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THE TROUBLES
ring, designed to cover up the proven torture of the Special Branch and the British Army”. The statement said that the young man who received “this sadistic torture” had nothing to fear from the Official IRA. Friday 19th November 1971 Arms find in Shorts Strand Troops searching the Short Strand area following the killing of a Scottish soldier have discovered a claymore mine, four petrol bombs and two rounds of ammunition. Also uncovered was a walkie-talkie radio set.
Saturday 20th November 1971 Man shot during gun battle A Belfast man had a narrow escape when gunmen attacked an Army post at the peace line. One of the bullets fired at the post at Percy Street, which is situated between the Falls and Shankill roads grazed the man on the forehead. None of the men of ‘B’ Company of the 3rd Battalion, the Queens Regiment, who are based at the post were injured. The attack on the post began shortly after 3.00am and about seven shots were fired by the gunmen. Saturday 20th November 1971 Jail break – fifth man charged A fifth man has appeared in court in relation to the recent escape from Crumlin Road jail. The 28-yearold man from Toombridge is charged with assisting the recaptured escapers and other persons unknown. He has been released on bail. Saturday 20th November 1971 1,000 arrested since start of internment More than 1,000 people have been arrested in the North since internment was introduced in August. Of the 1,103 men who were arrested 538 were released. A further 57 were released after detention orders had been made against them. These figures mean that about 500 people are being held under various sections of the Special Powers Act. Saturday 20th November 1971 Army calls off search at abbey The search of the Portglenone monastery of the Cistercian monks has been called off after a second smaller search operation was carried out. Some radio equipment has been found but it is not known whether it was legally or illegally held. 45 Cistercian monks who are sworn to a vow of silence live at the monastery where anyone is guaranteed shelter and hospitality. Saturday 20th November 1971 Arms found in Convent grounds Troops have found a quantity of arms and ammunition in the grounds of a convent at Armagh. The Arms were discovered after soldiers had been called
to examine an abandoned car which was thought to have been used in a robbery. As the car was being examined for booby traps a soldier casually look over the wall of Sacred Heart Convent, Windmill Hill and noticed a ground sheet covering a pit. Under the sheet he found a single barrelled shotgun, two .22 rifles, a silencer for a .22, a telescopic sight and 200 rounds of ammunition. Saturday 20th November 1971 23 people arrested over night Troops detained another 23 people in Belfast during the night. The arrests were not confined to one particular area but involved raids on homes in various parts of the city. Those detained were handed over to the RUC for questioning. Some of them are on the Army’s wanted list. Saturday 20th November 1971 Special Branch keep watch on ship Special Branch detectives were keeping a close watch on a Dutch ship which arrived in Dublin with a consignment of arms. They started their all night vigil after it became known that the ship had two cases of rifles in the hold. Shortly after the vessel docked at the North Wall it was established that the arms were for a licensed importer. Saturday 20th November 1971 Boy charged with membership of Fianna Eireann A 16-year-old boy who was alleged to have told the RUC that he was a member of Fianna Eireann has been remanded in custody until the 26th November on a charge of causing an explosion. He has appeared in a special court in Lisburn where an RUC inspector objected to bail on the grounds that the boy fired a .22 rifle at the military on two occasions at Oliver Plunkett School on the Glen Road, Belfast. Monday 22nd November 1971 Gunmen wounded in robbery A 60-year-old man shot and wounded two armed men as they made their getaway after robbing a Fermanagh post office. The man, the father of the postmaster, managed to slip away from the raiders and then triggered the alarm. As the raider ran from the post office he waited at the window of his upstairs room at Tullyhammon Post Office, armed with a shotgun. As they emerged from the building to a waiting car he fired both barrels of his shotgun. Monday 22nd November 1971 Still no trace of seven escapees The press conference at which the seven remaining escapees were to appear has been cancelled for the second time and a spokesman for the Provisional IRA said at heir headquarters in Dublin that he didn’t know what side of the border they were on. TOP - Shop in Lower Lodge Terrace in the Oldpark area where two policemen were shot dead. MIDDLE & BOTTOM - Woodbourne House Hotel, Suffolk, after a bomb attack.