Mountbatten - Thirty Years On

It was the August Bank Holiday Monday thirty years ago that brought about one of the most horrific pieces of news during the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In one day eighteen British soldiers were killed in Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland and in County Sligo, Lord Mountbatten, a close relative of the Royal Family, was killed when the fishing boat he was on was blown up by a member of the Provisional IRA via a remote controlled device. Also killed were one of his twin grandsons, a local boat boy, and the eighty-three year old mother in law of his eldest daughter. It was not only the most high profile IRA assassination, it was also the most sickening and cowardly given the nature of the incident, especially bearing in mind it was a remote controlled explosion so the actual killer could see who was on the boat at the time.

As it is Mountbatten's murder has come up in the news again and not because of the 30th anniversary. It seems that Sinn Fein object to a memorial set up in memory of the victims, saying that it would be wrong to single out any one incident.

I wonder perhaps if that has more to do with feelings of guilt, but I hope Sinn Fein realise that this was a unique assassination in that we are discussing the loss of the lives of two teenage boys and an old lady here, as well as a retired old man who was on holiday and who, incidentally, had fairly radical views regarding Ireland.

I have no doubt Sinn Fein are right to bring attention to those on the nationalist side who were tragically caught up in the Troubles, nor do I doubt the sincerity some of them have towards peace, but they would help a lot of healing by recognising that the IRA committed atrocities and especially so in this case.

That said, I was surprised and heartened to hear an interview with Timothy Knatchbull on the BBC World Service recently. Timothy is the surviving twin grandson of Lord Mountbatten who was also caught up in the explosion and was lucky to survive. He has admitted that the deaths of his grandparents and his identical twin (who he was rarely away from) has left emotional scars and yet, more than any of us would I think, fought to come to terms with what happened and is magnanimous towards those responsible, if that is the right word. Its a poignant interview worth listening to. How sad that Sinn Fein could not feel a similar generosity over this memorial.