Welcome to Palace Barracks Memorial Garden,
these memorials stones are dedicated to some of those who have given
the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Armed Forces.

The Garden in Palace Barracks remembers some of those who have lost their 
lives in Northern Ireland, The Falkland Islands, Kuwait, August 1990 - July 1991,
Iraq 2003 and the United Kingdom.
The Memorial Custodian is also responsible for the Memorial Garden at
Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

Northern Ireland

Falklands Islands

Felix Memorial Garden

The Gardens

The Gardens

The Gardens

Members of The Parachute Regiment killed as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, from 1971.

25th May 1971: 

Sergeant Michael G. Willetts, 27, 3 Para, On the evening of the 25th May 1971 a terrorist entered the reception hall of Springfield Road Police station in Belfast. He carried a suitcase from which a smoking fuse protruded, dumping the case on the floor he fled out-side, inside the room were a man a woman and two children and several police officers. One of the police officers raised the alarm then began organising
an evacuation of the hall through the reception office. Sgt Willetts was on duty in the inner hall, on hearing the alarm he sent an NCO to the first floor to warn those above and hastened himself to the door towards which the police officer was thrusting those in the reception hall and office. He held the door open while all passed safely through and then stood in the doorway shielding those taking cover. 
In the next moment the bomb exploded with terrible force. Sgt Willetts was mortally wounded. His duty did not require him to enter the threatened area. All those people who were approaching the door from the far side agreed that if they had had to check to open the door, They would have perished. Sgt Willetts waited, placing his body as a screen to shelter them. 
By this act of bravery, he risked and lost his life for those of the adults and children.
Sgt Michael Willetts was awarded the George Cross (Posthumous)

Tribute song to SGT Michael Willetts. Listen to the words

14th July 1971:
Private Richard Barton, 24, 2 Para, shot driving a Land Rover on night patrol in Anderstown 
area of Belfast. The vehicle was ambushed by several gunmen and witnesses said Pte Barton 
accelerated towards gunmen to provide cover for colleagues.

The attached photograph was taken with the patrol’s 16mm (C (Special Patrol) Company, 2 Para) still camera after
a joint exercise with Guards (Independent) Parachute Company in Cyprus in 1970.

Pte “Dick” Barton served in the same Troop and is fourth from the left in the photograph...

18th March 1972: 
Private Kelly, 1 Para.  Accidental  death at  Holywood

24th June 1972: 
Private Christopher Stephenson, 24, 1 Para, killed with two other soldiers when their Land Rover 
was destroyed by two landmines consisting of 120lbs of explosive packed in milk churns on a remote stretch of the Derry to Belfast Road at the Glenshane Pass at night.

20th September 1972:
Private Frank Bell, 18, 2 Para, died in hospital three days after being shot in the head while 
on foot patrols in the Ballymurphy area of West Belfast.

7th April 1973:
Corporal Steven N. Harrison, 24, 2 Para, killed when his Land Rover went over a landmine 
consisting of 200-300lbs of explosive packed into a culvert under a road at Tullyogallaghan. 

7th April 1973:
Lance Corporal Terence Brown, 24, 2 Para, killed in the same blast incident.

16th APRIL 1973:
Lance Corporal D.A. Forman, 3 Para. Killed in a tragic shooting incident at Flax Street Mill, Belfast

5th May 1973:


WO2 William R. Vines, 36, 2 Para, killed on foot patrol near Crossmaglen when he walked past a
mine that was detonated from a wire that led across the border.
Two other soldiers sent to the scene were killed by second booby trap concealed nearby in
what was to become a favoured IRA tactic of the so-called 'two-step operation'.
Sergeant Major Vines was married just three weeks before he was killed.

24th May 1973:
Sergeant John F. Wallace, 31, 2 Para, killed by bomb blast when securing a booby trapped house 
near Crossmaglen owned by a man serving with the Royal Irish Rangers. The house was a few hundred yards from border and the bomb was believed to have been detonated remotely from the Republic.

