29 March 1972: Bernard Calladene, 39-years-old, married with 3 children and a soldier in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps holding the rank of Major was the most senior officer in the armys bomb squad to be killed in Northern Ireland. In the tiny side street of Wellington Street, opposite Belfast City Hall, a bomb exploded fatally injuring Maj. Calladene. One of the bomb team had examined an Austin 1800 car and found the bomb with an electric wire attached on the back seat and contacted Maj Calladene. When Maj. Calladene arrived on the scene, he approached the car and coming within 5 yards of the car, it exploded blowing the major through a shop window. Maj. Calladene died in the Royal Victoria Hospital 2 hours later. A colleague said: he was a very experienced officer and a first-class friend. LEST WE FORGET!
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 08:55:53 +0000