§ 64. Mr. SWANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the majority of the police casualties in Ireland are due to the open attack of the Sinn Fein detachments on strongly fortified blockhouses?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODOnly a very small proportion of the casualties sustained by the police in Ireland have been due to open attacks on police barracks, to which I presume the hon. Member refers. As a rule the police barracks is an ordinary house situated in a row of houses. The majority of the casualties to policemen have resulted either from cold-blooded assassination of unsuspecting and sometimes unarmed policemen, or from ambushes of small police patrols in which the attackers have had all the cruel advantages of concealment, surprise, overwhelming numbers, and in many cases expanding bullets. The exact figures are as follows:—
§ Murdered by persons in ambush, 77.
§ Murdered in attacks on barracks, 10.
§ Assassinations, 38.
§ Wounded by persons in ambush, 117.
§ Wounded in attacks on barracks, 31.
§ Wounded in attempted assassination, 47.
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman give the House the number of assassinations of innocent civilians?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI am not aware of any assassinations of innocent civilians, except by those who assassinate innocent policemen.
§ Mr. G. TERRELL and Mr. DEVLINrose. [Hon. MEMBERS: "Order, order!"]
§ Lieut. Colonel CROFTOn a point of Order—
§ Sir J. NORTON-GRIFFITHSMay I—
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. Hogge.