A "botched Warning Call"

[vetuste_ennemi]

- I hear on the news - was responsible for the deaths of twenty-one people in the Birmingham pub bomb explosion in 1974.

My own theory (up until now) was that the deaths were caused by an IRA bomb.

What's your take on this surprising correction to the conventional explanation?

[Calicogirl]

My take is someone planted a bomb, made a warning call which they expected to be acted upon, it wasn't and instead of a huge amount of damage and a show of ability to disrupt, many people died.
Who is to blame for that? The people who planted the bombs, but it is worth noting that whoever didn't act upon the warning call wants to have a word with themselves.

[maggiebee]

The IRA set out to bomb the place. Apparently they "botched" the warning call because they couldn't find a working phone box. True or not, they are still responsible for 21 deaths IMO

[tonyav]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/botched-ira-warning-call-led-to-21-birmingham-pub-bombing-deaths/ar-BBVEqoT

I find it incredible that the one remaining named bomber won't be prosecuted ( but hey we don't want to be upsetting any 'good Friday' agreement with the IRA do we ).

[Baldric]

Reported ^^^ as well out of order, 21 people died, it just ain't funny.

[Peter Pedant]

no I did not make that remark
knowing who did it, is not enough for a prosecution
( as the Lawrences found out)

Memories failing again
there was a bomb in Coventry telephone exchange where the malefactors blew themselves up
and the Bish of Brum ( NOT Couve the Smoove)(*) forbade their burial in any consecrated ground in his diocese under pain of excommunication ( of the priest who might bury them!) as they had died with murder in their hearts

oo-er monsignor !

and the Brum centre bombs were meant to be punishment

The four convicted non bombers wer e caught on the ferry with money and were on their way to the funeral

( retro will correct any or all of this with the usual sneers and barbs)

In terms of the inquests
"we knew they were dead and we knew they were blown up so why are we here?" - gloss on the IRA solicitor who attended the inquests of the shot terroristen in Gibraltar - Paddy McGrath I think

[Peter Pedant]

coove the smoove was wrong footed 20 y later
over - -- child abuse

Any one remember M Couve de Murville French foreign minister ? sixties I think
silence no hands go up
voice in the back of the class - is he IN his sixties sir?

well it is the cousin

He (Bishop Couve de Murville) was told of abuse in a benedictine monastery and unwisely but correctly said - "nothing to do with moi!" [hayzoos that is aveg moi innit]
The benedictines are of course independent of the local RC hierarchy

but he DID nothing as well .....

and my lord bishop got to the nearest you can get to being deposed ( whaaat?) before saying "OK OK I'm going"
and apparently is in a benedictine monastery reflecting on his sins in prayerful remorse ( not my words)
penetential remorse

retro can correct me on the police procedure bit
I am pretty sure I am right over the RC cack up bit

[tonyav]

pp, I don't know what to make of your last two posts, but if you mean that the murdering IRA scum are going to get away with the Birmingham pub bombings then unfortunately I think that you're most probably right ( although I personally would like to see them on the end of a rope for what they did ).

[douglas9401]

Thought police still around at the witching hour.

[ichkeria]

Was there ever a pub bombing anywhere where there was a “proper” call and everyone got out in time and only he beer barrels got it?
Pub bombings were deliberate acts of murder: there was often a warning call, but I don’t think there was much care given as to how effective it would be.
I suspect that the problem with a prosecution might be lack of evidence at this stage. Unless the surviving bomber(s) decides to do more than just apologise.

[mushroom25]

//Memories failing again//

indeed - only one of the Coventry bombers was blown up. the other (his "lookout", allegedly) got 12 years. it wasn't only George Dwyer who objected to any funeral of James McDade taking place in the West Midlands, but also Woy Jenkins, then home secretary and MP for Stechford, and various local authorities who invoked the Public Order Act .

[retrocop]

//( retro will correct any or all of this with the usual sneers and barbs)//

I wouldn't presume to correct you on any of the unintelligible ramblings you post and the pathetic humour you attempt to inject into them.
I know very little about the Birmingham bombings. As evil and tragic as it was ,I in London, had slightly more amounts of bombing to occupy my duties and could only empathise with the people of Birmingham. Especially as my wife to be was bought up there and her family still lived there.
I also do not pad out my posts with totally irrelevant unattached data that are not germane to the OP just to try to make myself intelligent.

[agchristie]

//I suspect that the problem with a prosecution might be lack of evidence at this stage. //

'At this stage' (!!) Nearly fifty years on and still no prosecution.

Even if anyone alive was charged in connection with this case would they receive a fair trial?

There was a lot of dissent on here and in the media as to the prosecution of 'Soldier F' (Bloody Sunday) so should anyone be charged for the Birmingham Pub Bombings?

Similar discussion the other day relating to Hillsborough and Mr Duckenfield.Does the passage of time prevent fair trials?

To answer the original point,a 'botched call' was not responsible for the deaths.

[mushroom25]

in respect of the warning call, what the jury were asked to answer was:-
Was the warning call adequate for the purposes of ensuring that
lives were not lost in the explosions in the Mulberry Bush and
the Tavern in the Town? Please answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

if the answer was "no", the jury were further asked:-
If the answer to question (a) is ‘no’, did the inadequacies of the
warning call probably cause or contribute to the loss of life
resulting from the explosion in (each pub - a separate question for each)?
the answer to both was "yes".
Source: https://www.birminghaminquests1974.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Final-Jury-Questionnaire-5-April-2019.pdf