introduced, has returned from Sweden to face court-martial.
population in the North by the Army.
His action is an attempt to exp ose the refusal of the British Army to allow him to buy himself out, and the brutal treatment of the Catholic population in the North by the Army He claims that he was charged for refusing to hit a priest during the internment swoops.
Twenty-five-year-old gunner Brian Jenkinson of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, who comes trom Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan, few into London from Stockholm after contacting the SUNDAY WORLD through fri ends beforehand. At Heathrow Airport, armed Special Branch police refused to allow me to approach Jenkinson, while Multary Police removed him to the Duke of Wellington Barracks Brian is being held incommunicado, and the British Ministry of Defence has retused requests of journalists to see him. But the SUNDAY WORLD has been able to establish contact with Brian, and obtain deA BRITISH ARMY DESERTER, Brian Jenkinson, who took part in thr round-ups in the North of Ireland on the week that internment was His action is an attempt to oxpose the refusal of the British Army to allow him to buy himself out, and the brutal treatment of the Catholic pay subscriptions to Regimental Associations which he described as 'organisations for people who already nave money.
The amount concerned was not great, about 15p a week, but he claims that this would have bought a loat of bread for his wile and child.
In revenge, his Commanding Offi cer Lt. Col, Brower, refused to give him the day off which the rest of his unit got when they reccived their first posting to the North.
In his smuegled statement, Why should 1 go to Ireland and use cruelty to keep somabody in money? - Brian Jenkinson's point is one frequently made by Troops Out activists who loaflat soldiors Brian tells how he was serving un Ireland on the weekend when internment was introduced, 9 August 1971, He describes how he took part in a raid with a sergeant and full Artillery crew from the 42 Medium Regiment, R.A.
We were told to break in the door of the home of ut ordinary working class family. We went upstairs and dragged this bloke out of bed. His wife was crying and it was really upsetting, but if I did not obey orders, I would have been charged. We brought this fellow downstairs and told his wife that if she wanted to get in touch with him, she was to go to Antaght Jail.
the morning, and the church bells were ringing when we were taking him to the Pig. We met a Catholic priest who was coming out of the church gate. I forget what town we were in but this Irish fellow asked the priest to help him, you know Please help me, Father." The priest picked up a milk bottle and theew it at me. The bottle smashed me ou the nose. I was told to hit the priest but I refused, you see l am a Catho lic myself: so I was charged with disobeying a direct order from my serwas an eighteen-bour day for me plus guard duty. I was also in troubJe because during riots I refused to hit people, the civilian population, women and children. 1 got put on picket and that.
I was in Northern Ireland for four or five short tours of duty. last time i was in Ireland was in the officers" mess. Things were getting pretty bad, the Army brass were jumping on me so much with extra duties and God knows what 1 was not getting So l put in for a posting to England, to the King's Troop Hoyal Horse Artillery, refused and I threatened to buy my self out. ing but I had to pay my own fare hack to England.
I got into debt and my wife left me again. I decided there and then to get out. The Army had broken my marriage und it had broken me spir¡tually. 1 put in three applications but they refused. It states in military law that after three applications you are allowed to see your C.O. I then threatened my Lieutenant, Lt. Glover, that I would go to see my MP or get in touch with the National Council for Civil Liberties.
over the wankend.
This was at about 5 o'clock in this slander.
"I was placed on extra daties. It Branch.
extra duty for that as well, guard pick summer of 1972. Then I went to Ger I was given a job waiting in the 15 October 1974 At first they So they gave me the post"Straight off I was on extra duties.
again.
Press statement on THE FOLLOWING IS AN IMG PRESS STATEMENT ON ALLEGATIONS OF IMG RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RECENT GUILDFORD AND LONDON BOMBINGS:
Recent news broadcasts and press reports from various agencies, including the London Broadcasting Company (LBC and ITN News, reported information received by telephone alleging that the ING (in one instance in cooperation with the Provisional IRAl wes responsible for the recent bomb incidents in Guikiford.
the Victory Ex-Service Club, the Army and Navy Club and at the Tower of London Various newspepers repeated these reports, inciuding the Landon Evening Newe on Saturday, 12 October, and the Daily Telegraph on Friday, 11 October. The first now broadcast was mode on say, FooD an Turn antar Topore trote too *The Metropolitan Police have informed the IMG that various news agencies have received no fewer than seven such phone cath lone of them from Yorkshire!
since Thursday last, all making the same allegations of MG involvement in the Following all the news reports which came to our attention, the IMG immediat ly informed each agency making the report that the IMG was in no way associated with any of these bomb incidents. Neither were any members or sympathisers of thi IMG involved. We utterly repudiate eny reports purporting to be from members or a 'splinter group' of the IMG chiming responsibility for these bomb incidents.
"Howeser, none of the news agencies which published these allegations contacted the IMG to check their truth or to enquire our opinion on the telephone calls slandering the IMG. A number of news bulletins broadest by LEC continued to report the same aflegations without any mention of our defial. It was only after we had issued several denials to the news media that by the and of the weekend, reports began to carry our repudiation of any alleged involvement in bomb incidents The IMG condemns the totally irresponsible behaviour of LBC in giving currency to Stan Newens, Labour MP for Harlow, Essex, has already decided to demand an explanation from lTN and LBC as to the origin of the information they so indisariminately reported, whether they made any efforts to contact the IMG following these reports and what steps they took to publish the IMG denial.
Alan Sapper, General-Secretary of the Cinematographic and Television Techni ciens IACT), has seid: "These reports by the ITN and LBC are irresponsible and prejudicial apressions of unproven allegations."
The Magazine Branch of the NUJ [National Union of Journalistsi in London, passed a resolution on Monday. 14 October demanding that the London Radio Branch of. NU. conduct an enquiry into the matter and report back to the Magazine 'The IMG i also considering taking legal advice on the matter which will shortly Red Weekly of 12 cober. Briefly we can repeat that if these bombings have beer carried out by the Provisional IRA, which is not atall known, that we stand uncon ditionally by the trish people in their struggle against British Imperie lism, whatever form that struggle might taice. We defend the right of the Irish Republican Move ment to carry but armed actions against British Imperialiam, However, we do not think that these bombings fit into an overall strategy to incbilise mass foroes against British Imperialism at the present time. We boliove these bombings are a tactical:
mistake if the IRA is responsible, but remain totally committed to helping to build a movement in this country for the withdrewel of British troops from ireland which will both sid the Irish revotution and strike a blow against the ruling class in this I got in touch with NCCL, I told them that I was going to Sweden.
They said. "Don't go to Sweden, let us write to Whitehall and get things going that way." Well If I had done that, the Army would have jumped all over me, you know. I was told that I could get court-martialled.
After this, Lr. Glover told me that Thad caused so much trouble that 1 was going to be posted to Ireland 'So I (was faced) with either doing something I did not believe in or going away and getting out alto. gether. I went to Sweden. Why It's no coincidence that the assumption underlying the whole casethat support for the IRA is a criminshould 1 go to a pluce (Ireland) and use cruelty to keep somebody in money? Now 1am back, I'll try to show the people what the Army really stands for, which is the money people 'Ten not all that up on political words, but these people with all the money, the blank faced money men, they have interests in Ireland. so they send the troops to use any means they can to put the popula tion down. Which is just not on. All 1 know is what I feel, that peop le being suppressed is wrong" Brendan Magill -former Provisional Sinn Fein national organiser in Brit-