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The Catcher in the Rye – Book’s I’ve read

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The Catcher in the Rye

1951 Novel

by

J. D. Salinger

JD Salinger

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The Catcher in the Rye is J . D. Salinger’s world-famous novel of disaffected youth

Click image to buy this book

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See The Death of John Lennon

See Mark Chapman

The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger.[3] A controversial novel originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage angst and alienation.[4][5] It has been translated into almost all of the world’s major languages.[6] Around 250,000 copies are sold each year with total sales of more than 65 million books.[7] The novel’s protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion.[8] The novel also deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, loss, and connection.

The novel was included on Time‍ ’​s 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923[9] and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.[10][11][12] In 2003, it was listed at #15 on the BBC‘s survey The Big Read.

Plot summary

Holden begins his story at Pencey Preparatory, an exclusive private school (fictional, though based on Salinger’s own experience at Valley Forge Military Academy) in Agerstown, Pennsylvania, on the Saturday afternoon of the traditional football game with rival school Saxon Hall. Holden ends up missing the game. As manager of the fencing team, he loses their equipment on a New York City subway train that morning, resulting in the cancellation of a match. He goes to the home of his history teacher named Mr. Spencer. Holden has been expelled and isn’t to return after Christmas break, which begins the following Wednesday. Spencer is a well-meaning but long-winded middle-aged man. To Holden’s annoyance, Spencer reads aloud Holden’s history paper, in which Holden wrote a note to Spencer so his teacher wouldn’t feel bad about failing him in the subject.

Holden returns to his dorm, which is quiet because most of the students are still at the football game. Wearing the new red hunting cap he bought in New York City, he begins re-reading a book (Out of Africa), but his reverie is temporary. First, his dorm neighbor Ackley disturbs him, although Holden is quite patient about it. Then later, he argues with his roommate Stradlater, who fails to appreciate a composition that Holden wrote for him about Holden’s late brother Allie’s baseball glove. A womanizer, Stradlater has just returned from a date with Holden’s old friend Jane Gallagher. Holden is distressed that Stradlater might have taken advantage of Jane. Stradlater doesn’t appreciate Jane in the manner in which Holden does; he even refers to Jane as “Jean.” They fight; Stradlater wins easily. Holden decides he has had enough of Pencey Prep and catches a train to New York City, where he plans to stay in a hotel until Wednesday, when his parents expect him to return home for New Years vacation.

He checks into the dilapidated Edmont Hotel. After observing the behavior of the “perverts” in the hotel room facing his, he struggles with his own sexuality. He states that although he has had opportunities to lose his virginity, the timing never felt right and he was always respectful when a girl declined. He spends an evening dancing with three tourist women in their 30s from Seattle in the hotel lounge and enjoys dancing with one, but ends up with only the check (to pay). He is disappointed that the women seem unable to carry a conversation. Following an unpromising visit to Ernie’s Nightclub in Greenwich Village, Holden agrees to have a prostitute named Sunny visit his room. His attitude toward the girl changes the minute she enters the room; she seems about the same age as he is. Holden becomes uncomfortable with the situation, and when he tells her that all he wants to do is talk, she becomes annoyed and leaves. Even though he still pays her the right amount for her time, she returns with her pimp Maurice and demands more money. Sunny takes five dollars from Holden’s wallet; Maurice punches Holden in the stomach.

After a short sleep, Holden, lonely and in need of personal connection, telephones Sally Hayes, a familiar date, and they agree to meet that afternoon to attend a play. Holden leaves the hotel, checks his luggage at Grand Central Station and has a late breakfast. He meets two nuns, one an English teacher, with whom he discusses Romeo and Juliet. Holden shops for a special record, “Little Shirley Beans,” for his 10-year-old sister Phoebe. He likes this record and knows Phoebe will enjoy it. He spots a small boy singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye“, which makes him feel less depressed. The play he sees with Sally features Broadway stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Afterward Holden and Sally go skating at Rockefeller Center. While drinking Coke, Holden impulsively invites Sally to run away with him to the wilderness. She declines, acts uninterested, and is too arrogant to try and understand Holden’s point of view. Her responses deflate Holden’s mood, prompting him to remark: “You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth.” He regrets it immediately, apologizing many times. Sally won’t accept his apology and doesn’t let him take her home. She states, “No boy ever said that to me in my entire life.” Sally storms off as Holden follows, pleading with her to accept his apology. When she won’t do so and gets angry, Holden finally leaves. After that, Holden sees the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall, endures a film, and gets very drunk. Throughout the novel, Holden has been worried about the ducks in the lagoon at Central Park. He tries to find them but breaks Phoebe’s record in the process, causing him to almost cry. He feels that he may not be good enough, and the record was the only thing he thought he had to offer to his sister. Exhausted physically, mentally, and financially, Holden heads home to see Phoebe.

Holden recalls the Museum of Natural History, which he often visited as a child. He contrasts his evolving life with the statues of Eskimos in a diorama: whereas the statues have remained unchanged through the years, he and the world have not. Eventually, he sneaks into his parents’ apartment while they are out, to visit his younger sister—and close friend—Phoebe, the only person with whom he seems to be able to communicate his true feelings. Holden shares a selfless fantasy he has been thinking about (based on a mishearing of Robert Burns‘ Comin’ Through the Rye): he pictures himself as the sole guardian of thousands of children playing an unspecified ‘game’ in a huge rye field on the edge of a cliff. His job is to catch the children if, in their abandon, they come close to falling off the brink; to be, in effect, the “catcher in the rye”. Because of this misinterpretation, Holden believes that to be the “catcher in the rye” means to save children from losing their innocence.

When his parents come home, Holden slips out and visits his former and much-admired English teacher, Mr. Antolini, who offers advice on life along with a place to sleep for the night. Mr. Antolini, quoting psychologist Wilhelm Stekel, advises Holden that wishing to die for a noble cause is the mark of the immature man, while it is the mark of the mature man to aspire to live humbly for one. This is at odds with Holden’s ideas of becoming a “catcher in the rye”, symbolically saving children from the evils of adulthood. During the speech on life, Mr. Antolini has a number of cocktails served in highball glasses. Holden is upset when he wakes up in the night to find Mr. Antolini patting his head in a way that he regards as “flitty” (homosexual). It makes Holden feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed. Confused and uncertain, he leaves as dawn is breaking and spends most of Monday morning wandering the city. He questions whether his interpretation of Mr. Antolini’s actions was actually correct, and seems to wonder how much it matters anyway.

Holden makes the decision that he will head out west and live as a deaf-mute. When he explains this plan to Phoebe Monday at lunchtime, she wants to go with him. Holden declines her offer, which upsets Phoebe, so Holden decides not to leave after all. Phoebe was looking forward to acting in a play that Friday. Despite outward frustration, it is clear Holden wants Phoebe to be happy and safe, and he didn’t think she would be if she left with him. “I think I hated her most because she wouldn’t be in that play any more if she went away with me.” He tries to cheer her up by taking her to the Central Park Zoo, and as he watches her ride the zoo’s carousel, he is filled with happiness and joy at the sight of Phoebe riding in the rain.

At the conclusion of the novel, Holden decides not to mention much about later events up to the present day, finding them inconsequential. He alludes to “getting sick” and living in some sort of institution, and mentions he will be attending another school in September; he relates that he has been asked whether he will apply himself properly to his studies this time around and wonders whether such a question has any meaning before the fact. Holden says that he doesn’t want to tell anything more because surprisingly he has found himself missing two of his former classmates, Stradlater and Ackley, and even Maurice, the pimp who punched him. He warns the reader that telling others about their own experiences will lead them to miss the people who shared them.

History

Various older stories by Salinger contain characters similar to those in The Catcher in the Rye. While at Columbia University, J.D. Salinger wrote a short story called “The Young Folks” in Whit Burnett‘s class; one character from this story has been described as a “thinly penciled prototype of Sally Hayes”. In November 1941, Salinger sold the story “Slight Rebellion off Madison,” which featured Holden Caulfield, to The New Yorker, but it wasn’t published until December 21, 1946 due to World War II. The story “I’m Crazy,” which was published in the December 22, 1945, issue of Collier’s, contained material that was later used in The Catcher in the Rye. A ninety-page manuscript about Holden Caulfield was accepted by The New Yorker for publication in 1946, but it was later withdrawn by Salinger.[14]

Writing style

The Catcher in the Rye is narrated in a subjective style from the point of view of Holden Caulfield, following his exact thought processes. There is flow in the seemingly disjointed ideas and episodes; for example, as Holden sits in a chair in his dorm, minor events, such as picking up a book or looking at a table, unfold into discussions about experiences.

Critical reviews agree that the novel accurately reflected the teenage colloquial speech of the time.[15] Words and phrases that appear frequently include:

  • “Phony” – superficial and pretentious
  • “That killed me” – I found that hilarious or astonishing
  • “Flit” – homosexual
  • “Crumbum” – inadequate, insufficient, and/or disappointing
  • “Snowing” – sweet-talking
  • “I got a bang out of that” – I found it hilarious or exciting
  • “Shoot the bull” – have a conversation containing false elements
  • “Give her the time” – sexual intercourse
  • “Chew the fat” – small-talk

Spoken pauses, such as “and all”, “I really did” pepper the narration as well as Holden’s dialogue.

Interpretations

Bruce Brooks held that Holden’s attitude remains unchanged at story’s end, implying no maturation, thus differentiating the novel from young adult fiction.[16] In contrast, Louis Menand thought that teachers assign the novel because of the optimistic ending, to teach adolescent readers that “alienation is just a phase.”[17] While Brooks maintained that Holden acts his age, Menand claimed that Holden thinks as an adult, given his ability to accurately perceive people and their motives. Others highlight the dilemma of Holden’s state, in between adolescence and adulthood.[18][19] Holden is quick to become emotional. “I felt sorry as hell for…” is a phrase he often uses.[18]

Freddie Bartholomew in Captains Courageous

Peter Beidler, in his A Reader’s Companion to J. D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, identifies the movie that the prostitute “Sunny” refers to. In chapter 13 she says that in the movie a boy falls off a boat. The movie is Captains Courageous, starring Spencer Tracy. Sunny says that Holden looks like the boy who fell off the boat. Beidler shows (page 28) a still of the boy, played by child-actor Freddie Bartholomew.

