A Winter in Belfast is a frank diary transcript of a young officer's experiences in The Parachute Regiment during a tour of duty in Belfast in the winter of 1976-77.
His hard-hitting account captures the reality of the daily lives of 10 Platoon, D Company, 2 PARA - the sad, the funny, the boredom and the ridiculous. Though the violence was less intense than in previous years, daily shootings and endless riots being a thing of the past, the frequent bombings and shootings meant that the toll of dead and wounded soldiers, police and civilians continued to mount.
Much of the violence in Northern Ireland during this period was sectarian. Loyalists and Republicans murdered each other, often in a completely random manner, properties were bombed and individuals targeted on a daily basis.
These forthright diary entries were written each evening throughout the tour, therefore, the 1977 style is authentic and does not concede to modern sensitivities or politically correct language. There is no intention to offend the reader or any member of the Battalion, the contents are merely a reflection of how things were said and done four decades ago. Officers and soldiers of D Company (plus other members of the Battalion that the author tracked down) have also added their own comments.
The author also mentions his current thinking about the soldiers' training, equipment, and the people involved, as well as what happened to 2 PARA after the tour and some of the individuals of D Company 2 PARA.
This book is a compelling read for anyone interested in military history, particularly during this violent and tense era in Northern Ireland.