THE TROUBLES th
Wednesday 28 February 1973 Boy defuses bomb The Army has revealed that a 7-year-old boy has “defused” a 15 lb bomb which he found under the stage at Cloughmore War Memorial Hall. According to the Army, when the boy picked the bomb up he disturbed some of the wiring and made the bomb harmless. The boy then carried the bomb home to show to his parents. Wednesday 28th February 1973 New prison for women It has been announced that new prisons are to be built in the North for both men and women. According to a Ministry of Home Affairs spokesman, the decision has been taken in principle to replace both Crumlin Road and Armagh prisons. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Loyalist group may form own party The militant Protestant Ulster Loyalist Council are believed to be considering forming their own political party. The meeting is being held at the UDA headquarters in East Belfast and among those in attendance were William Craig of Vanguard and representatives of the Ulster Defence Association, the Loyalist Defence Volunteers, the Loyalist Association of Workers and the Ulster Special Constabulary Association. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Rocket fired from South The IRA have fired a Russian made RPG7 rocket from south of the border at Belleek RUC barracks. The missile struck one of the barrack’s boundary walls but no one was injured in the attack. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Arms found in Strabane Soldiers carrying out a routine search of an unoccupied house in the Ballycolman area of Strabane have uncovered a Thompson sub-machinegun and a Springfield rifle. A quantity of ammunition, black berets and other military equipment were also discovered. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Arms discovered in henhouse Soldiers have discovered weapons and explosives in a chicken Coop at the back of a house in Ardilea Drive in the Oldpark area of Belfast. The weapons were found in a
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dustbin which had been dug into the garden and they consisted of 10 lbs of explosives, two RPG7 rockets, one RPG7 gunsight in a case, a quantity of electric detonators, two clocks with timing mechanisms and other bomb making equipment. One man has been arrested. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Boy killed in Newry A boy has died in Newry after a shooting incident in the Derrybeg estate. The boy who died, 12-year-old Kevin Heatley, of Second Avenue, Derrybeg died from gunshot wounds in daisy hill estate. The only shooting which has been reported in the area, say the Army, happened a half hour before when soldiers said they fired at a gunman after he fired at them. They also said that they were not able to search for the gunman because an angry crowd had gathered. Wednesday 28th February 1973 RUC man killed in Lurgan A25-year-old member of the RUC has been shot dead at Carnagh Bridge, Aghagallon, about four miles from Lurgan. The Ambush on the RUC man was launched on a narrow country road by gunmen armed with a sub-machinegun and rifles. The dead RUC man lived in Lisburn and has been named as Constable Raymond William Wylie. He is the 36th RUC man to die in the troubles.
Wednesday 28th February 1973 Shots fired in Belfast Thirty shots have been fired at an Army patrol in the Norfolk Gardens area of Andersonstown. Fire was returned but no hits were recorded. Also in Belfast soldiers have found 57 rounds of ammunition in a garden of a house in Dunmisk Park in Andersonstown, Wednesday 28th February 1973 Hay destroyed in arson attack 2,500 bales of hay have been destroyed in a fire at Upperlands, Maghera. The RUC believe the fire was malicious. Wednesday 28th February 1973 Shots fired into public house Shots have been fired into a public house at Moyogall, Coleraine. No one was injured in the attack which was launched from a passing car.