Each Caulfield child has literary talent: D. B. writes screenplays in Hollywood; Holden also reveres D. B. for his writing skill (Holden’s own best subject), but he also despises Hollywood industry-based movies, considering them the ultimate in “phony” as the writer has no space for his own imagination, and describes D. B.’s move to Hollywood to write for films as “prostituting himself”; Allie wrote poetry on his baseball glove; and Phoebe is a diarist.[20][not in citation given] This “catcher in the rye” is an analogy for Holden, who admires in kids attributes that he struggles to find in adults, like innocence, kindness, spontaneity, and generosity. Falling off the cliff could be a progression into the adult world that surrounds him and that he strongly criticizes. Later, Phoebe and Holden exchange roles as the “catcher” and the “fallen”; he gives her his hunting hat, the catcher’s symbol, and becomes the fallen as Phoebe becomes the catcher.[21]

In their biography of Salinger, David Shields and Shane Salerno argue that “The Catcher in the Rye can best be understood as a disguised war novel.” Salinger witnessed the horrors of World War II, but rather than writing a combat novel, Salinger, according to Shields and Salerno, “took the trauma of war and embedded it within what looked to the naked eye like a coming-of-age novel.”[22]

Reception

The Catcher in the Rye has been listed as one of the best novels of the twentieth century. Shortly after its publication, writing for The New York Times, Nash K. Burger called it “an unusually brilliant novel,”[23] while James Stern wrote an admiring review of the book in a voice imitating Holden’s.[24] George H. W. Bush called it a “marvelous book,” listing it among the books that have inspired him.[25] In June 2009, the BBC‘s Finlo Rohrer wrote that, 58 years since publication, the book is still regarded “as the defining work on what it is like to be a teenager. Holden is at various times disaffected, disgruntled, alienated, isolated, directionless, and sarcastic.”[26] Adam Gopnik considers it one of the “three perfect books” in American literature, along with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby, and believes that “no book has ever captured a city better than Catcher in the Rye captured New York in the fifties.”[27] Jeff Pruchnic wrote an appraisal of The Catcher in the Rye after the death of J.D. Salinger. In this article, Pruchnic focuses on how the novel continues to be received incredibly well, even after it has aged many generations. Pruchnic describes Holden as a “teenage protagonist frozen midcentury but destined to be discovered by those of a similar age in every generation to come”. [28]

However, not all reception has been positive; the book has had its share of critics. Rohrer writes, “Many of these readers are disappointed that the novel fails to meet the expectations generated by the mystique it is shrouded in. J. D. Salinger has done his part to enhance this mystique. That is to say, he has done nothing.”[26] Rohrer assessed the reasons behind both the popularity and criticism of the book, saying that it “captures existential teenage angst” and has a “complex central character” and “accessible conversational style”; while at the same time some readers may dislike the “use of 1940s New York vernacular” and other things.

Censorship and use in schools

In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma was fired for assigning the novel in class; however, he was later reinstated.[29] Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States.[30] The book was banned in the Issaquah, Washington, high schools in 1978 as being part of an “overall communist plot”.[31] In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States.[32] According to the American Library Association, The Catcher in the Rye was the 10th most frequently challenged book from 1990 to 1999.[10] It was one of the ten most challenged books of 2005,[33] and although it had been off the list for three years, it reappeared in the list of most challenged books of 2009.[34]

The challenges generally begin with Holden’s frequent use of vulgar language,[35][36] with other reasons including sexual references,[37] blasphemy, undermining of family values[36] and moral codes,[38] encouragement of rebellion,[39] and promotion of drinking, smoking, lying, and promiscuity.[38] Often the challengers have been unfamiliar with the plot itself.[30] Shelley Keller-Gage, a high school teacher who faced objections after assigning the novel in her class, noted that “the challengers are being just like Holden… They are trying to be catchers in the rye”.[36] A reverse effect has been that this incident caused people to put themselves on the waiting list to borrow the novel, when there were none before.[40]

Shooters citing the book as an influence

Further information: The Catcher in the Rye in popular culture § Shootings

Several shootings have been associated with Salinger’s novel, including Robert John Bardo‘s shooting of Rebecca Schaeffer and John Hinckley, Jr.‘s assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. After the killing of John Lennon, Mark David Chapman was arrested with a copy of the book that he had purchased that same day, inside of which he had written: “To Holden Caulfield, From Holden Caulfield, This is my statement”.[41][42]

Attempted adaptations

In film

Early in his career, Salinger expressed a willingness to have his work adapted for the screen.[43] In 1949, a critically panned film version of his short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was released; renamed My Foolish Heart and taking great liberties with Salinger’s plot, the film is widely considered to be among the reasons that Salinger refused to allow any subsequent film adaptations of his work.[18][44] The enduring popularity of The Catcher in the Rye, however, has resulted in repeated attempts to secure the novel’s screen rights.[45]

When The Catcher in the Rye was first released, many offers were made to adapt it for the screen, including one from Samuel Goldwyn, producer of My Foolish Heart.[44] In a letter written in the early fifties, J. D. Salinger spoke of mounting a play in which he would play the role of Holden Caulfield opposite Margaret O’Brien, and, if he couldn’t play the part himself, to “forget about it.” Almost fifty years later, the writer Joyce Maynard definitively concluded, “The only person who might ever have played Holden Caulfield would have been J. D. Salinger.”[46]

Salinger told Maynard in the seventies that Jerry Lewis “tried for years to get his hands on the part of Holden,”[46] despite Lewis not having read the novel until he was in his thirties.[40] Celebrities ranging from Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson to Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio have since tried to make a film adaptation.[47] In an interview with Premiere magazine, John Cusack commented that his one regret about turning twenty-one was that he had become too old to play Holden Caulfield. Writer-director Billy Wilder recounted his abortive attempts to snare the novel’s rights:

Of course I read The Catcher in the Rye….Wonderful book. I loved it. I pursued it. I wanted to make a picture out of it. And then one day a young man came to the office of Leland Hayward, my agent, in New York, and said, ‘Please tell Mr. Leland Hayward to lay off. He’s very, very insensitive.’ And he walked out. That was the entire speech. I never saw him. That was J. D. Salinger and that was Catcher in the Rye.[48]

In 1961, Salinger denied Elia Kazan permission to direct a stage adaptation of Catcher for Broadway.[49] More recently, Salinger’s agents received bids for the Catcher movie rights from Harvey Weinstein and Steven Spielberg,[50] neither of which was even passed on to J. D. Salinger for consideration.

In 2003, the BBC television program The Big Read featured The Catcher in the Rye, interspersing discussions of the novel with “a series of short films that featured an actor playing J. D. Salinger’s adolescent antihero, Holden Caulfield.”[49] The show defended its unlicensed adaptation of the novel by claiming to be a “literary review”, and no major charges were filed.

After Salinger’s death in 2010, Phyllis Westberg, who was Salinger’s agent at Harold Ober Associates, stated that nothing has changed in terms of licensing film, television, or stage rights of his works.[51] A letter written by Salinger in 1957 revealed that he was open to an adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye released after his death. He wrote: “Firstly, it is possible that one day the rights will be sold. Since there’s an ever-looming possibility that I won’t die rich, I toy very seriously with the idea of leaving the unsold rights to my wife and daughter as a kind of insurance policy. It pleasures me no end, though, I might quickly add, to know that I won’t have to see the results of the transaction.” Salinger also wrote that he believed his novel was not suitable for film treatment, and that translating Holden Caulfield’s first-person narrative into voice-over and dialogue would be contrived.[52]

Banned fan fiction

In 2009, a year before his death, Salinger successfully sued to stop the U.S. publication of a novel that presents Holden Caulfield as an old man.[26][53] The novel’s author, Fredrik Colting, commented, “call me an ignorant Swede, but the last thing I thought possible in the U.S. was that you banned books”.[54] The issue is complicated by the nature of Colting’s book, 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, which has been compared to fan fiction.[55] Although commonly not authorized by writers, no legal action is usually taken[56] against fan fiction since it is rarely published commercially and thus involves no profit. Colting, however, has published his book commercially. Unauthorized fan fiction on The Catcher in the Rye existed on the Internet for years without any legal action taken by Salinger before his death.[55]

Cultural influence

Main article: The Catcher in the Rye in popular culture

The Catcher in the Rye has had significant cultural influence, and works inspired by the novel have been said to form their own genre. The Nepali short film Milarepa in Prison borrows some ideas from The Catcher in the Rye as its main protagonist character has been influenced by the character of Holden Caulifield. [17] Dr. Sarah Graham assessed works influenced by The Catcher in the Rye to include the novels Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, and the film Igby Goes Down by Burr Steers.

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The Catcher in the Rye is J . D. Salinger’s world-famous novel of disaffected youth

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Mark David Chapman – John Lennon’s Killer

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Mark David Chapman

See The Catcher in the Rye

See John Lennon’s Murder

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Let Me Take You Down

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 Inside The Mind Of Mark David Chapman, The Man Who Shot John Lennon:

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Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) is an American prison inmate who murdered John Lennon on December 8, 1980. Chapman shot Lennon outside The Dakota apartment building in New York City. Chapman fired at Lennon five times, hitting him four times in the back. Chapman later remained at the crime scene reading J. D. Salinger‘s novel The Catcher in the Rye until the police arrived and arrested him. Chapman repeatedly said that the novel was his statement.

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Interview With Mark David Chapman John Lennon’s Assassin

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Chapman’s legal team put forward an insanity defense based on expert testimony that he was in a delusional and possibly psychotic state at the time, but nearing the trial, Chapman instructed his lawyer that he wanted to plead guilty, based on what he had decided was the will of God. The judge allowed the plea change without further psychiatric assessment after Chapman denied hearing voices, and sentenced him to a prison term of twenty years to life with a stipulation that mental health treatment be provided. Chapman was imprisoned in 1981 and has been denied parole eight times amidst campaigns against his release

Personal background

Chapman was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1955.[1] His father, David Curtis Chapman, was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, and his mother, Diane Elizabeth (née Pease), was a nurse. His younger sister, Susan, was born seven years later. Chapman stated that as a boy, he lived in fear of his father, who he said was physically abusive towards his mother and unloving towards him. Chapman began to fantasize about having king-like power over a group of imaginary “little people” who lived in the walls of his bedroom. Chapman attended Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia. By the time he was fourteen, Chapman was using drugs, skipping classes, and he once ran away from home to live on the streets of Atlanta for two weeks. He said that he was bullied at school because he was not a good athlete.[7]

In 1971, Chapman became a born again Presbyterian and distributed Biblical tracts. He met his first girlfriend named Jessica Blankenship. He began work as a YMCA summer camp counselor; he was very popular with the children, who nicknamed him “Nemo”. He won an award for Outstanding Counselor and was made assistant director.[7] Those who knew him in the caretaking professions unanimously called him an outstanding worker.[8] A friend recommended The Catcher in the Rye to Chapman, and the story eventually took on great personal significance for him, to the extent that he reportedly wished to model his life after its protagonist, Holden Caulfield.[7] After graduating from Columbia High School, Chapman moved for a time to Chicago and played guitar in churches and Christian nightspots while his friend did impersonations. He worked successfully for World Vision with Vietnamese refugees at a resettlement camp at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, after a brief visit to Lebanon for the same work. He was named an area coordinator and a key aide to the program director, David Moore, who later said that Chapman cared deeply for the children and worked hard. Chapman accompanied Moore to meetings with government officials, and President Gerald Ford shook his hand.[8]

Chapman joined his girlfriend, Jessica Blankenship, as a student at Covenant College, an evangelical Presbyterian liberal arts college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. However, Chapman fell behind in his studies and became obsessed with guilt over having an affair.[9][10] He started having suicidal thoughts and began to feel like a failure. He dropped out of Covenant College, and his girlfriend broke off their relationship soon after. He returned to work at the resettlement camp, but left after an argument. Chapman worked as a security guard, eventually taking a week-long course to qualify as an armed guard. He again attempted college but dropped out. He went to Hawaii and then began contemplating suicide.[9] In 1977, Chapman attempted suicide by carbon monoxide asphyxiation. He connected a hose to his car’s exhaust pipe, but the hose melted and the attempt failed. A psychiatrist admitted him to Castle Memorial Hospital for clinical depression. Upon his release, he began working at the hospital.[11] His parents began divorce proceedings, and his mother joined Chapman in Hawaii.[10]

In 1978, Chapman went on a six-week trip around the world, inspired partly by the film Around the World in Eighty Days, visiting Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Beirut, Geneva, London, Paris and Dublin. He began a relationship with his travel agent, a Japanese-American woman named Gloria Abe. They married on June 2, 1979. Chapman went to work at Castle Memorial Hospital as a printer, working alone rather than with staff and patients. He was fired by the Castle Memorial Hospital, rehired, then got into a shouting match with a nurse and quit. He took a job as a night security guard and began drinking heavily.[11] Chapman developed a series of obsessions, including artwork, The Catcher in the Rye, music, and John Lennon. He also started talking with the imaginary ‘little people’ again. In September 1980, he wrote a letter to a friend, Lynda Irish, in which he stated, “I’m going nuts.” He signed the letter, “The Catcher in the Rye”.[12] Chapman had no criminal convictions up to this point.[13]

Plan to murder John Lennon

Chapman allegedly started planning to kill Lennon up to three months prior to the murder.

