Difference between revisions of "Ian Phoenix"
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Phoenix was born in 1943 in Granville, Co Tyrone.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.13.</ref> | Phoenix was born in 1943 in Granville, Co Tyrone.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.13.</ref> | ||
==Parachute Regiment== | ==Parachute Regiment== | ||
− | He joined the [[Parachute Regiment]] in 1961.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.20.</ref> | + | He joined the [[Parachute Regiment]] in 1961.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.20.</ref> He took part in the Borneo campaign in 1966 and had some contact with the [[SAS]] at its Jungle School in Brunei.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.30.</ref> Among the officers he served with was [[Peter Chiswell]]. |
==RUC== | ==RUC== | ||
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In around November 1979, he was given responsibility for re-organising the whole E4A unit.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.116.</ref> | In around November 1979, he was given responsibility for re-organising the whole E4A unit.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.116.</ref> | ||
− | His first operation was [[Operation HAWK]], involving surveillance of the man believed to be the intelligence officer for the IRA's Belfast Brigade.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.124.</ref> | + | His first operation was [[Operation HAWK]], involving surveillance of the man believed to be the intelligence officer for the IRA's Belfast Brigade.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.124.</ref> He was also involved in [[Operation MISTRAL]], which uncovered an IRA informant inside the police.<ref>Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, ''Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland'', Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.126.</ref> |
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+ | According to Statewatch, he was the head of the E1 Division within Special Branch at the time of his death in 1994.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:zKLPNFYJjJsJ:www.statewatch.org/subscriber/protected/sw4n4.pdf+&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgmaJSVGJxe5mVQzJ1QKOyKn9_OSy9Ic0RGkYNgYLAJtO_dXvkhzzJ2TJoOVr9Dhp4Z8BjYKOUZ6IcbmFSCfvQgXC0xAp4qJgeejGpgAgYpv4OkMJteX0LvM2PfZvkajbf55nLL&sig=AHIEtbSo79d-UGP8bAD_CAEiTJGaVvamEA Statewatch Bulletin, Vol 4, No 4], August 1994.</ref> | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== |
Latest revision as of 08:32, 1 October 2012
Ian Phoenix was one of a number of senior RUC officers killed in the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash. He was "based at headquarters, with responsibility for Special Branch supervisory and liaison duties."[1]
Phoenix was born in 1943 in Granville, Co Tyrone.[2]
Parachute Regiment
He joined the Parachute Regiment in 1961.[3] He took part in the Borneo campaign in 1966 and had some contact with the SAS at its Jungle School in Brunei.[4] Among the officers he served with was Peter Chiswell.
RUC
Phoenix joined the RUC in 1970.[5] During his training, Phoenix saved a colleague, Ronnie Flanagan from dismissal after a fistfight, by organising a group to send the other party to Coventry until he explained the circumstances to his superiors.[6]
He initally served in B Division in West Belfast.[7] Because of his army experience, Phoenix was given responsibility for liasing with the army, including his old unit, 3 Para under Peter Chiswell, which was in Belfast in 1971.[8] In May 1971, he was caught in a bomb attack which killed a Para colleague, Sergeant Mick Willetts.[9] he was transferred to North Belfast in 1973.[10] In 1975, he was posted as a training instructor in Carrickfergus.[11] Three years later he was posted to Tennent Street station on the Shankill Road for a year.[12]
Special Branch
Phoenix was posted to RUC Special Branch as a Detective Inspector in January 1979, and underwent training in covert operations in London and Harrogate, before deployment in April.[13] He became team leader in the E4A surveillance unit.[14]
In around November 1979, he was given responsibility for re-organising the whole E4A unit.[15]
His first operation was Operation HAWK, involving surveillance of the man believed to be the intelligence officer for the IRA's Belfast Brigade.[16] He was also involved in Operation MISTRAL, which uncovered an IRA informant inside the police.[17]
According to Statewatch, he was the head of the E1 Division within Special Branch at the time of his death in 1994.[18]
Notes
- ↑ Sally Weale and Owen Boycott, CHINOOK DISASTER: COUNTING THE COST OF THE SENIOR FIGURES IN BATTLE AGAINST TERRORISM, Guardian, 4 June 1994.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.13.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.20.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.30.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.51 .
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.56.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.60.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, pp.64-65.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.65 .
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.87.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.98.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.103.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.108.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.114.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.116.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.124.
- ↑ Jack Holland and Susan Phoenix, Phoenix: Policing the Shadows - The Secret War Against terrorism in Northern Ireland, Hodder and Stoughton, 1996, p.126.
- ↑ Statewatch Bulletin, Vol 4, No 4, August 1994.