Anniversary of the Miami Showband Massacre 1975 -2025 (31 July)

Netflix Documentary https://l1nq.com/JMk9H 

Stephen Travers and Des McAlea (Lee) fought for years to have the full truth revealed by the British regarding this attack by the notorious Glenanne Gang aided and abetted by State actors. They have been obstructed at every hands turn, and this obstruction continues. 

They have fought for years to have the full truth revealed by the British regarding this attack by the notorious Glenanne Gang aided and abetted by State actors. In his Book Des remarks that, "In 2010 then PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris wrote to them [victims of the Glenanne Gang] advising them that an investigation into the wider questions raised by the activities of the group was not going to take place. The Historical Enquiries Team (HET), however, began to look at aspects of the gang's activities. The team was operationally independent from the PSNI and had its own finances. The notorious Legacy Act remains on the British statute books. The Secretary State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn has not moved this forward. Another amazing feature is that a British team of police officers are conducting a review of the Glenanne Gang activities because of a British High Court ruling. This review is allegedly looking at the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings while Dublin stands by.

However, Harris brought the HET under his control as head of the PSNI's Crime Operations Branch and he removed investigative functions from HET officers. Henceforth, they could no longer arrest and question suspects. He also took control of its budget and closed a unit that was cross referencing disparate HET investigations for links, patterns and systems that might indicate UVF collusion with the NI state".

In the early hours of June 31, 1975, the Miami Showband were travelling back to Dublin after playing for a delighted crowd in a dance hall in Banbridge. Their  lives were to change for ever when they were stopped at what appeared to be an army check point adjacent to a local road at Buskhill, Newry. This was trap set by the UVF with the intention of placing a bomb on board the bus and killing all on board a short distance down the road. The detonated prematurely killing its two handlers, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, both members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and part of the Ulster Volunteer Force UVF and members of  a grouping that became known as the Glenanne gang.

The band members survived the explosion and were blown into a field which was a considerable distance below the road . The remaining gunmen then mercilessly gunned down the band members. Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy were shot dead as they begged for their lives. Stephen Travers was very seriously wounded but conscious and Des Lee was injured by flying debris. Des eventually made his way to Newry and reported what happened to the RUC. Stephen remained in the field for an hour before help arrived and was taken to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. He was badly wounded but physically recovered after a hard struggle.

The circumstances of the attack have been well covered in numerous books and articles.

Stephen had another Book in the pipe line which will publish in the autumn.

Des McAlea has also published recently with his recollections of the events.

RUC Crime Scene Investigation produced a remarkable result

The RUC launched an investigation, and a number of  men were convicted before the courts. An RUC Crime Scene officer James O’Neill provided an invaluable clue to the identity of one of the killers when he found a fragment of a unique spectacle lens which was to lead to the arrest and conviction of the culprit. Forensic evidence also linked the firearms used to many other terrorist attacks.

The men convicted were James McDowell, Thomas Crozier, James McDowell (all serving UDR soldiers) and John Somerville former UDR and a brother of the Wesley killed by his own bomb.

This attack was carefully planned and there was widespread collusion with State actors in this and many other attacks. It has been suggested that Captain Robert Nairac was present at the scene in military dress and gave orders to the gang to fire. He spoke with a distinct upper class British accent.

There is well known maxim in crime investigation and that is a “crime scene speaks to one” if you take the time to observe and keep an inquiring mind. Last Thursday I was present at that scene when the survivors Stephen and Des and their friends remembered that dreadful event. I was intrigued to learn that back then the UDR’s firing range was a few hundred yards from where the crime took place. So this was very familiar ground to the UDR members taking part and of course the reports  say that at least ten gunmen took part not counting the “British Officer”. Puzzlingly how did these killers feel secure that they would not be discovered by a passing police or military patrol. There is a military convention that an area can be declared “out of bounds”, OB. This is done to allow a particular operation to take place and to reduce the danger of friendly fire. We can’t be sure at this remove that this was the tactic adopted but certainly the attackers operated as if thought that they had no fear of being compromised and it was only the spontaneous bomb explosion that ruined that plan. The notorious UVF killer and former UDR soldier and British Agent Robin Jackson (the Jackal) was implicated in this and other killings but managed to escape the rigours of the law.

This gang and their colluders were responsible for many other atrocities both in the North and in the Republic. These included the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan car bombings, the killing of the Reavey brothers on the 4 January 1976 and the murder of the O’Dowd family members the same night. These killings were followed by the IRA attack on a bus with Protestant workers which resulted in the murder of ten workers the following night at Kingsmills.

These were dreadful times and there is no sign of full disclosure not to mind justice.

Sadly there is no permanent Monument

There is an absolute must read for those interested in the detail of other significant events, like the killing of the Reavey brothers on the 4 January 1976. I'm familar with the detail of many terrorist events on this island but this story makes one's blood run cold for its absolute brutality.