PROUD beyond words, equally reticent about his grievances, Constable Paul
Slaine yesterday received the George Cross, the highest peacetime accolade
the nation can bestow on behalf of the tens of thousands who have served in
the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
In a ceremony that inspired many emotions, the dominant feeling was of pride
as the Queen honoured her most embattled police force. It is an honour
"awarded only for acts of the greatest heroism or the most conspicuous
courage in circumstances of extreme danger". With their numbers, their
symbols and even their name under threat, Constable Slaine and his 13,500
colleagues can, for the moment at least, enjoy solace in being RUC GC.
The hats and dresses in the marquees on the Hillsborough lawns outside
Belfast lent a veneer of garden party jollity to the proceedings. But they no
more reflected the real mood than the driving rain and winter chill. The sense
of unease, even betrayal, at the impending shrinking of the 78-year-old force
into the Police Service of Northern Ireland was easy to discern.
Constable Stephen McAlister, 42, who retired from the force in 1986 after
being blinded by a shot from an INLA gunman, said: "This is a great honour
for the force, but I'm scared that it's a softener before they destroy our name
and our symbols."
The citation recognised "the collective courage and dedication to duty of all
those who have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary". In 30 years that
dedication has cost the force 302 officers and 9,000 injuries. There are, of
course, no statistics for the grieving, the sleepless nights, the taunts and the
furtive glances under cars or over shoulders which have been part of daily life
for all those associated with the badge of Crown and Harp.
In her speech to a cross-section of 1,500 officers, veterans, widows and
relations, the Queen paid tribute to all. She said the award was "a singular
acknowledgment of the gallantry and courage shown and, in all too many
cases, the ultimate sacrifice paid by the members of the constabulary during
the past 30 years of terrorism and unrest".
The Queen said: "I admire your determination to maintain the rule of law and
to provide a police service for all the people during some of the most difficult
times in the history of this province. A terrible price has been paid for this
brave and resolute stand."
Referring to the "unsung heroes", the Queen said: "It has simply not been
possible for officers' families to enjoy normal lives. Today's award recognises
the very special contribution made by these families. They have. . . had to
endure fear, intimidation and, worst of all, the pain of bereavement." There
was praise, too, for the civilian staff and the Armed Forces which have
worked alongside the RUC.
Such a speech is always delivered "on ministerial advice" and sitting just
behind the Queen was Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State, the only
politician present. He has been credited and criticised in equal measure for
recommending the award in the midst of the deliberations about the force's
future.
While some of the Queen's remarks seemed to bear his imprimatur, her
clothes did not. Given local sensitivity about colours, Mr Mandelson might
have preferred her to wear something other than an orange-tinted coat
(although a Palace spokesman explained that it was "amber" and it turned out
to be the same outfit which she wore to open Mr Mandelson's Dome).
The Queen said: "I hope and trust that the enmities of the past can be laid to
rest in a way that fully recognises the sacrifices made." They would all, she
concluded, have her "support and prayers in the dogged and relentless search
for lasting peace".
It was then the turn of Constable Slaine, 34, to step forward to receive the
medal on behalf of them all - except that he could not step. An IRA mortar
bomb landed in his patrol car on March 27, 1992, killing his colleague,
Constable Colleen McMurray. Constable Slaine, a father of four, lost his legs
and spent 20 months recovering.
He said: "As soon as I realised I had my faculties, I was determined to be
back in uniform, to play a valuable role." He now works in the RUC's
information technology department. He was not sure why he had been
selected for the privilege - "There are 50 guys in the same situation as me" -
but he was "proud beyond words" to represent "the greatest police force in
the world".
He carefully wheeled himself forward to receive this mark of collective
gallantry, nestling on a red velvet cushion, as the Queen handed him the 155th
George Cross. On his left was the RUC's longest serving chief officer, Asst
Chief Constable Bill Stewart, the man who was in command at Newry police
station in 1985 when a bomb killed nine officers. On the other side was
Constable Susan Wright, one of the newest recruits with 10 days in uniform.
She said: "It's the only job I've ever wanted."
The Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, reflected on a "momentous" day.
It was "humbling" for the RUC to be honoured alongside Malta, the last
collective recipient of the George Cross for its steadfast resistance to enemy
assault in 1942. He praised the dead, the bereaved and the injured. Then,
striking an optimistic note, he spoke of "a new and exciting future" and
described the George Cross as "the most tremendous incentive to us all to
draw on past experience to work with all the people of Northern Ireland to
build a better future for us all".
