in the months prior to his death had been working at the Rocking Chair Bar in Derry. He was noted as having a quiet and jovial disposition which suited his profession as a barman.

In 1984 Fleming spent a week in Hydebank Detention Centre in Belfast after he refused to pay a fine he was given after being found guilty of damaging a RUC vehicle.[7]

William Fleming was a cousin of Ciaran Fleming. They died within four days of each other, both while with Active Service Units. His sister Lynn Fleming is a Sinn Féin representative for the Waterside area.[8]

[edit] Paramilitary activities

Fleming became a member of Na Fianna Éireann during his early teens and later joined the IRA when he turned 17. Fleming spent much of his formative years imprisoned in the republican H-Blocks of HMP Maze.

On December 6, 1984, Fleming and Doherty were driving a motorbike into the grounds of Gransha Psychiatric Hospital, approximately 4 miles from Derry City Centre. The hospital was also the administrative headquarters of the Western Health and Social Services Board. It was reported at the time that the pair were at the hospital in an attempt to kill an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment who worked at the hospital as there was a shift change at the hospital at 8am. [2][9] The SAS unit were aware that an IRA operation had been planned to take place in the vicinity of the hospital after receiving a tip-off. A SAS unit from the Londonderry Detachment of 14 Intelligence Company, without the knowledge of the RUC or the hospital authorities, were on duty at the hospital for two weeks prior to December 6, however they had little prior information as to the details of the operation. [10]

At 8am an unmarked car driven by a member of the SAS rammed into the motorbike, dislodging Fleming from the pillion seat and causing it to go out of control. [7] After Fleming had been knocked from the motorbike, [4][11], two further SAS troopers shot him, claiming he was armed and posed a direct threat. The bike then mounted a kerb and threw Doherty to the ground. Forensic evidence showed that a further six shots hit Doherty while he was on the ground,[4] and Fleming's autopsy showed that he had four gunshot wounds to his head and 56 to his trunk and torso. [7] During the inquest into the shootings, the coroner stated that Doherty had three gunshot wounds to the head and a further twenty one shots to his body.[9]

[edit] Reactions to the killings

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Peter Barry, stated that "in Northern Ireland, under British rule, it was the army who set the ambush - it was an ambush, nothing else. No attempt to arrest was made. The men were shot dead without any chance to surrender".[7]

Bishop Edward Daly commented that "do members of the Army have the right to use more force than appears necessary".[7]

Gregory Campbell Democratic Unionist Party spokesman said "I am delighted that the two IRA men were intercepted and executed by the undercover army unit. The only way the IRA will be dealt with is when they are executed. They deal in death and must be dealt with in death".[3]

John Hume then Social Democratic and Labour Party leader told the House of Commons, "This raises very fundamental questions as to whether the authorities have abandoned the rule of law, and whether we are now in a war situation."[3]

[edit] Funeral

Fleming's funeral procession departed from the Waterside and combined with the procession of Danny Doherty which came from the Creggan estate on the north side of the city. The funeral was the largest in Derry City since the death of hunger striker Patsy O'Hara. Both coffins had been dressed in the customary fashion with Irish tricolours and a colour party of IRA volunteers fired volleys of shots over the coffins.

In excess of 3,000 mourners followed the funeral procession to the City Cemetery in Derry where Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness gave the graveside oration, and stated: "We are an occupied country and those brave enough to fight repression deserve nothing but respect and unfailing support from us all. Only the IRA can bring Britain to the negotiating table."[4][7][10]

[edit] Judicial review of SAS soldiers' prosecution

In November 2004, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland decided not to prosecute three of the SAS soldiers involved in the killing of Fleming and Doherty[11].

Julie Doherty, the widow of Danny Doherty, submitted an application for a judicial review to be held into the killing of her husband and Fleming. This application was dismissed by Mr Justice Girvan. In his reserved judgement, Girvan said the decision not to prosecute could not be challenged as it was based on the prosecutor's assessment of the evidence. In addition, Girvan stated "The no prosecution decision was made in 1986. In 2004 it is much too late for the applicant to seek effectively to re-open a decision made in 1986 and not challenged within a reasonable time thereafter."

Though the application for the judicial review failed, the jury at Doherty's inquest did criticise the five man army unit for not attempting to arrest him or inform the RUC of the operation earlier, through which they suggested his life might have been saved. [12]

[edit] External links

  • Willie and Danny - Song about the killing of Daniel Doherty and William Fleming.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "CAIN Index of Deaths". CAIN. Retrieved on 13 March 2007.
  2. ^ a b British Troops Ambush And Kill 2 I.R.A. Men. New York Times (7 December 1984). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  3. ^ a b c Lost Lives, 2007 edition, p1002, IBSN 987-1-84018-504-1
  4. ^ a b c d Shane Mac Thomáis (4 December 2004). Four Derry Volunteers killed in action - Remembering the Past. An Phoblacht. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  5. ^ Tírghrá, National Commemoration Centre, 2002. PB) ISBN 0-9542946-0-2 p.267
  6. ^ Taylor, Peter (1997). Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin. Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 36. ISBN 0-7475-3818-2. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f Murray, Raymond (1993). The SAS in Ireland. The Mercier Press, pp. 321 - 343. ISBN 0-85342-991-X. 
  8. ^ Derry's New Mayor Is IRA Man's Sister. Belfast Telegraph (4 December 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  9. ^ a b SAS shooting challenge 'too late'. BBC News (24 November 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  10. ^ a b Big Boys Rules - The SAS and the secret struggle against the IRA, Mark Urban, Faber and Faber 1993. PB) ISBN 0-571-16809-4 p.194-5
  11. ^ a b Judgment: approved by the Court
  12. ^ SAS soldiers prosecution case upheld. UTV (24 November 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.

[edit] See also