Lance Corporal J Bradley Private J Birch Private M D Adams Private S S Smart
3rd County Down Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross Killed at Ballydugan 9 April 1990
Wo2 (CSM) J B Mckeown 2016
The following were all killed when the PIRA detonated a landmine under their patrol vehicle on Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, County Down the 9 April 1990. The landmine contained over 1,000 lb (450 kg) of explosive and was so powerful that the vehicle was blown into a nearby field.
They were all from the 3rd County Down Battalion. UDR
Private 24684076 Michael David ADAMS. He was aged 23 and from the Bangor Road, Newtownards but originally from London. He was a former member of the Royal Engineers and had been in the UDR for 7 months. The hymns sung at the funeral were those chosen for their wedding. At rest in Roselawn Cemetery, Ballygowan Road Belfast.
Private 24683371 Stephen Samuel SMART. He was aged 23 and lived at Lisbane Drive, Newtownards. At rest in Molliva Cemetery, Newtownards, County Down . He was a former regular soldier of the Royal Artillery.
Lance Corporal 24558143 John BRADLEY. He was aged 25 and a former regular soldier of the Royal Highland Fusiliers. At rest in Roselawn Cemetery Ballygowan Road Belfast.
Private 24469635 John BIRCH. He was aged 28 and lived with his family at Meadow Park, Ballywalter. At rest in Whitechurch Cemetery, Ballywalter, County Down.
Following extract from
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commo...6C-3781-4121-BB89-3A4441234ECC/BallyduganFour
On the morning of 9 April 1990, Private John Birch, Lance Corporal John Bradley, Private Michael Adams and Private Steven Smart, all members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, were murdered by the Provisional IRA in an attack on their mobile patrol on Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick. The four young soldiers, all in their 20s, were travelling as part of a two Land Rover patrol en route from Ballykinlar to Downpatrick when a 1,000 lb bomb placed in a culvert beneath the road—I repeat, a 1,000 lb bomb; imagine the magnitude of that—was detonated by command wire. The explosion was so powerful that it lifted the soldiers’ Land Rover 30 ft into the air and hurled it 30 yards into a field, killing them instantly and leaving a crater 50 ft long, 40 ft wide and 15 ft deep.
