THE BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY/Day 255: The most senior British officer in Derry on Bloody Sunday denied yesterday he ordered paratroopers into the Bogside 30 years ago. He said comments made in an 1984 interview were "mistaken".
Gen Sir Robert Ford, former commander of the land forces in Northern Ireland, maintains he was only an observer at the January 30th, 1972, civil rights march when paratroopers killed 13 unarmed men.
He told the Saville Inquiry, sitting in London yesterday, he did not pressurise Brig Pat MacLellan, Commander of the 8th Paratroopers Brigade, by telling him to get "a move on".
Gen Ford was shown excerpts from an interview he gave in 1984 to journalist Desmond Hamill. He was also shown excerpts from an interview Brig MacLellan gave to Mr Hamill, which suggested that Gen Ford lobbied for the paratroopers to go in.
Brig MacLellan was responsible for all tactical decisions that day, Sir Robert claims.
Sir Robert was at Barrier 14 when the paras burst into the Bogside, allegedly to drive back rioters and arrest troublemakers. He said: "Go on, 1 Para, go and get them and good luck," as they moved off.
Water cannon with purple dye and CS gas had been used against the stone-throwing crowd, which had been chanting "IRA, IRA", the general said.
He told the inquiry: "It appears to me, from the narrow view that I had, that was probably a very good opportunity to launch the arrest operation, but I was not in command and it was not for me to say."
In the Hamill interview, Sir Robert recalls he was with the company commander on the ground when 1 Para asked to send in the arrest unit. He said: "The brigade commander held them off. He wanted to make sure the march proper was away from the hooligans.
"On the secure net to MacLellan I sent a message suggesting he got a move on. Being on the ground I got the feel that it was the right time to move though Pat MacLellan could probably see more through his helicopter above."
In his Hamill interview, Brig MacLellan says a message was relayed over Sir Robert's secure radio and passed on to him. Sir Robert did not contact him while he was out on the ground. "I recall that at one stage he got on, saying 'why are you not going in', or 'is it not time you went in?' - that was relayed to me by the brigade major.
"One of the dilemmas is the command control in a set up operation like this. It is very difficult to see in the streets wherever you place yourself."
Sir Robert now says his comments to Mr Hamill were "mistaken". He struggles to remember the interview and cannot explain why he made the error.
Gen Ford told the inquiry he could not have made this contact because he did not have a secure radio. He doubted whether the message would have been relayed in any other way.
Of Brig MacLellan's recollection, Sir Robert commented: "I think his memory too is at fault, and I have no idea why."