16th March 1974:
Lance Corporal Philip (Pablo) James, 22, 1 Para, killed when his four man patrol in countryside near
Crossmaglen was ambushed near the border by IRA gunmen.

Above ... Lance Corporal Philip D James

16th March 1974:
Private Roy A. Bedford, 22, 2 Para, killed in same incident, both were member of the Vigilant Platoon.
L/Cpl James and Pte Bedford were Killed in the Initial ambush, A young soldier who was part of the patrol was later awarded the Military Medal for his part in the Action. 

28th June 1976:
Private William Snowdon, 18, 3 Para, killed by remote controlled bomb during 12-man foot patrol near Crossmaglen.

8th August 1976:
Private James R Borucki, 19, 3 Para, killed in Crossmaglen by 5lb remote controlled bomb left on bicycle. Gave his name to part of Army-RUC base jutting into main square in the town centre. 

17th March 1978:
Lance Corporal David Jones, 23, 3 Para, shot dead in a gun battle with IRA gunmen near the
Glenshane Pass. Some reports said he was involved in a covert observation post when he spotted
two suspected gunmen. Jones stood up to challenge the men and was fatally wounded,
but he shot back wounding one man.

12th July 1978:
Private Jack Fisher, 19, 1 Para, killed by booby trap bomb in Crossmaglen hidden under manhole
cover that was detonated as a six man patrol walked by.

2nd December 1978: 
Corporal R D Adcock, 1 Para.

was killed in a helicopter accident.

The day after the bombs went-off, Officers and men from 2 Para paraded at the scene of the blast to pay their respect to their fellow soldiers

27th August 1979:
Major Peter Fursman, 35, 2 Para,  

Killed at Warrenpoint described by the Paras as their worst post war disaster. In a carefully organised attack the IRA first blew up a parked trailer on a dual carriageway running parallel with Carlingford Lough as an Army convoy passed. Six were killed in the initial blast.

But the IRA had anticipated where the soldiers would set up their command centre after the blast behind a nearby wall and had concealed another 800lb device there. The second explosion half an hour after the first, killed twelve more soldiers. Major Fursman died with fifteen other Paras, all members of the 2nd Battalion.

Lance Corporal Donald F. Blair, 23, 2 Para.

L/Cpl Don Blair was "A" Coy Sigs Det Commander, and L/Cpl Stuart Russell was his 2IC (also a L/Cpl, but junior to Don, who was an RSI). 

Don had gone with the OC and the Adv Party of "A" Coy to Newry a few days ahead of the Main Body.

LCpl Stuart Russell was travelling in the land-rover in the lead of the 3 vehicle packet that was ambushed. Don and the OC's Rover Group came down to assist from Newry, and I (LCpl Stuart Russell) was walking towards Don and the OC when the 2nd bomb went off - By pure good fortune, I (LCpl Stuart Russell) was blown back up the road by the blast but was unhurt, but Don, the OC and 10 others were killed by that second blast.

Corporal Nicholas J. Andrews, 24, 2 Para.

Private Gary I. Barnes, 18, 2 Para.

Private Raymond Dunn, 20, 2 Para.

A Son and Brother ...

His Life a beautiful memory,

His absence a silent grief.

Private Anthony G. Wood, 19, 2 Para.

Private Tony Wood died at the tender age of 19 one of 18 soldiers murdered by the IRA in the Warrenpoint massacre. As the oak coffin was being carried into the family parish church in West London Mrs Wood broke down. Clinging to the arm of her policeman husband Eric, she collapsed crying "Oh my poor Tony what have they done ?" Tony was at the wheel of the Army truck when it was blown off the road in the border ambush on Monday. His brother Terry 17 said after the service in Saint Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Fulham: "We cannot hate anybody" "But his murderers were cowards, They didn't have the guts to show themselves and face Tony and his friends" Terry wants to follow his brother into the paratroopers.
His voice cracking with emotion Terry shook the hands with four paratroopers who had flown over from Belfast to be pallbearers