He had been a big Beatles fan, idolizing Lennon, and played guitar himself, but turned on him after becoming born-again; he was angered at Lennon’s comment that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” In the South, there were demonstrations, album burnings, boycotts, and projectiles were thrown. Some members of Chapman’s prayer group made a joke “It went, ‘Imagine, imagine if John Lennon was dead.'”[10] Chapman’s childhood friend Miles McManushe recalls his referring to the song as “communist”. Jan Reeves, sister of one of Chapman’s best friends, reports that Chapman “seemed really angry toward John Lennon, and he kept saying he could not understand why John Lennon had said it [that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus]. According to Mark, there should be nobody more popular than the Lord Jesus Christ. He said it was blasphemy.”[14]

Chapman had later also been influenced by reading in a library book (John Lennon: One Day at a Time by Anthony Fawcett) about Lennon’s life in New York. According to his wife Gloria, “He was angry that Lennon would preach love and peace but yet have millions [of dollars].” Chapman later said that “He told us to imagine no possessions, and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their lives around his music.”[15]

He said that he chose Lennon after seeing him on the cover of The Beatles’ album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He also recalls having listened to Lennon’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album in the weeks before the murder and has stated: “I would listen to this music and I would get angry at him, for saying that he didn’t believe in God… and that he didn’t believe in the Beatles. This was another thing that angered me, even though this record had been done at least 10 years previously. I just wanted to scream out loud, ‘Who does he think he is, saying these things about God and heaven and the Beatles?’ Saying that he doesn’t believe in Jesus and things like that. At that point, my mind was going through a total blackness of anger and rage. So I brought the Lennon book home, into this The Catcher in the Rye milieu where my mindset is Holden Caulfield and anti-phoniness.”[15]

Chapman also said that he had a further list of people in mind, including Johnny Carson, Marlon Brando, Walter Cronkite, Elizabeth Taylor, George C. Scott, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, but that John Lennon seemed to be the easiest to find. He separately said that he was particularly infatuated by Lennon. He also considered committing suicide by jumping from the Statue of Liberty.[16] Chapman’s planning has been described as ‘muddled’.[17] Chapman went to New York in October 1980, intending to kill Lennon.[12] He left for a short while in order to obtain ammunition from his unwitting friend in Atlanta, Dana Reeves, and returned to New York in November.

After being inspired by the film Ordinary People, Chapman returned to Hawaii, telling his wife he had been obsessed with killing Lennon. He showed her the gun and bullets, but she did not inform the police or mental health services. He made an appointment to see a clinical psychologist, but before it occurred he flew back to New York, on December 6, 1980.[10] Chapman says that the message “Thou Shalt Not Kill” flashed on the TV at him, and was also on a wall hanging put up by his wife in their apartment; on the night before the murder, Chapman and his wife discussed on the phone about getting help with his problems by first working on his relationship with God.[15]

On December 7, 1980, the day before the killing, Chapman accosted singer-songwriter James Taylor at the 72nd Street subway station. According to Taylor, “The guy had sort of pinned me to the wall and was glistening with maniacal sweat and talking some freak speak about what he was going to do and his stuff with how John was interested, and he was going to get in touch with John Lennon.”[18] He also reportedly offered cocaine to a taxi driver.[10]

Murder of John Lennon

Further information: Death of John Lennon

The entrance to the Dakota building where Lennon was shot

On December 8, 1980, Chapman left his room at the Sheraton Hotel, leaving personal items behind which the police would later find, and bought a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in which he wrote “This is my statement”, signing it “Holden Caulfield“. He then spent most of the day near the entrance to The Dakota apartment building where Lennon and Yoko Ono lived, talking to fans and the doorman. Early in the morning, a distracted Chapman missed seeing Lennon step out of a cab and enter the Dakota. Later in the morning, Chapman met Lennon’s housekeeper who was returning from a walk with their five-year-old son Sean. Chapman reached in front of the housekeeper to shake Sean’s hand and said that he was a beautiful boy, quoting Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)“. Around 5:00 p.m., Lennon and Ono left The Dakota for a recording session at Record Plant Studios. As they walked toward their limousine, Chapman shook hands with Lennon and asked for him to sign a copy of his album, Double Fantasy.[19] Photographer Paul Goresh took a photo of Lennon signing Chapman’s album. Chapman reported that, “At that point my big part won and I wanted to go back to my hotel, but I couldn’t. I waited until he came back. He knew where the ducks went in winter, and I needed to know this” (a reference to The Catcher in the Rye).

Around 10:49 p.m., the Lennons’ limousine returned to the Dakota. Lennon and Ono got out, passed Chapman and walked toward the archway entrance of the building. From the street behind them, Chapman fired five shots from a .38 special revolver, four of which hit Lennon in the back and left shoulder. The death certificate[20] gives the following description: “Multiple gunshot wounds of left shoulder and chest; Left lung and left subclavian artery; External and internal hemorrhage. Shock.”

At the time, one newspaper reported that, before firing, Chapman softly called out “Mr. Lennon” and dropped into a crouched position.[21] Chapman said that he does not recall saying anything and that Lennon did not turn around.[22]

Chapman remained at the scene, appearing to be reading The Catcher in the Rye, until the police arrived. The New York City Police Department officers who first responded, recognizing that Lennon’s wounds were severe, decided to transport him to Roosevelt Hospital. Chapman was arrested without incident. In his statement to police three hours later, Chapman stated, “I’m sure the big part of me is Holden Caulfield, who is the main person in the book. The small part of me must be the Devil.”[20] Lennon was pronounced dead by Dr. Stephan Lynn at 11:07 p.m. at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Legal process

Chapman was charged with second degree murder. When asked why he used hollow-pointed bullets, Chapman responded “because they are more deadly” and “to ensure Lennon’s death.”[23]

Gloria Chapman, who had known of Chapman’s preparations for killing Lennon, hired an attorney who stated at a press conference: “Gloria did not do anything or participate in any way in this trip in a knowing way or in a way in which she did consciously in any way lend any support to Mark’s actions”.[24][25]

Mental state assessment

More than a dozen psychologists and psychiatrists studied Chapman in the six months before the scheduled trial – three for the prosecution, six for the defense and several more on behalf of the court – involving batteries of tests and over 200 hours of clinical interviews. None concluded that he was feigning or malingering. In fact, Chapman cooperated more with the prosecution experts than the defense. The court experts who examined Chapman at Bellevue Hospital concluded that he was delusional yet competent to stand trial. However their report stated that he “may continue to have psychotic episodes” and warned of “fluctuations of mood and…cooperation” with his legal counsel.

The six defense experts declared that Chapman was psychotic (five making a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and one of psychotic manic depression) while the three prosecution experts declared that his delusions fell short of psychosis and instead diagnosed various personality disorders.

Chapman was also seen by religious officials, initially by Rev. Charles McGowan, pastor of Chapman’s old church Chapel Woods Presbyterian, which resulted in Chapman renewing his belief in God and Satan. However they fell out when McGowan released personal details to the media, and for the time being Chapman returned to emphasizing The Catcher in the Rye and wanting a trial to publicize it further.[26]

Plea

Lawyer Herbert Adlerberg was assigned to represent Chapman but, amid threats of lynching, withdrew. Police feared that Lennon fans might storm the hospital so they transferred Chapman to Rikers Island.[27]

In January 1981, at the initial hearing, Chapman’s new lawyer, Jonathan Marks, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. In February, Chapman sent a handwritten statement to The New York Times urging everyone to read The Catcher in the Rye, calling it an “extraordinary book that holds many answers.”[28] The defense team sought to establish witnesses as to Chapman’s mental state at the time of the killing.[29] It was reported they were confident he would be found not guilty by reason of insanity, in which case he would have been committed to a state mental hospital and received treatment.

However, in June, Chapman told Marks he wanted to drop the insanity defense and plead guilty. Marks objected with “serious questions” over Chapman’s sanity, and legally challenged his competence to make this decision. In the pursuant hearing on June 22, Chapman said that God had told him to plead guilty and that he would not change his plea or ever appeal, regardless of his sentence. Marks told the court that he opposed Chapman’s change of plea but that Chapman would not listen to him. Judge Dennis Edwards refused a further assessment, saying that Chapman had made the decision of his own free will, and declared him competent to plead guilty.

Sentencing

On August 24, 1981, the sentencing hearing took place. Two experts gave evidence on Chapman’s behalf. Judge Edwards interrupted Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a research psychiatrist then relatively inexperienced in the courtroom, indicating that the purpose of the hearing was to determine the sentence and that there was no question of Chapman’s criminal responsibility. Lewis has maintained that Chapman’s decision to change his plea did not appear reasonable or explicable, and she implies the judge did not want to allow an independent competency assessment.[32] The district attorney argued that Chapman committed the murder as an easy route to fame. When Chapman was asked if he had anything to say, he rose and read the passage from The Catcher in the Rye, when Holden tells his little sister, Phoebe, what he wants to do with his life:

Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.

The judge ordered psychiatric treatment in prison and sentenced Chapman to 20-years-to-life, 5 years less than the maximum sentence of 25-years-to-life.[33] Chapman was given five years less than the maximum because he pled guilty to second degree murder, thereby avoiding the time and expense of a trial.

