Alistair Slater

Alistair Slater
Born (1956-07-25)25 July 1956
Leicestershire, England
Died 2 December 1984(1984-12-02) (aged 28)
County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 197?–1984
Rank Sergeant
Unit The Parachute Regiment
Special Air Service
Battles/wars Operation Banner
Awards Military Medal

Sergeant Alistair Slater MM (25 July 1956 – 2 December 1984)[1] was a British Army soldier who served in B Squadron, Air (7) Troop, 22 Special Air Service (SAS)[2][3] who was killed on 2 December 1984 while on operations against the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Kesh, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.[4][5][6][7]

The operation led to the deaths of Antoine Mac Giolla Bhrighde and Kieran Fleming and the arrest of the other two members of the four man unit. The IRA men had been attempting to bomb an Royal Ulster Constabulary police car. Slater was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his role in the action.[8]

Prior to joining the SAS, Slater was a member of 1 Para. He appeared in the 1982 British TV documentary The Paras as one of the instructors of a group of Parachute Regiment recruits undertaking their basic training. The programme began filming just prior to the Falklands War.

Slater was one of four SAS soldiers to be killed during the Troubles.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Personal Details: Slater, Al". Armed Forces Memorial roll of honour. GOV.UK.
  2. ↑ Mars & Minerva, Special Air Service Regimental Journal Magazine, Issue 7, Volume 2 1995
  3. ↑ McNab, Andy (1996). Immediate Action. Corgi Adult. pp. 225–33. ISBN 0-552-14276-X.
  4. ↑ Tom Read, Freefall, pp. 158–66 (Little Brown, Edition 1, 1998). ISBN 0-316-64303-3.
  5. ↑ Tírghrá, National Commemoration Centre, 2002; ISBN 0-9542946-0-2 p. 264
  6. ↑ Baptism of Fire: The Astonishing True Story of a Man of God; ISBN 0-552-14582-3/ISBN 0-385-40916-8
  7. ↑ CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 15 November 2015.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Mike Ryan, Secret Operations of the SAS, books.google.co.uk; accessed 15 November 2015.

External links

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