After the ceremony, the Queen and Prince Philip walked slowly up the lawn,
talking to the guests, before meeting representatives of the Police Federation,
the Superintendents' Association, the Widows' Association and the Disabled
Police Officers' Association. Among the 1,500, the mood was that of a
reunion tinged with sadness. Constable Slaine, as dignified off parade as on,
said that this "great occasion" was not the time to air his thoughts on the future
of the force.
Among the widows not present was Ida Donaldson, 52, who lost a husband
and a brother-in-law to IRA terrorists. Speaking from her Portadown home,
she said: "I feel totally saddened by the whole thing. It's just an award that's
been given because they are about to close the whole thing down while the
people who killed my husband are free. It's an insult."
By yesterday evening republicans had pronounced their withering verdict.
Written in huge letters on the side of the Black Mountains outside Belfast was
the slogan: "Cross of shame".
~*~
Words of courage, words of protest(The Guardian)
The Queen yesterday drew a heavy line
under the 78-year-old history of the Royal
Ulster Constabulary, conferring the
George Cross for valour on a police force
which has lost 302 officers to terrorists
throughout 30 years of violence, and
paving the way for its imminent
transformation. There was a sense that
nothing would ever be quite the same
again.
At a sodden and sober Hillsborough
Castle in Co Down, 1,500 serving and
former officers of the RUC, some terribly
handicapped, listened intently as the
Queen spoke of the challenges ahead.
She was convinced they would maintain
the same dedication that she was
honouring now in bestowing on them the
medal her father George VI struck to mark
acts of outstanding bravery during the
second world war. At the climax of a brief
yet masterly speech, the Queen told
them: "Due in no small measure to the
bravery and dedication over the years of
the men and women of the Royal Ulster
Constabulary, Northern Ireland is now a
much more peaceful and stable place in
which to live. I hope and trust that the
emnities of the past can be laid to rest in
a way that fully recognises the sacrifices
made.
"I know it is clear to you, as it is to me,
that there will be challenges to face in the
period of change that lies ahead. As you
face these challenges, I am confident that
you will maintain that sense of duty and
dedication which is being honoured today.
I know that you will have my support and
prayers in the future as the dogged and
relentless search for lasting peace continues."
Political expediency
Even as he was heading for home, Tony
Blair was confirming in the Commons that
Peter Mandelson, the Northern Ireland
secretary, would shortly publish
legislation to enact EU commissioner
Chris Patten's 175 recommendations to
modernise the 13,500-strong force, with
the primary aim to increase the 8%
Catholic representation.
The force's name will be the premier
casualty, sparking particular hurt among
victims' relatives, many of whom marked
gravestones with RUC insignia.
The police family was delighted five
months ago at the news that the RUC
was to receive the George Cross,
especially since it was only once before
conferred collectively, to the islanders of
Malta in 1942 while they were under
German air bombardments. But many
thought it smacked of political
expediency, coming as it did so soon
after the controversial Patten report.
A few invited to yesterday's ceremony
stayed away. A Police Federation insider
said: "They see the award as a spoonful
of sugar to help Patten's medicine go
down. They are asking how can the RUC
be worthy of the George Cross and not of its name?"
Thelma Johnston, 59, shivering as she sat
with her walking stick, summed up the
bittersweet mixture of pride at the award
and upset at the forthcoming symbolic
changes. She said: "As I was laying out
my clothes last night, I was wondering if I
was coming to a wedding or a funeral. It is
a strange feeling."
Her son, David Johnston, 30, a father of
two boys, was shot by the IRA in Lurgan,
Co Armagh, in June 1997, 34 days before
the terror group declared its second
ceasefire. His colleague, John Graham,
34, who had three daughters, died
alongside him as the north Armagh
brigade enjoyed a final lethal outing.
The Queen, in a coat Buckingham Palace
emphasised was cinnamon coloured
rather than orange, said: "This award is an
exceptional recognition of the outstanding
contribution made by the RUC to peace in
Northern Ireland. It is a singular
acknowledgement of the gallantry and
courage shown and, in all too many
cases, the ultimate sacrifice paid by the
members of the constabulary during the
past 30 years of terrorism and civil
unrest."
The RUC chief constable, Sir Ronnie
Flanagan, an arch-moderniser, took a
similar approach. He was humbled, and,
voice cracking, recalled those who had
died. Sir Ronnie said: "As a policing
service we also look forward to a new and
exciting future - a future we seek to build
on the wonderful foundations laid by our
colleagues past and present."