Imprisonment

In 1981, Chapman was imprisoned at Attica, outside of Buffalo, New York. After Chapman fasted for 26 days in February 1982, the New York State Supreme Court authorized the state to force feed him. Martin Von Holden, the director of the Central New York Psychiatric Center, said that Chapman still refused to eat with other inmates but agreed to take liquid nutrients.[34] Chapman was confined to a Special Handling Unit (SHU) for violent and at-risk prisoners, in part due to concern that he might be harmed by Lennon’s fans in the general population. There were 105 prisoners in the building who were “not considered a threat to him,” according to the New York State Department of Correctional Services. He had his own prison cell, but spent “most of his day outside his cell working on housekeeping and in the library.”[35]

Chapman worked in the prison as a legal clerk and kitchen helper. He was barred from participating in the Cephas Attica workshops, a charitable organization which helps inmates to adjust to life outside prison. He was also prohibited from attending the prison’s violence and anger management classes due to concern for his safety. Chapman reportedly likes to read and write short stories. At his parole board hearing in 2004, he described his plans; “I would immediately try to find a job, and I really want to go from place to place, at least in the state, church to church, and tell people what happened to me and point them the way to Christ.” He also said that he thought that there was a possibility he could find work as a farmhand or return to his previous trade as a printer.[36] The Daily Mirror reported he wanted to set up a church with his wife.[37]

Chapman is in the Family Reunion Program, and is allowed one conjugal visit a year with his wife,[38] since he accepted solitary confinement. The program allows him to spend up to 42 hours alone with his wife in a specially built prison home. He also gets occasional visits from his sister, clergy, and a few friends. In 2004, James Flateau, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Correctional Services, said that Chapman had been involved in three “minor incidents” between 1989 and 1994 for delaying an inmate count and refusing to follow an order.[39] Chapman was transferred to the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York, which is east of Buffalo, on May 15, 2012.[6]

Parole applications and campaigns

Denied Parole for Seventh Time ABC News

As the result of his sentence of 20 years to life, Chapman first became eligible for parole in 2000, and is entitled to a hearing every two years. Since that time, Chapman has been denied parole eight times by a three-member board. Shortly before Chapman’s first hearing, Yoko Ono sent a letter to the board opposing his release from prison.[40][41] In addition, New York State Senator Michael Nozzolio, chairman of the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee, wrote to Parole Board Chairman Brion Travis saying: “It is the responsibility of the New York State Parole Board to ensure that public safety is protected from the release of dangerous criminals like Chapman.”[42]

At the 50-minute hearing in 2000, Chapman said that he was not a danger to society. The parole board concluded that releasing Chapman would “deprecate the seriousness of the crime and serve to undermine respect for the law” and that Chapman’s granting of media interviews represented a continued interest in “maintaining your notoriety.” They noted that although Chapman had a good disciplinary record while in prison, he had been in the SHU and didn’t access “anti-violence and/or anti-aggression programming.”[43] Robert Gangi, a lawyer for the Correctional Association of New York, said that he thought it unlikely Chapman would ever be freed because the board would not risk the “political heat” of releasing Lennon’s killer.[44] In 2002, the parole board stated again that releasing Chapman after 22 years in prison would “deprecate the seriousness” of the crime, and that while his behavioral record continued to be positive, it was no predictor of his potential community behavior.[45] The parole board held a third hearing in 2004, and declined parole yet again. One of the reasons given by the board was having subjected Ono to “monumental suffering by her witnessing the crime.” Another factor was concern for Chapman’s safety; several Lennon fans had threatened to kill him if he were released. Ono’s letter opposing his release stated that Chapman would not be safe outside of prison. The board reported that its decision was based on the interview, a review of records and deliberation.[35] Around 6,000 people had signed an online petition against Chapman’s release by this time.[46]

In October 2006, the parole board held a 16-minute hearing and concluded that his release would not be in the best interest of the community or his own personal safety.[47][48] On December 8, 2006, the 26th anniversary of Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono published a one-page advertisement in several newspapers saying that December 8 should be a “day of forgiveness,” and that she was not yet sure if she was ready to forgive Chapman.[49] Chapman’s fifth hearing was on August 12, 2008. He was denied parole “due to concern for the public safety and welfare.”[50] On July 27, 2010, in advance of Chapman’s scheduled sixth parole hearing, Ono said that she would again oppose parole for Chapman stating that her safety, that of John’s sons, and Chapman’s would be at risk. She added, “I am afraid it will bring back the nightmare, the chaos and confusion [of that night] once again.”[51] On August 11, 2010, the parole board postponed the hearing until September, stating that it was awaiting the receipt of additional information to complete Chapman’s record.[52] On September 7, the board denied Chapman’s latest parole application, with the panel stating “release remains inappropriate at this time and incompatible with the welfare of the community.”[5]

It was announced on August 18, 2012, that Chapman would have his seventh parole hearing the week beginning August 20.[53] However, Chapman was denied parole by a three-member board who stated, “Despite your positive efforts while incarcerated, your release at this time would greatly undermine respect for the law and tend to trivialize the tragic loss of life which you caused as a result of this heinous, unprovoked, violent, cold and calculated crime.”[54] Chapman’s eighth parole application was denied in August 2014. At the hearing, Chapman said, “I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory.”[55] “I have peace now in Jesus,” he continued. “He has forgiven me and loves me. He has helped me in my life like you wouldn’t believe.”[citation needed] Chapman’s next scheduled parole hearing will be in August 2016.

Impact

Following the murder, and for the first six years in Attica, Chapman refused all requests for interviews. James R. Gaines interviewed him and wrote a three-part, 18,000-word People magazine series in February and March 1987.[26][56][57] Chapman told the parole board he regretted the interview. Chapman later gave a series of audio-taped interviews to Jack Jones of the Democrat and Chronicle. In 1992 Jones published a book, Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman, the Man Who Killed John Lennon.[58]

Also in 1992, Chapman gave two television interviews. On December 4, 1992, 20/20 aired an interview that he gave to Barbara Walters, his first television interview since the shooting.[59] On December 17, 1992, Larry King interviewed Chapman on his program Larry King Live.[60] In 2000, with his first parole hearing approaching, Jack Jones asked Chapman to tell his story for Mugshots, a CourtTV program. Chapman refused to go on camera but, after praying over it, consented to tell his story in a series of audiotapes.

Chapman’s experiences during the weekend on which he committed the murder have been turned into a feature-length movie called Chapter 27, in which he was played by Jared Leto. The film was written and directed by Jarrett Schaefer and is based on the Jones book. The film’s title is a reference to The Catcher in the Rye, which has 26 chapters.[61] Chapter 27 premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007 and received polarized reactions from critics. The film had a limited release in theaters in the United States in March 2008.[62] Chapter 27 was released widely onto DVD on September 30, 2008. Another film was made before the feature film entitled The Killing of John Lennon starring Jonas Ball as Chapman, which documents Chapman’s life before and up to the murder and portrays Chapman in a somewhat sympathetic light. The film features Ball as Chapman narrating the film and states that all the words are Chapman’s own.

A number of conspiracy theories have been published, based on CIA and FBI surveillance of Lennon due to his left-wing activism, and on the actions of Mark Chapman in the murder or subsequent legal proceedings. Barrister and journalist Fenton Bresler[63] raised the idea in a book published in 1990.[64] Liverpool playwright Ian Carroll, who has staged a drama conveying the theory that Chapman was manipulated by a rogue wing of the CIA, suggests Chapman wasn’t so crazy that he couldn’t manage a long trip from Hawaii to New York shortly prior to the murder.[65] Claims include that Chapman was a Manchurian candidate, including speculation on links to the CIA’s Project MKULTRA. At least one author has argued that forensic evidence proves Chapman did not commit the murder,[66] while others have criticized the theories as based on possible or suspected connections and circumstances.

In 1982, Rhino Records released a compilation of Beatles-related novelty and parody songs, called Beatlesongs. It featured a cover caricature of Chapman by William Stout. Following its release, Rhino recalled the record and replaced it with another cover.[67] New York-based band Mindless Self Indulgence released a track entitled “Mark David Chapman” on their album If. Irish band The Cranberries recorded a song called “I Just Shot John Lennon,” for their 1996 album To the Faithful Departed. It cites events that took place outside the Dakota on the night of Lennon’s murder. The title of the song comes from Chapman’s own words.

Austin, Texas-based art rock band …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have also released a song called “Mark David Chapman” from their 1999 album Madonna. Julian Cope‘s 1988 album Autogeddon contains a song called “Don’t Call Me Mark Chapman” whose lyrics suggest it is told from the point of view of Lennon’s murderer. Filipino band Rivermaya released a song called “Hangman (I Shot the Walrus)” on their album Atomic Bomb (1997), supposedly written from Mark Chapman’s point of view.[68]

Chapman’s obsession with the central character and message of the The Catcher in the Rye added to controversy about the novel. Some links have been drawn between Chapman’s and the book’s themes of adolescent sensitivity and depression on the one hand, and anti-social and violent thoughts on the other. This connection was made in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its film adaptation by the character played by Will Smith.[69]

Links have sometimes been drawn between Chapman’s actions and those of other killers or attempted killers. John Hinckley, who only months later tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, was also associated with The Catcher in the Rye. Further, John Hinckley’s father, John Hinckley, Sr, was president of World Vision, for whom Chapman was employed. More recently, a writer who experienced mental illness in the same city as Jared Loughner has suggested that examples such as Chapman’s show the need to challenge stigma about mental health problems and ensure there are good community mental health services including crisis intervention.

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Let Me Take You Down

Click image to buy this book

Inside The Mind Of Mark David Chapman, The Man Who Shot John Lennon:

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5th September – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , ,

5th September

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

Sunday 5 September 1971

The Army Council of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) proposed the idea of a nine county Ulster Assembly (Dáil Uladh) in a set of constitutional proposals which were reported in Republican News on 11 September 1971. The Assembly was to be one of four regional Assemblies covering the whole of any future united Ireland. The fact that the Ulster Assembly would have a Unionist majority was considered as meeting Unionist concerns over being “swamped” in any new Republic.

Friday 5 September 1975

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb at the Hilton Hotel in London and killed two people and injured a further 63. [It was later established that a 20 minute warning had been given but this was not passed on to the hotel.]

Wednesday 5 September 1979

Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, and Jack Lynch, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), met in London to discuss security matters.

Sunday 5 September 1982

Brian Smyth (30), who had been a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) until 1978, was shot dead by members of the UVF in Crimea Street, Shankill, Belfast.

[This killing was reported as an internal feud but was a personal grudge between Lenny Murphy, who had been leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gang known as the ‘Shankill Butchers’, and Smyth to whom Murphy owed money (Dillon, 1990).]

Friday 5 September 1986

A group of politicians from the main Unionist parties advised district councillors to resign on 15 November 1986 (the first anniversary of the Anglo-Irish Agreement; AIA) as a protest against the Agreement and to force the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) to appoint commissioners to run the councils. [Later the councillors themselves decided against mass resignations.]

Saturday 5 September 1987

Eleven Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs) were summoned for their part in demonstrations on 10 and 11 April 1987.

Tuesday 5 September 1995

Tony Kane (29), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead, while sat in his stationary car, St. Agnes Drive, Andersonstown, Belfast. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was believed to be responsible for the killing.

[It was alleged that Kane was a drugs dealer and this was the reason why he had been killed.]

Irish government officials cancelled a summit meeting planned for 6 September 1995 between John Bruton, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), and John Major, then British Prime Minister. [Irish and British officials had failed to reach agreement on the need for a commission to oversee the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons.

Saturday 5 September 1998

Seán McGrath (61) who had been injured in the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998, died as a result of his injuries bringing the total of those killed to 29. David Trimble, then First Minister designate and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), repeated his view that decommissioning of Irish Republican Army (IRA) weapons was necessary before the UUP would enter an Executive with Sinn Féin (SF).

Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), said that there was nothing in the Good Friday Agreement that prevented the immediate establishment of an Executive which would include SF members as of right. President Clinton left Ireland from Shannon Airport after what he considered to be a successful visit. The President was conferred with the Freedom of Limerick and in his acceptance speech he said the United States would support Irish people in the path to peace. Earlier in the day he had played a round of golf at Ballybunnion in Kerry with, amongst others, Dick Spring, the former Tánaiste (deputy Irish Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs).

Wednesday 5 September 2001

Loyalists threw a blast bomb towards Catholic children and their parents as they were attempting to enter the Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School on the Ardoyne Road in north Belfast. There was panic as the device exploded.

Four Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were injured by the blast and a woman collapsed with shock. All were taken to hospital.

The Red Hand Defenders (RHD), a cover name that has been used by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), said it was responsible for the attack.

[This was the third day of the current round of Loyalist protest at the school.]

Later in the evening Protestant residents and Catholic parents held separate meetings to discuss the dispute. The RUC released figures on the rioting overnight. In the 24 hours up to 5.00am (0500BST) 41 RUC officers and two members of the British army had been injured. Fifteen blast bombs and 250 petrol bombs were thrown, and four civilian cars were damaged. An articulated lorry was hijacked by two gunmen on the main bypass road at Newry, County Down, at approximately 12.15am (0015BST). The vehicle was placed across the road and set on fire.

Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the follow  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

9 People lost their lives on the 5th September  between 1972 – 1995

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05 September 1972
 Victor Smyth,  (54)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: not known (nk)
Off duty. Killed in car bomb explosion outside McGurk’s Bar, Bridge Street, Portadown, County Armagh. Driving past at the time of the explosion.

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05 September 1973
 Patrick Duffy,   (21)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb when he drove tractor into field, Greaghnagleragh, near Belcoo, County Fermanagh.

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05 September 1975
 Robert Lloyd,   (-9) nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during bomb explosion in foyer of Hilton Hotel, London. Inadequate warning given.

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05 September 1975
 Grace Loohuis,   (-9) nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during bomb explosion in foyer of Hilton Hotel, London. Inadequate warning given.

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05 September 1978
 William McAlpine,   (46)

Protestant
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Part-time Cadet Force Officer. Shot while driving his car, near to his home, Chapel Street, Newry, County Down.

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05 September 1981
 Sohan Virdee,   (20) nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot shortly after being lured to house

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05 September 1982


 Brian Smyth,   (30)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while sitting in stationary car, from passing motorcycle, Crimea Street, Shankill, Belfast. Internal Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) dispute.

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05 September 1992
 Samual Rice,   (29)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while in relative’s home, Solway Street, off Newtownards Road, Belfast. Alleged criminal.

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05 September 1995
 Tony Kane,  (29)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot, while sat in his stationary car, St. Agnes Drive, Andersonstown, Belfast

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Main source CAIN Web Service

See: 5th September

4th September – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , ,

4th September

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles 

Wednesday 4 September 1974

Brian Faulkner and a group of his supporters launched the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (UPNI).

Saturday 4 September 1976

There was a Peace People’s rally in Derry which was attended by approximately 2500 people. [During the following weeks there were a number of rallies all over Ireland and Britain. Ciaran McKeown directed the movement. The Peace People were criticised by both Republicans and Loyalists and some of those taking part suffered intimidation.]

Friday 4 September 1981

The family of Matt Devlin, then on day 52 of his hunger strike, intervened and asked for medical treatment to save his life.

Wednesday 4 September 1985

A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, was seriously damaged in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) mortar attack. The base was used to train new recruits.

Saturday 4 September 1993 to Saturday 11 September 1993

There was a suspension in Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacks for one week. Commentators believed this was done to coincide with a visit by an Irish-American fact-finding group to Ireland led by Bruce Morrison (former United States Democratic congressman). The group requested a meeting with Sinn Féin (SF). The meeting with SF was considered important by the Irish-American group, which had talks over 3 days with political leaders in Dublin and Belfast. The group believed that SF’s inclusion in the peace process was essential to bring about an end to violence.

[This was the second temporary ceasefire during 1993 – the first in May coincided with the visit of the then co-chairman of the Irish group, former mayor of Boston, but fizzled out according to Republican sources when his expected meeting with SF failed to take place.]

Monday 4 September 1994

The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) left a car bomb outside a Sinn Féin (SF) office in west Belfast. Local people living along border roads in County Fermanagh and County Tyrone reopened several roads that had been closed and blocked by the British Army.

[In the following weeks there were to be further unofficial openings of blocked border roads around Northern Ireland.]

Monday 4 September 1995

Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), had a meeting with Patrick Mayhew, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at Stormont. The meeting failed to resolve the deadlock over the issues of decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and the start of all-party talks.

Wednesday 4 September 1996

See Billy Wright

There was a rally in Portadown, County Armagh, in support of Billy Wright and Alex Kerr. The rally was addressed by William McCrea, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of Parliament.

Thursday 4 September 1997

Over 600 guests paid $500 a plate at a fund-raising dinner on behalf of Sinn Féin (SF) in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. The main speaker was Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF).

Saturday 4 September 1999

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) held a meeting to decide on its approach to the Mitchell Review of the Good Friday Agreement. It was decided that representatives of the party would take part in the review. There was also a meeting of the Sinn Féin (SF) Ard Comhairle at which the decision was taken to participate in the Mitchell Review.

Tuesday 4 September 2001

Approximately 50 children, together with their parents, attempted to enter the Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School by the main entrance on the Ardoyne Road in north Belfast. Loyalist protestors tried to block access to the school and shouted abuse and threw stones at the children and their parents. Some of the children were forced to turn back from the school. There was a heavy security force presence in the area from early morning to secure a route to the front door of the school.

A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was injured when a blast-bomb was thrown by Loyalists in Glenbryn Parade near the school.

[This was the second day of the current round of Loyalist protest at the school. A stand-off at the school had begun on 19 June 2001.]

Thomas McDonald (16), a Protestant boy, was knocked down and killed by a ‘hit-and-run’ motorist as he cycled through the Longlands estate in north Belfast. A woman (32) was later arrested by the RUC. [RUC officers stated that they were investigating a possible sectarian motive for the incident.

On 6 September 2001 the woman appeared before Belfast Magistrate’s Court charged with murder. A 15 year old boy and a 20 year old man were charged in the same court with attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the killing.] There was serious rioting during the evening and night in the Glenbryn area close to the Holy Cross school. A crowd of Loyalists from the area attacked patrolling security forces with bricks, bottles, stones, fireworks, and ballbearings. Two RUC officers were injured during the riot. A volley of shots was also heard in the Glenbryn estate.

A blast bomb was thrown in the Twaddell Avenue area as police baton-charged rioters. A police officer was injured in the blast. Two cars were hijacked and set on fire and rioters pushed them towards police vehicles. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission published a series of proposals detailing what it believed should be contained in any future bill of rights for Northern Ireland. [Details at NIHRC website {external_link}]

Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the follow  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

4 People lost their lives on the 4th September  between 1970 – 1992

————————————————————–

04 September 1970
 Michael Kane,   (35)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature bomb explosion at electricity transformer, New Forge Lane, Malone, Belfast.

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04 September 1971
 John Warnock,   (18) nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Killed in land mine attack on British Army (BA) mobile patrol passing Derrybeg Park, Newry, County Down

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04 September 1980


 Ross Hearst,   (56)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Abducted outside friend’s home, Silver Stream, near Monaghan. Found shot several hours later, Wards Cross, near Middletown, County Armagh.

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04 September 1992


 Peter McBride,   (18)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot while running away from British Army (BA) foot patrol, Upper Meadow Street, New Lodge, Belfast

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Main source CAIN Web Service

Major Events in the Troubles

see: 5th September

3rd September – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , ,

3rd September

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

Friday 3 September 1971

A baby girl and an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier were killed in separate shooting incidents.

Tuesday 3 September 1974

Enoch Powell receives the endorsement of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in South Down to stand as the official UUP candidate in forthcoming elections.

Related image

See: Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood Speech

Wednesday 3 September 1975

Two Catholic civilians, a father and daughter, were shot dead at their home by Loyalist paramilitaries in Higtown Road, Belfast.

Monday 3 September 1979

Henry Corbett (27), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a covername used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), at his home in Bawnmore Grove, Greencastle, Belfast.

Monday 3 September 1984

The inquest into the shooting of two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members on 12 December 1982 was postponed to await an investigation of the killings by John Stalker, then Deputy Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police.

Saturday 3 September 1988

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) turned out in force to police the funeral of an Irish Republican Army (IRA) member. [This was a reversal of an earlier low-key approach.]

Tuesday 3 September 1991

John Taylor, then a senior member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), addressed a meeting of the Young Unionist conference. He said that one in three Catholics was “either a supporter of murder or worse still a murderer”.

Friday 3 September 1993

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb, estimated at 1,000 pounds, in the centre of Armagh. The explosion caused extensive damage to property in the area.

Tuesday 3 September 1996

Hugh Torney, believed to be the former Chief of Staff of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was shot dead in Lurgan. This killing was part of feud that had begun on 30 January 1996 with the killing of Gino Gallagher. (Hugh Torney’s faction later disbanded on 9 September 1996.)

Wednesday 3 September 1997

Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), paid his first visit to the United States of America (USA) since February 1996. [During his five day trip he held a meeting with Sandy Berger, then National Security Advisor to the White House.]

Thursday 3 September 1998

Clinton Visit to Northern Ireland; New Emergency Legislation Bill Clinton, then President of the United States of America, paid his second visit to Northern Ireland. Clinton delivered his keynote address at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

[Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, also delivered a speech, as did David Trimble and Seamus Mallon.]

Clinton spent most of the day in Northern Ireland before travelling to the Republic of Ireland where he spent the next two days. Bill Clinton was accompanied by the First Lady Hillary Clinton. Following his speech at the Waterfront Hall the president attended the ‘turning of the sod’ ceremony for the Springvale campus of the University of Ulster. Clinton then travelled to the site of the Omagh Bombing and spoke to survivors and relatives of the dead.

At the House of Commons the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Bill, was passed despite grave reservations by some Members of Parliament (MPs) that the measures were being rushed through without adequate debate. In the Republic of Ireland the Offences Against The State (Amendment) Bill passed into law after it was signed by the Presidential Commission. Although civil liberties groups warned that it was a bad law the bill met little opposition in the Dáil or the Seanad. The Irish government did however agree to an annual review of the legislation.

Roy Bradford, a veteran Unionist politician who had served in the 1974 Executive died at the age of 78.

Friday 3 September 1999

The remains of John McClory were buried in Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast. McClory (17) was one of the ‘disappeared’ and he and Brian McKinney (22) had been abducted on 25 May 1978 and were shot some time later by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) for allegedly stealing weapons. Their bodies were discovered on 29 June 1999 by Garda Síochána (the Irish police) in a bog in County Monaghan. The family of Peter McBride, who had been shot dead by two British soldiers on 4 September 1992, won a judicial review which sought to block the reinstatement into the British Army of the soldiers concerned.

[The two soldiers, Scots Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, had been sentenced for the murder of McBride in February 1995 but were released by the Secretary of State in August 1998.]

Monday 3 September 2001

School-children Face Loyalist Protest Catholic schoolgirls faced protests from Loyalists as they attempted to enter the Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School on the Ardoyne Road in north Belfast. Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers and British Army (BA) soldiers had to clear the protestors who were attempting to blockade the schoool. Crash barriers were erected to allow the children to get through the protest to the school.

Loyalists jeered and shouted sectarian abuse as the children, some as young as four years of age, were escorted by the parents into the school. As children and parents entered the front gate of the school Loyalists threw bottles and stones; one woman was injured.

[A blockade had begun on 19 June 2001 when Loyalists stood across the road by the main entrance to the Holy Cross school. The protest had continued through to the end of the school term on 29 June 2001. Most children were prevented from getting to school during the two week period but some of the children entered the building through the grounds of another school. Talks between community leaders in the area had failed to resolve the dispute which arose when Protestant residents claimed they had faced intimidation from Catholic parents something which the parents had denied.]

Later in the day the Red Hand Defenders (RHD), a cover name previously used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), issued a warning that parents and children should stay away from the Ardoyne Road. A threat was also issued against members of the RUC. During the evening there was widespread disturbance near the Holy Cross school as youths from both sides attacked security force patrols.

Three Catholic families escaped injury when their homes were badly damaged following a Loyalist pipe-bome attack. The houses were in Newington Avenue, a nationalist area at the Limestone Road community interface, and were attacked shortly before 10.00pm (2200BST). The pipe-bomb explosion caused an oil tank to catch fire and the flames spread to three houses, one of which was completely destroyed.

[One Catholic resident said that her home had been attacked three times in the past five weeks.]

