The officer commanding the British army's operation in Derry on Bloody Sunday today insisted he gave the order for the arrest of stone-throwing hooligans that ultimately led to the deaths of 13 unarmed civilians.
Major Gen Pat MacLellan, then a brigadier in command of the 8th Infantry Brigade, told the Saville Inquiry it was not correct that the order to begin the operation during a civil rights march on January 30th, 1972, was given by the Commander of Land Forces, Gen Robert Ford.
Sir Robert Ford had instructed him four days before the march that there should be an arrest operation if the soldiers were attacked by hooligans and he specifically allotted the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment for the task, Maj Gen MacLellan said in a written statement to the inquiry, sitting in London.
"This was not a matter for debate and there was no discretion as far as I was concerned," he said.
On the day, the marchers were proceeding peacefully but the hooligans were attacking the troops manning some of the barriers, he said.
He was not going to give the order until he was sure there was separation between marchers and hooligans, assisted by Lieutt Col Peter Welsh, who was in a helicopter, Maj Gen MacLellan said.
"My orders were that if the barriers came under attack I was to launch 1 Para to scoop up as many hooligans as possible. I was satisfied that the barriers had come under attack and so when Lt Colonel Welsh said that people were making their way home . . . to me that spelt out that separation had been achieved and the moment had come for me to comply with my orders and launch the arrest operation.
"When I told the brigade major to give the order, I was satisfied that separation had been achieved. I remember asking him to make a final check with Lt Col Welsh. When the brigade major told me that had been done, I told him he should give the order," Maj Gen MacLellan said.
It has been suggested that Gen Ford ordered the operation to begin by insisting 1 Para go in. "That is not what happened," MajGen MacLellan said.
Sir Robert maintains he attended the march purely as an observer and played no part in giving orders.
But families of the Bloody Sunday victims insist his frontline presence was pivotal to the way events unfolded and was part of a fundamental change in the policy of the British army in Derry.
PA