The Queen passed the silver cross, with
its distinctive dark blue ribbon, to Paul
Slaine, 36, who lost both his legs in an
IRA rocket attack on the police car he
was driving. His colleague, Colleen
McMurray, 34, died in the attack at
Newry, Co Down, in March 1992.
Mr Slaine, who also lost a finger in the
attack, said: "It is the first time I have
worn my dress uniform since Colleen
died. So there is great sadness today, but
also tremendous pride in being asked to
represent the greatest police force in the
world. It is a great honour for me.
"I was determined to go back to work. I
would love to be a constable on the beat,
but, even with all the changes, I don't
think the public is ready to see me on
neighbourhood patrols. But I enjoy waking
up every morning and looking forward to
getting to work."
As well as the assistant chief constable
Bill Stewart, the oldest senior officer, also
selected to go forward to receive the
medal was Constable Susan Wright, 34,
the newest recruit to the RUC. She had
been in training eight days, and was
selected as the last in the alphabetic list of the intake of 40.
Ms Wright, who has a son, Rory, 4, said:
"It is overwhelming for me. Whatever
changes come, we will have to live up to
the standards that serving and former
officers have set for us."
Republicans, though, were unhappy at the
award. They spelled their opposition out
on the Black Mountain overlooking west
Belfast, whitewashing the words Cross of
Shame above the shape of the medal.
They held a black flag rally at the City Hall
in Belfast, and said the RUC had killed 53
people in the last 30 years.
Sinn Fein's Bairbre de Brun said: "The
award is a grievous insult to the families of
those who have been killed and who have
suffered at the hands of this discredited
force thoughout the years. I can
understand those in the Unionist
community view it differently, but they
should think how the rest of us see it."
Kathleen Duffy, whose son, Seamus, 15,
was killed by an RUC plastic bullet in
August 1989, was at the protest. She
said: "I am hurt, I feel insulted, but I am
not surprised."
David Trimble, leader of the Ulster
Unionists, suggested the Queen's arrival
had alleviated Mr Patten's failure in his
report to mark the sacrifices the RUC had
made. His party has tried to tie his hands
on re-entering the power-sharing
government, linking any such move to the
retention of the force's name.
But Mr Blair said it was vital to attract
support from right across the community,
and key to that approach was the new
name. No longer will it be the RUC, but
the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
~*~
Russian city honours Queen Mother(BBC News)
The Queen Mother has been made an honorary
citizen of the Russian city Volgograd to mark
her post-war relief work for its citizens.
The people of city -
previously known as
Stalingrad - suffered
greatly as they fought
the battle which
blocked the Nazis'
advance in 1942-3.
Volgograd Mayor Yuri
Chekhov said the city
had never forgotten the
Queen Mother's work at the end of the war to
organise relief supplies.
At a ceremony in Clarence House, her London
residence, the Queen Mother told Mr Checkov:
"I am deeply touched by the honour you have
done me."
"In the war, the King and I greatly admired the
wonderful fortitude of your soldiers and the
people of Stalingrad."
Mr Chekhov told the
Queen Mother, who is
100 on 4 August: "We
remember well that the
first hospital sent to
Stalingrad at that time
was from Britain, and it
was you who helped to
collect funds for this."
When the Queen Mother - then the wife
of King George VI -
learned about the
destruction of the city, which was besieged by
Field Marshal Von Paulus's Eighth Army, she
initiated a fundraising campaign among the
British nobility for the Stalingrad Defence
Foundation.
She was the first to person to make a
donation.
Together with Clementine, wife of then prime
minister Winston Churchill, she organised for a
collection of warm clothes, medical supplies
and thousands of books with personal
inscriptions to be sent to Stalingrad.
Stalingrad was honoured by King George VI
who awarded its people his sword.
The Queen Mother told guests - who included
the Russian ambassador to London - said she
had watched a film about Volgograd and
wished she could see the city for herself.
"It's very fine, isn't it - a beautiful city. I wish
I'd seen it - not far to fly, is it?"
She joked that she could even visit without
notice.
"I could just arrive - some day that would be wonderful," she said.
Nazi defeat
She presented guests with signed photographs
of herself and also a large, signed picture for
the walls of Volgograd Council.
Volgograd, on the Volga river, is a major industrial centre in southern Russia, formerly
known as Tsaritsin and Stalingrad.
The Volga Hydropower Station of Volgograd is
the most powerful in Europe.
The Nazis attacked Stalingrad in July 1942 in
an attempt to block the Red Army's supply of
oil from the Caucasus.
Their defeat was one of Germany's most
significant in World War II - but at a huge cost
to Stalingrad, which was destroyed.