A pipe-bomb exploded in the garden of a house in the White City area of Belfast. There was also violence around North Queen Street and in the Limestone Road. A small Catholic-owned coach hire company in Bellaghy, County Derry, was forced to close his business because of attacks and threats from Loyalist paramilitaries. Buses owned by the company had been attacked and people injured during the summer. David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), held private talks on the future of policing in Northern Ireland during a meeting at Stormont. Neither leader issued a statement or spoke to the media following the meeting. A UUP spokesman had described the talks as “purely exploratory”.

[This was believed to have been the first meeting between the two men since 1998.]

The Saville Inquiry into the events on ‘Bloody Sunday’ resumed in the Guildhall in Derry following the summer recess.

Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the follow  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

9 People lost their lives on the 3rd  September  between 1971 – 1996

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03 September 1971


 Francis Veitch,  (23)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while on guard duty outside Kinawley Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) / British Army (BA) base, County Fermanagh.

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03 September 1971


 Angela Gallagher,   (1)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while in pram, during sniper attack on nearby British Army (BA) patrol, Iveagh Crescent, Falls, Belfast.

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03 September 1972


 Robert Cutting,   (18) nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot, in error, by other British Army (BA) member, while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, junction of Lepper Street and Stratheden Street, New Lodge, Belfast.

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03 September 1975


 William Hamilton,  (63)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot at his home, Hightown Road, near Belfast, County Antrim.

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03 September 1975


 Patricia McGrenaghan,   (34)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot at her father’s home, Hightown Road, near Belfast, County Antrim.

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03 September 1979


 Henry Corbett,   (27)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot at his home, Bawnmore Grove, Greencastle, Belfast.

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03 September 1991
 Seamus Sullivan,  (24)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Shot at his workplace, Council Depot, Springfield Avenue, Falls, Belfast.

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03 September 1993


 Michael Edwards,  (39)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot at his home, Finaghy Park Central, Finaghy, Belfast.

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03 September 1996


 Hugh Torney,  (42)

Catholic
Status: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA),

Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
Shot, while walking along Victoria Street, Lurgan, County Armagh. Internal Irish National Liberation Army dispute.

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See: 4th September

The Gurkhas – Unsung Hero’s of the British Army. Background & History

Blog, History, War

 

The Gurkhas

– Unsung Hero’s of the British Army –

Featured image
Gurkha Soldiers (1896).

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The Gurkhas – Full Documentry

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Featured image

The Gurkhas

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The Gurkhas March Down the Mall 2015 (1)

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The Gurkhas (Nepali : गोर्खा) (/ˈɡɜrkə/ or /ˈɡʊərkə/), also spelled as Gorkhas, are soldiers from Nepal. Historically, the terms “Gurkha” and “Gorkhali” were synonymous with “Nepali,” and derived from the hill town and district of Gorkha from which the Kingdom of Nepal expanded.[1][2] Legend has it that the name may be traced to the medieval Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath[3] who has a historic shrine in Gorkha.[4] Gurkhas are traditionally recruited from various Nepali hill ethnicities, but do not come from a single group or region in the multi-ethnic country.

Although the Gorkhas found in Himachal are mostly from Nepal, there have been reports of non-Nepalese Gorkhas (such as Thai Gorkhas, Naga Gorkhas and Chinese Gorkhas). There are Gurkha military units in the Nepalese, British and the Indian army (Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Although they meet many of the requirements of Article 47 [5] of Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions regarding mercenaries, they are exempt under clauses 47(e)&(f) similar to the French Foreign Legion.[6]

Gurkhas are closely associated with the khukuri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife and have a well known reputation for their fearless military prowess. The former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, once stated that[7] “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha.”

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Gurkhas in Falkland War

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Background

Sri Panch (5) Maharaja Dhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shahdev First King of Unified Kingdom of Gorkha

During the Gurkha War (1814–1816) between the Gorkha Kingdom in Nepal and the East India Company the British were impressed by the Gorkhali soldiers which they called Gurkhas.[8] Their war cry was and is to this very day: Jaya Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali (Nepali: जय महाकाली, आयो गोर्खाली) (Glory to Great Kali, Gorkhas approach!) In the Peace Treaty it was agreed that Gorkhalis could be recruited to serve under contract in the East India Company’s army.

Traditionally, recruitment had been only from the Nepali hill groups such as the, Chhetri (Thakuri), Magar and Gurung. These three castes are the original Gurkhas who fought against British. Brahmin, Sherpa/Tamang were not allowed to be recruited in Gurkha army. Today Gurkhas are from all tribes of Nepal including Gurung, Magar, Chhetri (Thakuri), Rai, limbu, Sherpa, Tamang, Newars, etc.[9] Gurkhas were thought to be a martial race because they were considered to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle; to possess qualities of courage, loyalty, self-sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness; to be able to work hard for long periods of time; and to fight with tenacity and military strength.[10]

Professor Sir Ralph Lilley Turner, MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles in the First World War, wrote of Gurkhas:

“As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you.”

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Who Will Be a Gurkha

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British East India Company Army

Gurkha soldiers during the Anglo-Nepalese War, 1815 AD.

The Anglo–Nepalese War was fought between the Gurkha Kingdom of Nepal and the British East India Company as a result of border disputes and ambitious expansionism of both the belligerent parties. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.

David Ochterlony and the British political agent William Fraser were among the first to recognize the potential of Gurkha soldiers in British service. During the war the British were keen to use defectors from the Nepalese army and employ them as irregular forces. His confidence in their loyalty was such that in April 1815 he proposed forming them into a battalion under Lieutenant Ross called the Nasiri regiment. This regiment, which later became the 1st King George’s Own Gurkha Rifles, saw action at the Malaun fort under the leadership of Lieutenant Lawtie, who reported to Ochterlony that he “had the greatest reason to be satisfied with their exertions”.

About 5,000 men entered British service in 1815, most of whom were not just Gorkhalis but Kumaonis, Garhwalis and other Himalayan hill men. These groups, eventually lumped together under the term Gurkha, became the backbone of British Indian forces.

As well as Ochterlony’s Gorkhali battalions, William Fraser and Lieutenant Frederick Young raised the Sirmoor battalion, later to become the 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles; an additional battalion, the Kumaon battalion was also raised eventually becoming the 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles. None of these men fought in the second campaign.

Gurkhas served as troops under contract to the East India Company in the Pindaree War of 1817, in Bharatpur in 1826 and the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars in 1846 and 1848.[11]

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Gurkhas fought on the British side, and became part of the British Indian Army on its formation. The 8th (Sirmoor) Local Battalion made a particularly notable contribution during the conflict, and indeed twenty-five Indian Order of Merit awards were made to men from that regiment during the Siege of Delhi.[12] Three days after the mutiny began, the Sirmoor Battalion were ordered to move to Meerut, where the British garrison was barely holding on, and in doing so they had to march up to 48 kilometres a day.[13] Later, during the four-month Siege of Delhi they defended Hindu Rao‘s house, losing 327 out of 490 men. During this action they fought side by side with the 60th Rifles and a strong bond developed.[14][15] Twelve regiments from the Nepalese Army also took part in the relief of Lucknow[16] under the command of Shri Teen (3) Maharaja Maharana Jung Bahadur of Nepal and his older brother C-in-C Ranaudip Singh (Ranodip or Ranodeep) Bahadur Rana (later to succeed Jung Bahadur and become Sri Teen Maharaja Ranodip Singh of Nepal).

After the rebellion the 60th Rifles pressed for the Sirmoor Battalion to become a rifle regiment. This honour was granted then next year (1858) when the Battalion was renamed the Sirmoor Rifle Regiment and awarded a third colour.[17] In 1863 Queen Victoria presented the regiment with the Queen’s Truncheon, as a replacement for the colours that rifle regiments do not usually have.[18]

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Gurkhas vs French Foreign Legion (HD)

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British Indian Army (c. 1857–1947)

The Nusseree Battalion later known as the 1st Gurkha Rifles circa 1857

Hindu Rao‘s house shortly after the siege

Gurkha Soldiers (1896). The centre figure wears the dark green dress uniform worn by all Gurkhas in British service, with certain regimental distinctions

From the end of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 until the start of World War I the Gurkha Regiments saw active service in Burma, Afghanistan, the North-East Frontier and the North-West Frontiers of India, Malta (the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78), Cyprus, Malaya, China (the Boxer Rebellion of 1900) and Tibet (Younghusband’s Expedition of 1905).

Between 1901 and 1906, the Gurkha regiments were renumbered from the 1st to the 10th and re-designated as the Gurkha Rifles. In this time, the Brigade of Gurkhas, as the regiments came to be collectively known, was expanded to twenty battalions within the ten regiments.[19]

2nd/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles, North-West Frontier 1923

During World War I (1914–18), more than 200,000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20,000 casualties, and receiving almost 2,000 gallantry awards.[20] The number of Gurkha battalions was increased to thirty-three, and Gurkha units were placed at the disposal of the British high command by the Nepalese government for service on all fronts. Many Nepalese volunteers served in non-combatant roles, serving in units such as the Army Bearer Corps and the labour battalions, but there were also large numbers that served in combat in France, Turkey, Palestine, and Mesopotamia.[21] They served on the battlefields of France in the Loos, Givenchy, Neuve Chapelle and Ypres; in Mesopotamia, Persia, Suez Canal and Palestine against Turkish advance, Gallipoli and Salonika.[22] One detachment served with Lawrence of Arabia, while during the Battle of Loos (June–December 1915) a battalion of the 8th Gurkhas fought to the last man, hurling themselves time after time against the weight of the German defences, and in the words of the Indian Corps commander, Lieutenant-General Sir James Willcocks, “… found its Valhalla”.[23] During the ultimately unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign in 1915, the Gurkhas were among the first to arrive and the last to leave. The 1st/6th Gurkhas, having landed at Cape Helles, led the assault during the first major operation to take out a Turkish high point, and in doing so captured a feature that later became known as “Gurkha Bluff”.[24] At Sari Bair they were the only troops in the whole campaign to reach and hold the crest line and look down on the Straits, which was the ultimate objective.[25] The 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Gurkha Rifles (2nd/3rd Gurkha Rifles) was involved in the conquest of Baghdad.

Following the end of the war, the Gurkhas were returned to India and during the inter-war years, they were largely kept away from the internal strife and urban conflicts of the sub-continent, instead being employed largely on the frontiers and in the hills where fiercely independent tribesmen were a constant source of troubles.[26] As such, between the World Wars, the Gurkha regiments fought in the Third Afghan War in 1919 and then participated in numerous campaigns on the North-West Frontier, mainly in Waziristan, where they were employed as garrison troops defending the frontier, keeping the peace amongst the local populace and keeping the lawless and often openly hostile Pathan tribesmen in check. During this time the North-West Frontier was the scene of considerable political and civil unrest and the troops stationed at Razmak, Bannu and Wanna saw an extensive amount of action.[27]

During World War II (1939–45), there were ten Gurkha regiments, with two battalions each making a total of twenty pre-war battalions.[28] Following the Dunkirk evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, the Nepalese government offered to increase recruitment to increase the total number of Gurkha battalions in British service to thirty-five.[29] This would eventually rise to forty-three battalions and in order to achieve this, third and fourth battalions were raised for all ten regiments, with fifth battalions also being raised for 1 GR, 2 GR and 9 GR.[28] This expansion required ten training centres to be established for basic training and regimental records across India. In addition five training battalions[30] were raised, while other units[31] were raised as garrison battalions for keeping the peace in India and defending rear areas.[32] Large numbers of Gurkha men were also recruited for non-Gurkha units, and other specialised functions such as paratroops, signals, engineers, and military police.