Corporal Karl Harper said "Tony was a grand lad, everybody liked and respected him" Private Michael O`Leary said "We will miss him but we aren't angry morale is higher than ever amongst the lads and we are determined to do are job" Terry entered the small church which was packed with friends and neighbour, and Army colleagues, holding the hand of his sister Liane 15.

it was the church Tony as baptised in, and served as an altar boy, and where his parents had been married. The parish priest Father Kenneth McCabe- an Irishman like so many of the family's friends and relatives said "We must have hope" He added "We all want peace in Northern Ireland and deplore the events of last 10 years whatever faith Perhaps this time someone somewhere will do something to pull us back to our senses, Tony's death might make the politicians work for peace and love" After the service, the procession passed slowly through Tony's neighbourhood, stopping for a moment outside his in Auriol Road Hammersmith, His Father said "He lived for the Army, He loved the Army, I have lost a Son as fine as any man could ask for"

Private Michael Woods, 18, 2 Para.

Corporal John C. Giles, 22, 2 Para.

Sergeant Ian A. Rogers, 31, 2 Para.

Warrant Officer Walter Beard, 31, 2 Para.

Thomas was born 5th July 1956

Private Thomas R. Vance, 23, 2 Para.

Private Robert N. England, 23, 2 Para.

Corporal Leonard Jones, 26, 2 Para.

Private Jeffrey A Jones, 18, 2 Para.

Private Robert D. Vaughan-Jones, 18, 2 Para.

The memorial window (above) was designed and paid for by Robert's parents, (who are sadly no longer with us)
 The memorial windows are installed in their local church St mael and St sulien in Corwen, North Wales ... virtual view of the church
The above information was given to us by Robert's brother's (Charlie & Edward Vaughan Jones.)
To contact the Vaughan Jones family ... please click here

Lance Corporal Chris G. Ireland, 24, 2 Para.

16th December 1979:
Private Peter S Grundy, 21, 2 Para, killed by booby trap bomb in remote farmhouse near Tullydonnel,
Forkhill. He had narrowly escaped death at Warrenpoint by transferring at the last moment from the
vehicle hit by the first blast to a Land Rover that did not face the main blast.

1st January 1980:
Lieutenant Simon Bates, 23, 2 Para, killed accidentally by his own men after he broke standard
operating procedures by moving once he had set up an ambush in Tullydonnel area.
He was with his signaller who was also killed.

1st January 1980:
Private Gerald Hardy, 18, 2 Para, killed in the same incident.

9th August 1980:
Sergeant Brian M. Brown, 29, 2 para killed by remote controlled bomb while patrolling near Forkhill.

24th December 1981:
Lance Corporal P Hampson, 1 Para.

26th August 1982:
Lance Corporal M C May, 1 Para.

2nd December 1984:
Sergeant Alistair I. Slater, 28, 2 Para, serving with the SAS he was killed
in an operation which left two IRA gunmen dead and another two captured
while more than 1,000lb of explosives was recovered.
Awarded the Military Medal.

Established: 25 March 1916 
Criteria: The Military Medal (MM) was awarded for individual or associated 
acts of bravery.

28th July 1988:
Sergeant Michael B. Matthews, 37, 1 Para, blown up by an IRA landmine near Cullyhanna as he led a 12-man joint army and police patrol.

25th March 1989:

Private R Spikins, 3 Para

18th November 1989:

Lance Corporal Stephen P. Wilson, 23, 3 Para,  
blown up in a Land Rover near Mayobridge as it drove over 
an IRA landmine detonated by two men who escaped on a stolen motorcycle.

18th November 1989:
Private Donald C. Macaulay, 20, 3 Para,  
killed in same incident.

18th November 1989:
Private Matthew E. Marshall, 21, 3 Para,  

killed in same incident.

19th June 1991:
Private Tony C. Harrison, 21, 3 Para, shot by gunmen while visiting his fiancée in what was considered
a safe part of East Belfast. The gunmen knocked at the door, forced their way past the woman and
shot the soldier five times as he watched television.