murder of 15 civilians.
first met Robert Campb the spring of 1971. Thad be put in touch with him by a friend in Sandy Row Protestant heartland of BelThe friend knew that 1 was trying to scratch a living as a troelance oumalsst and that l had soid him 1 would be from the Ulster Volunteer At the time, the official version was that the UVF didn't forces, dismissed the UIVF as no Carholic paranoia:
MEMBER Yet the UVF was quite easy to locate for any Journalist who bothered to make the effort, It was Robert Campbell who made the contact for me, and although he refused at first to be drawn on his association wuo me or ansanon, Dc was to confirm later that he too was a DICTECE ting in a pub jurr off Sandy Campbell arranged Row. The man who turned up was podgy, bespectacied, and about 50 year oid, From all appearances aicobolic.
He made extravagant claims SEOUTC ENC LEME TARSIaI to move into action to defen Uster'. The weapo n the UIVE organisation's: strength. obsession was how *Protestant people' were being conspiced agaimst by all and The onty problem with this mocting, from a news angle, the incoherence. When Camphel again I explained this to him, BOASTED A day or two later Campbel phoned and told me to conte to the same pub later that dayThis time I took along an Observer reporter with whom ! was working at the time bi mc umc we arr co E tee pub the bloke 1 had talked to in the first meeting was ATELLY there, Sising beride bias was Campbell who thea admitted, or rather boasted, that he 100 was in the UVF. The pair of GEOFF BELL recalls his encounters with a Loyalist bomber who was jailed last week for 20 years for the the Loyalists marching through Ulster.
drunkenness.
Essentially the conversation was a repeat of the oor 1 had previousiy had. Sald Campbell The Protestant execution the had drawn op, and how they had of pub bravado.
But them Campbell turned to me said: "You're a aren't you?' T explained in a bluster that 1 right have sympathies in that direction but that the meeting 11L7 was Journalislic endeavour.
DRUNKEN Then Campbell drunken leer and produced a revolver. "I could kill you in one fifth of a second, words The Observer man and I soo0 "made our excuses and left' Last week Robert Campbell was given 16 lerms of Led to his part in the bombing of Ihe Catholic Meciurk s bur in December 1971 — about nine months after my meeting with God thes ENCOUNTER Although the stary of COUBEC! inlo mate fally found its way into the the irish Times, and although a talk simiar stary also appenred in Olserver, POUL COSSUEL 0 oE cascOunteon and most of the media and the civil righter, TJEEE IDEELS Indeed, when the bombing of McGurk's bar took place it was purcly explosion, may have been IRA error* The myth was that the bomb had gone off in the bar while gave destination. Not one scrap of LULULE authenticate this story.
WOTe N Di the coatiary.
witness described hon ad seco bombers leave th - Barnb outside the pub and then drive on in a car with a Union Juck sticker.
the British Army, Army officers culprits".
bombing, former lary wing of the RUC.
thought of by the RUC buy equipment.
ILLEGAL himself forward as a camod on the IRA, with him and his the UVF The law, being the RUC and ignored this testimony. Instead, as the Irish Times has put it, 'right fromthe night of che explosion British maintained the Provisional IRA had boen the just bow much the Army and RUC really did know abour the Certainiy both knew Rober Camphell, who himself was a meuber nfarous B Specials, the now disbanded all-Protestant auxi More extraordinary was that at the time of the bombing Camphell owned and ran a gun shor. Joudon'! zet a licence lo September, run such ao establishment in Belfast uness you are very well Also interesting is that the of the dus.
Anny often visited
Camphell's shop, ostensibly 1o IT CHETU called a Yet al the time Robert Campbel was willing to put spokes Person ter ibe tegal Chor, and shww. that, stretching credibilicy to suggest that the security forces did not — the same security forces who attitude Robert Campbell's murder of 15 innoceut drinkers THE ANNUAL Birminghum show, beld this rear on 1 = 3 was marked by a strong Britsh Army presence.
usual, recruitment public relnions were the orde protest aguinst the British Army's involvement in DHE LEIL EI United Troops Out Movement picker the show. Members of UTOM alse lesfleted inside to put over to spectulors the real role of the Brilish Array as opposed to the glamoroas one portrayed at the The picket at the gates was well received by the public as t00k H-ALICES of the soldiers, Howerer, was characterised by sach remarks as "You've no chance', and, We'll get more was of you yet' Inside the grounds the Arms displayed its Intest equipment. After OECUOM stalls, an allempt to debute with the solders about leland was stopped when two plainclethes policemen led away a UTOM member, physicall, waring him to leave immediately.
Oiher reactions from the soldiers- - especially officers HETE EIBERS AUCHE We'll get you next time in Ireland". anr, "We had a good day that dux when we shot 13 Despite these attitades the Ary LISDIN was opportunity to bring the true facts about what the Army are dolag in reland to the attention pupis 4733 opportunity effectively taken
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