A total of 250,280[32] Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus Parachute, training, garrison, and porter units during the war,[33] in almost all theatres. In addition to keeping peace in India, Gurkhas fought in Syria, North Africa, Italy, Greece and against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, northeast India and also Singapore.[34] They did so with considerable distinction, earning 2,734 bravery awards in the process[32] and suffering around 32,000 casualties in all theatres.[35]

Gurkha military rank system in the British Indian Army

Gurkha ranks in the British Indian Army followed the same pattern as those used throughout the rest of the Indian Army at that time.[36] As in the British Army itself, there were three distinct levels: private soldiers, non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers. Commissioned officers within the Gurkha regiments held a Viceroy’s Commission, which was distinct from the King’s or Queen’s Commission that British officers serving with a Gurkha regiment held. Any Gurkha holding a commission was technically subordinate to any British officer, regardless of rank.[37]

The 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan in May 1946 as part of the Allied forces of occupation

British Indian Army and current Indian Army ranks/current British Army equivalents

Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs) up to 1947 and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) from 1947:[38]

Warrant officers

Non-commissioned officers

Private soldiers

Notes

  • British Army officers received Queen’s or King’s Commissions, but Gurkha officers in this system received the Viceroy’s Commission. After Indian independence in 1947, Gurkha officers in regiments which became part of the British Army received the King’s (later Queen’s) Gurkha Commission, and were known as King’s/Queen’s Gurkha Officers (KGO/QGO). Gurkha officers had no authority to command troops of British regiments. The QGO Commission was abolished in 2007.
  • Jemadars and subedars normally served as platoon commanders and company 2ICs, but were junior to all British officers, while the subedar major was the Commanding Officer’s advisor on the men and their welfare. For a long time it was impossible for Gurkhas to progress further, except that an honorary lieutenancy or captaincy was very rarely bestowed upon a Gurkha on retirement.[37]
  • The equivalent ranks in the post-1947 Indian Army were (and are) known as Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs). They retained the traditional rank titles used in the British Indian Army — Jemadar (later Naib Subedar), Subedar and Subedar Major.
  • While in principle any British subject may apply for a commission without having served in the ranks, Gurkhas cannot. It was customary for a Gurkha soldier to rise through the ranks and prove his ability before his regiment would consider offering him a commission.[37]
  • From the 1920s, Gurkhas could also receive King’s Indian Commissions, and later full King’s or Queen’s Commissions, which put them on a par with British officers. This was rare until after the Second World War.
  • Gurkha officers commissioned from the Royal Military Academy – Sandhurst – and Short Service Officers regularly fill appointments up to the rank of major. At least two Gurkhas have been promoted to lieutenant colonel and there is theoretically now no bar to further progression.[37]
  • After 1948, the Brigade of Gurkhas (part of the British Army) was formed and adopted standard British Army rank structure and nomenclature, except for the three Viceroy Commission ranks between Warrant Officer 1 and Second Lieutenant (jemadar, subedar and subedar major) which remained, albeit with different rank titles Lieutenant (Queens Gurkha Officer), Captain (QGO) and Major (QGO). The QGO commission was abolished in 2007, Gurkha soldiers are currently commissioned as Late Entry Officers (as above).[37]

Regiments of the Gurkha Rifles (c.1815–1947)

Memorial of 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire

Princess Mary’s Own

Second World War training battalions[edit]

  • 14th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion[39]
  • 29th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion
  • 38th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion[39]
  • 56th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion[39]
  • 710th Gurkha Rifles Training Battalion[39]

Post-independence (1947–present)

THE GURKHA
SOLDIER
Bravest of the brave,
most generous of the generous,
never had country
more faithful friends
than you.
Professor Sir Ralph Turner MC[40]

After Indian independence—and the partition of India—in 1947 and under the Tripartite Agreement, the original ten Gurkha regiments consisting of the twenty pre-war battalions were split between the British Army and the newly independent Indian Army.[32] Six Gurkha regiments (twelve battalions) were transferred to the post-independence Indian Army, while four regiments (eight battalions) were transferred to the British Army.[41]

To the disappointment of their British officers the majority of Gurkhas given a choice between British or Indian Army service opted for the latter. The reason appears to have been the pragmatic one that the Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army would continue to serve in their existing roles in familiar territory and under terms and conditions that were well established.[42] The only substantial change was the substitution of Indian officers for British. By contrast the four regiments selected for British service faced an uncertain future in (initially) Malaya—a region where relatively few Gurkhas had previously served. The four regiments (or eight battalions) in British service have since been reduced to a single (two battalion) regiment while the Indian units have been expanded beyond their pre-Independence establishment of twelve battalions.[43]

The principal aim of the Tripartite Agreement was to ensure that Gurkhas serving under the Crown would be paid on the same scale as those serving in the new Indian Army.[44] This was significantly lower than the standard British rates of pay. While the difference is made up through cost of living and location allowances during a Gurkha’s actual period of service, the pension payable on his return to Nepal is much lower than would be the case for his British counterparts.[45]

With the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy, the future recruitment of Gurkhas for British and Indian service has been put into doubt. A spokesperson for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is expected to play a major role in the new secular republic, has stated that recruitment as mercenaries is degrading to the Nepalese people and will be banned.[46]

British Army Gurkhas

Main article: Brigade of Gurkhas

Four Gurkha regiments were transferred to the British Army on 1 January 1948:

They formed the Brigade of Gurkhas and were initially stationed in Malaya. There were also a number of additional Gurkha regiments including the 69th and 70th Gurkha Field Squadrons, both included in the 36th Engineer Regiment. Since then, British Gurkhas have served in Borneo during the Confrontation with Indonesia, in the Falklands War, and on various peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone, East Timor, Bosnia and Kosovo.[47]

The Band of Brigade of Gurkhas December 2007

Gurkhas in Hong Kong:

  • 26th Gurkha Brigade (1948–50)
  • 51st Infantry Brigade (disbanded 1976)
  • 48th Gurkha Infantry Brigade (1957–76; renamed Gurkha Field Force 1976–97; returned to old title 1987–ca. 1992)

As of November 2006, the Brigade of Gurkhas in the British Army has the following units:

The Brigade of Gurkhas also has its own clerks and chefs posted among the above-mentioned units. Gurkhas were among the troops who retook the Falklands in 1982 and have served a number of tours of duty in the current War in Afghanistan.[48][49][50]

Indian Army Gorkhas

The 1st Battalion of 1 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army take position outside a simulated combat town during a training exercise

Main article: Gorkha regiments (India)

Upon independence in 1947, six of the original ten Gurkha regiments remained with the Indian Army.[41] These regiments were:

Additionally, a further regiment, 11 Gorkha Rifles, was raised. In 1949 the spelling was changed from “Gurkha” to the original “Gorkha”.[51] All royal titles were dropped when India became a republic in 1950.[51]

Since partition, the Gurkha regiments that were transferred to the Indian Army have established themselves as a permanent and vital part of the newly independent Indian Army. Indeed, while Britain has reduced its Gurkha contingent, India has continued to recruit Nepalis into Gorkha regiments in large numbers.[43] In 2009 the Indian Army had a Gorkha contingent that numbered around 42,000 men in forty-six battalions, spread across seven regiments.

Although their deployment is still governed by the 1947 Tripartite Agreement, in the post-1947 conflicts India has fought in, Gorkhas have served in almost all of them, including the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971 and also against China in 1962.[52] They have also been used in peacekeeping operations around the world.[51] They have also served in Sri Lanka conducting operations against the Tamil Tigers.[53]

Nepalese Army Gorkhas

A Nepalese Gorkha UN soldier.

Two light infantry battalions of the Nepalese Army retain the name of the Gorkhas: Nepalese Army, also known as the Gurkha Army.

  • Shree Purano Gorakh Battalion — established 1763
  • Shree Naya Gorakh Battalion — established 1783

Until the abolition (2008) of the monarchy (itself a Gurkha dynasty), the Gorkha units were utilized as palace guards by the King of Nepal, with one battalion always permanently deployed.[54] The Shree Purano Gorakh Battalion was the first major Nepalese contingent deployed on UN Peacekeeping operations, when it was deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in 1974.[55]

Singapore Gurkha Contingent

The Gurkha Contingent (GC) of the Singapore Police Force was formed on 9 April 1949 from selected ex-British Army Gurkhas. It is an integral part of the Police Force and was raised to replace a Sikh unit which had existed prior to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War.[56]

The GC is a well trained, dedicated and disciplined body whose principal role is as riot police. In times of crisis it can be deployed as a reaction force. During the turbulent years before and after independence, the GC acquitted itself well on several occasions during outbreaks of civil disorder. The Gurkhas displayed the courage, self-restraint and professionalism for which they are famous and earned the respect of the society at large.[56]

Recently the GC can be seen patrolling the streets and have replaced local policemen to guard key installations. The most recent deployment of the GC was to provide additional security for the Singapore Airshow, Asia’s largest airshow, and the hunt for the escaped terrorist, Mas Selamat.

Brunei Gurkha Reserve Unit

The Gurkha Reserve Unit is a special guard force in the Sultanate of Brunei. The Brunei Reserve Unit employs about 500 Gurkhas. The majority are veterans of the British Army and the Singaporean Police, who have joined the GRU as a second career.

Gurkha soldiers in non-specific foreign units

Hong Kong

See also: Nepalis in Hong Kong

A considerable number of ex-Gurkhas and their families live in Hong Kong, where they are particularly well represented in the private security profession (G4S Gurkha Services, Pacific Crown Security Service, Sunkoshi Gurkha Security) and among labourers. Ex-Gurkhas left their barracks and moved into the surrounding urban area. There are considerable Nepalese communities in Yuen Long and Kwun Chung.

Malaysia

See also: Nepalese people in Malaysia

After the Federation of Malaya became independent from the United Kingdom in August 1957, many Gurkhas became soldiers in the Malayan armed forces, especially in the Royal Ranger Regiment. Others became security guards, mainly in Kuala Lumpur.

United States Navy

The United States Navy employs civilian Gurkha contract guards. Some work alongside Army, Air Force and Navy personnel in day-to-day operations, notably as sentries at its base in Naval Support Activity Bahrain and on the US Navy side of the pier at Mina Salman. Others work as security forces at the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Coalition Forces in Iraq

Gurkha contract guards were used to guard key facilities in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The guarded facilities included Baghdad International Airport and the Al Rasheed Hotel.

Other

Ethnic identity

Ethnically, Chhetri (Thakuri), Gurung and Magar were the Gurkha tribes who united Nepal and fought against the British invasions. But today, Gurkhas mostly belong to the Chhetri (Thakuri), Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Rai, Limbu, Newars and Sunuwar, and members of any Nepali tribe can join the Army.[57]

All Gurkhas, regardless of ethnic origin, speak, in addition to their group language, Nepali, also known as Khas Kura or Khas Bhasa. Their large knife, called the kukri, became iconic and is featured in a curved configuration on their emblem.

Life after service

Gurkhas traditionally returned to their homeland of Nepal following their military service, to resume a life of subsistence farming or labour. The country’s poor infrastructure and lack of welfare system led to a high number of ex-Gurkhas facing destitution. When the extent of their hardship came to light in the late 1960s, officers in the British Army established a charity – The Gurkha Welfare Trust – to ensure that all former soldiers would live out their retirement in dignity.

