Parachute Regimental Association Swindon Branch

22/10/2025

A proud day for the Swindon Parachute Regimental Association!
We were delighted to present a £150 donation to Swindon BATs — a brilliant local group supporting blind and partially sighted people, including one of our own, Danny Gibbon.

Our members joined their monthly bowling event to hand over the donation to Chairperson Becky Harrison and Secretary Sue Mead.

The Swindon Parachute Regimental Association may be a small charity, but we’re passionate about backing local causes that make a big impact. Huge respect to the BATs team for their incredible work and community spirit! 👏🪂

29/09/2025

Happy Saint Michael’s Day. Michael the Archangel, is the patron saint of paratroopers.
Michaelmas, or The Feast of Michael and All Angels, signifies the end of the harvest, the start of autumn and the beginning of the shorter days. An annual feast day, and 'quarter day' in the calendar, of the Western Christian Church, Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29th.
🌷Lest We Forget 🌷

05/09/2025

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Gary Martin, Bob Ferguson, Margaret Ridley, Niall Patrick, Heather Campbell Holmes, Wendy Roberts, Willam Hewitt, Axle Foley, Sally Mccready, Andrew Kelly

28/08/2025

A very fitting tribute and memorial service for Raymond Dunn 2 Para, murdered by the IRA on the 27th of August 1979 was held at Christchurch and a gathering afterwards of Family, friends and veterans in the Goddard Arms Swindon. Lest we forget.

27/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1VUgraydDc/

Today we remember the men of 2 PARA and The Queen’s Own Highlanders who lost their lives or were wounded in a terrorist attack at Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland on 27 August 1979.

It resulted in the British Army’s greatest loss of life in a single incident in Northern Ireland with 18 men killed.

It occurred during a 20-month tour of duty in Northern Ireland for 2 PARA when a convoy carrying men of 3 Platoon, A-Company was travelling along the coastal road towards the company base at Newry.

As the convoy drew level with a lay-by close to Narrow Water Castle, Provisional IRA terrorists remotely triggered a bomb containing 700lb of explosives, which had been situated in a trailer parked in the lay-by.

The rear 4-ton truck of the convoy, which carried 9 men, took the full force of the explosion and of these, only 1 survived unhurt. The other vehicles in the convoy halted and their occupants ran back to help their comrades.

Further support and medical assistance was soon at the scene and an incident control point was set up next to a gate house by the side of the road.

Just before 1700hrs a second explosion occurred. This was a 1,000lb bomb, initiated by radio control and concealed inside the gate house lodge, demolishing the building and killing a further 12 men and seriously wounding 3 more.

Six men from 2 PARA were killed in the first explosion, with the second blast killing a further 10 from 2 PARA along with 2 from The Queen’s Own Highlanders, including Commanding Officer of the Highlanders, Lieutenant Colonel David Blair.
There was also a civilian casualty, with a young tourist named Michael Hudson unfortunately mistaken for a terrorist and shot after the second bomb explosion.

Men killed in the first bomb explosion: 2 PARA: Cpl JC Giles (3 Platoon, A-Company), L/Cpl CG Ireland (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte GI Barnes (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte JA Jones (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte RDV Jones (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte M Woods (3 Platoon, A-Company).

Men killed in the second bomb explosion: 2 PARA: Maj PJ Fursman (OC A-Company), L/Cpl DF Blair (OC’s Radio Op, A-Company), WOII W Beard (Drum Major, Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Sgt IA Rogers (Pl Sgt, Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Cpl NJ Andrews (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Cpl L Jones (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte R Dunn (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte RN England (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte TR Vance (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte AG Wood (Medium Machine Gun Platoon). The Queen’s Own Highlanders: Lt-Col DNA Blair (CO: 1 QOHLDRS), L/Cpl V MacLeod (CO’s Radio Op, 1 QOHLDRS).

Men wounded at Warrenpoint: 2 PARA: Pte PM Burns (3 Platoon, A-Company), Pte T Caughey (3 Platoon, A-Company), Cpl NH Porter (3 Platoon, A-Company), Cpl SJ Webb (Medium Machine Gun Platoon), Pte MJ Furrow (Medium Machine Gun Platoon).

www.paradata.org.uk/content/4663972-warrenpoint-27-august-1979