A British army captain told the Saville inquiry today the 2 Royal Green Jackets, one of the resident battalions in Derry, had been surprised by the "roughness" of paratroopers at a march the week before Bloody Sunday.
The Captain, known only as INQ 406, was an operations officer in the 22 Light Air Defence Regiment based at the RUC station in Victoria Barracks on Bloody Sunday - January 30th, 1972. He did not witness any of the shooting, when 13 unarmed men were killed by paratroopers at a civil rights march.
His regiment's role was to contain the crowds, ensure they did not breach the barriers and to post some observation troops along the city walls.
He recalls that the 2 Royal Green Jackets, one of the resident battalions, had been surprised by 1 Para's "roughness" at a march the week before Bloody Sunday.
Captain INQ 406 believes that 1 Para, were moved from Belfast to show 8 Brigade, who were covering Derry, "how it was done in Belfast".
He had also heard reports that Maj Gen Robert Ford, the Commander of Land Forces, believed that "too soft a line" was being taken in dealing with Derry hooligans and the no-go areas.
He said in his statement: "In other words 8 Brigade was too soft and needed toughening up.
"There is however a huge difference between this, and what is often implied, namely that January 30th, 1972, 1 Para, working to some agenda set from above, opened fire on unarmed people," he said.
In the years since Bloody Sunday he has heard no rumours or gossip in military circles to back up theories that the bloodshed was part of a top-level conspiracy, he said.
He also said it was "inconceivable" that paratroopers began firing "without provocation".