Indian statehood aspirations Gorkhaland

In the mid-1980s, some Nepali speaking groups in West Bengal began to organize under the name of Gorkhaland National Liberation Front, calling for their own Gorkha state, Gorkhaland.

Victoria Cross recipients

Main article: List of Gurkha Recipients of the Victoria Cross

There have been twenty-six Victoria Crosses awarded to members of the Gurkha regiments.[58] The first was awarded in 1858 and the last in 1965.[59] Thirteen of the recipients have been British officers serving with Gurkha regiments, although since 1915 the majority have been received by Gurkhas serving in the ranks as private soldiers or as NCOs.[20] In addition, since Indian independence in 1947, Gurkhas serving in the Indian Army have also been awarded three Param Vir Chakras, which are roughly equivalent.[60]

Of note also, there have been two George Cross medals awarded to Gurkha soldiers, for acts of bravery in situations that have not involved combat.[20]

Treatment of Gurkhas in the United Kingdom

Nick Clegg being presented a Gurkha Hat, by a Gurkha veteran during his Maidstone visit, to celebrate the success of their joint campaign for the right to live in Britain, 2009

The treatment of Gurkhas and their families was the subject of controversy in the United Kingdom once it became widely known that Gurkhas received smaller pensions than their British counterparts.[61] The nationality status of Gurkhas and their families was also an area of dispute, with claims that some ex-army Nepali families were being denied residency and forced to leave Britain. On 8 March 2007, the British Government announced that all Gurkhas who signed up after 1 July 1997 would receive a pension equivalent to that of their British counterparts. In addition, Gurkhas would, for the first time, be able to transfer to another army unit after five years’ service and women would also be allowed to join—although not in first-line units—conforming to the British Army’s policy. The act also guaranteed residency rights in Britain for retired Gurkhas and their families.

Despite the changes, many Gurkhas who had not served long enough to entitle them to a pension faced hardship on their return to Nepal, and some critics derided the Government’s decision to only award the new pension and citizenship entitlement to those joining after 1 July 1997, claiming that this left many ex-Gurkha servicemen still facing a financially uncertain retirement. A pressure group, Gurkha Justice Campaign,[62] joined the debate in support of the Gurkhas.

In a landmark ruling on 30 September 2008 the High Court in London decided that the Home Secretary’s policy allowing Gurkhas who left the Army before 1997 to apply for settlement in the United Kingdom was irrationally restrictive in its criteria, and quashed it. In line with the ruling of the High Court the Home Office pledged to review all cases affected by this decision.[63]

On 29 April 2009 a motion in the House of Commons by the Liberal Democrats that all Gurkhas be offered an equal right of residence was passed by 267 votes to 246. This was the only first day motion defeat for a government since 1978. Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, stated that “This is an immense victory […] for the rights of Gurkhas who have been waiting so long for justice, a victory for Parliament, a victory for decency.” He added that it was “the kind of thing people want this country to do”.[64]

On 21 May 2009, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that all Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years service would be allowed to settle in the UK. The actress Joanna Lumley, daughter of Gurkha corps major James Lumley, who had highlighted the treatment of the Gurkhas and campaigned for their rights, commented: “This is the welcome we have always longed to give”.[65]

A charity, The Gurkha Welfare Trust, provides aid to alleviate hardship and distress among Gurkha ex-servicemen.[66]

On June 9th, 2015, a celebration called the Gurkha 200, held at The Royal Hospital Chelsea and attended by members of the royal family, will commemorate the bicentennial of the Gurkha Welfare Trust by paying tribute to Gurkha culture and military service.[67]

Settlement rights

A 2008 UK High Court decision on a test case in London, R. (On the Application of Limbu) v Secretary of State for the Home Department ([2008] EWHC 2261 (Admin)), acknowledged the ‘debt of honour’ to Gurkhas discharged before 1997. The Home Secretary of State’s policy allowing veterans to apply on a limited set of criteria (such as connection to the United Kingdom) was quashed as being unduly restrictive. The Court found that the Gurkhas had suffered a “historic injustice”, and that the policy was irrational in failing to take into account factors such as length of service or particularly meritorious conduct.[68]

2nd September – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , ,

2nd September

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles 2nd

Thursday 2 September 1971

There were further Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombs across the region including one in Belfast which wrecked the headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). The explosions resulted in further injuries to a number of people.

Saturday 2 September 1972

The headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), in Glengall Street, Belfast, was severely damaged by a bomb.

Tuesday 2 September 1975

At a conference held in the United States of America (USA) representatives of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) indicated their organisations’ support for an independent Northern Ireland.

Thursday 2 September 1976

European Commission on Human Rights Decision The European Commission on Human Rights decided that Britain had to answer a case of ill-treatment of internees in 1971 before the European Court of Human Rights. The Commission found that the interrogation techniques did involve a breach of the Convention on Human Rights because they not only involved inhuman and degrading treatment but also torture. [The case had been initially referred to the Commission by the Irish government on 10 March 1976. The European Court of Human Rights made its ruling on 18 January 1978.]

Sunday 2 September 1979

The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a covername used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), threatened to target members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Wednesday 2 September 1981

Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), called for the establishment of a ‘Third Force’ along the lines of the disbanded Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) (‘B-Specials’). [Paisley envisage a legal Loyalist paramilitary group which would be used to counter the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and other Republican paramilitary groups.]

Monday 2 September 1985

Tom King replaced Douglas Hurd as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Friday 2 September 1994

The Belfast Telegraph (a Belfast based newspaper) reported the results of an opinion poll conducted by Ulster Marketing Surveys (UMS). It showed that, of those asked, 56 per cent believed that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire had come about as a result of a secret deal. When asked about the permanence of the ceasefire only 30 per cent thought it would be permanent. Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said that he would invite other Unionist organisations to join with the DUP to form a pan-Unionist forum.

Monday 2 September 1996

There were sectarian clashes between residents in the Mountcollyer Street and Duncairn Gardens areas of Belfast and British troops were deployed in support of the police.

Wednesday 2 September 1998

The two Scots Guardsmen convicted of the murder of Peter McBride (18) in Belfast on 4 September 1992 were freed from prison. McBride’s family said they were devastated by the decision. Ms Hillary Clinton, wife of the US President, arrived in Belfast to address a ‘Vital Voices, Women In Democracy’ conference. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was reported as having issued a warning to the “real” IRA (rIRA) that it should disband “sooner rather than later”. The IRA also threatened action against members of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee

Thursday 2 September 1999

Ed Moloney, then Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune (a Dublin based newspaper), failed in his attempt to overturn a court order compelling him to hand over notes of an interview with a man now charged with the killing of Pat Finucane. Moloney was given seven days to comply with the order or face an unlimited fine and / or five years’ imprisonment. Robert McCartney, then MP and leader of the United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP), received substantial damages in a libel action he took against the Financial Times (a London based newspaper).

Sunday 2 September 2001

There was rioting in the Limestone Road area of north Belfast. A number of petrol bombs were thrown at the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the British Army (BA).

Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the follow  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

4 People lost their lives on the 2nd September  between 1975 – 1989

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02 September 1975


 John Cathcart,  (37)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Shot at his workplace, National Tyre Company, Frederick Street, Belfast.

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02 September 1976
 Patrick Cunningham,  (29)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Died three days after being found shot, Carlow Street, Shankill, Belfast.

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02 September 1989


 Patrick McKenna,  (43)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot from passing motorcycle while standing outside Ardoyne shops, Crumlin Road, Belfast.

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02 September 1989


 Brian Robinson,  (27)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, immediately after being involved in gun attack on pedestrians outside Ardoyne shops, Crumlin Road, Belfast.

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Main source CAIN Web Service

See: 3rd September

Abu Azrael, Ayyub al-Rubaie – Angel of Death – Scaring the Hell out of IS

Islamic Extremists, War, ,

Abu Azrael

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Meet Abu Azrael, ‘Iraq’s Rambo’, the most reknown fighter in Iraq

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ISIS terrorist strung up, burned alive and then sliced like a KEBAB by the ‘Angel of Death’

A captured ISIS terrorist was suspended over a fire, burned to death and then sliced up like a KEBAB by a rebel fighter nicknamed the ‘Angel of Death’.

Footage released online shows fearsome Abu Azrael, one of ISIS’ most feared enemies and a poster boy for Shi’a militias, committed the sickening act as a warning to his enemies.

The hulking fighter laughs as he cuts the dead ISIS terrorists leg with a curved sword, then turns to the camera and says: “ISIS this will be your fate, we will cut you like shawarma (a method of grilling meat on a spit and then shaving it off)”.

The footage was reportedly taken in the Iraqi city of Baiji.

Azrael is a commander with the the Imam Ali brigade, an Iraqi Shi’a militia group sponsored by Iran.

Read more: ‘I was a hate preacher who radicalised at least one Brit jihadi but I’ve changed after coming out’

Angel of Death
Angel of Death: Abu Azrael slices up a charred ISIS fighter

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Iraqi Rambo Has Close Call With ISIS “Sniper”

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He is believed to be a 40-year-old former university lecturer who left his home to fight ISIS last June.

Pictures show the bald fighter in his military fatigues, posing with an axe and a heavy machine gun.

His mercilessness – combined with a grim sense of humour – has gained him thousands of fans on social media, as well as the ominous nickname ‘Abu Azrael’.

He wields an axe, a sword and an assault rifle and told news agency AFP that he has been a soldier for a long time, having battled US forces during the invasion of Iraq.

The father-of-five added: “You see me go to school to drop off my children and I am peaceful.

“But I show another face to them (ISIS).”

AFP Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie
Warriror: Abu Azrael poses with Shiite fighters

The militia he fights for uses pictures and video of him to gain support on social media.

He has been photographed jauntily riding a bike, reportedly in an area of intense fighting, while another still shows him grinning, arm casually draped across the cannon of an attack helicopter.

One video shows him mocking ISIS fighters with their own walkie-talkie, most likely taken from a dead soldier.

Al-Alam, a state owned Arabic-language TV station in Iran, reported that he used to be a university PE teacher.

However, the BBC, citing sources in the country, reported that he is actually a highly-trained special forces veteran.

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Image result for Abu Azrael

Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie

Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie, known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael (Arabic: ابو عزرائيل‎, literally “Father of Azrael“), also known as the “Angel of Death”, is a commander of the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi’a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that is fighting ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq. He has become a public icon of resisting ISIL in Iraq with a large following on social media.

His motto and catchphrase is “illa tahin” (إلا طحين), meaning “[nothing remains] but flour”, that is, he would pulverize ISIL militants until nothing remains of them but powder.

He was a former militia member in Muqtada al-Sadr‘s Mahdi Army.

Personal life

Abu Azrael is described in various sources as a 40 year old former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion, although other sources dispute that and suggest that this back-story may be fabricated.

Reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an “ordinary life” when not on the battlefield.

Public image

Abu Azrael has become a public icon of resistance against the Islamic State, although he has also fought against other militant groups. A Facebook page dedicated to him has over 300,000 likes as of March 2015. He has attracted attention in the middle east, but by the Spring of 2015, he had also made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.

He has become a popular public figure, some believe, because his methods and appearance match the brutality associated with the Islamic State (ISIS). For example, he has been shown wielding both axes and swords, in addition to modern military rifles. Moreover, some say that his being a private citizen, his bald head, and his thick black beard give him an aggressive, “dashing” appearance.
On 27 August 2015 a video emerged on YouTube showing Abu Azrael burning a Sunni jihadist man alive and cutting into his charred body with a sword.