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The Provisional IRA (IRA) planted a bomb underneath a minibus at an army recruiting centre in Wembley, northwest London on 16 May 1990, killing a soldier and injuring four others. The dead victim was the van's driver, 34-year-old Sergeant Charles Chapman from the Queen's Regiment, a father of two. The injured included his colleague, who got shrapnel wounds to his legs and right shoulder, and a burned face.[1] The bomb was believed to have been 2 lb (910 g) of Semtex and shattered nearby windows when it exploded around 5:15 pm.[2][3] The van was an unmarked white Leyland Sherpa (registration G466 AGX) parked in an alleyway behind the office, which was checked by the two soldiers beforehand but the bomb was cleverly hidden,[4] and detonated as Chapman turned on the ignition.[5][6] The bomb could have caused more casualties had it exploded later when the van entered the busy street.[7]
| 1990 Wembley bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Troubles | |
| Location | Wembley, London, England |
| Date | 16 May 1990 17:15 (UTC) |
Attack type | Bomb |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 4 |
| Perpetrator | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
Police were looking for a suspect on a motorbike, but no one was ever convicted of Chapman's murder.[8] The next day the IRA claimed responsibility in a statement from Dublin: "While the British government persists in its continued occupation of the north of Ireland, the IRA will persist in attacking the British government and its forces in England". Five days prior, the IRA bombed the Royal Army Educational Corps headquarters in Eltham which injured five civilians. The attacks were part of the start of a new bombing campaign in London.
Chapman is buried at Darlington Crematorium.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Observer from London, on June 3, 1990 · 3". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- ^ Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-2007 by Nick Van der Bijl, 2009
- ^ "IRA warns of mainland campaign". UPI. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- ^ West, Michael (17 May 1990). "Minister Says London Being Subjected To IRA Terror Campaign". apnews.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018.
- ^ Bijl, Nick Van der (19 October 2009). Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969 _ 2007. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781781599266.
- ^ Kevin Jon Davies (24 February 2015), Lordship Lane, London N22 (1981) + IRA Gun Car (1990), retrieved 13 May 2018
- ^ "Soldier killed in Wembley car bomb · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- ^ "Army van bombed in Wembley · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
- ^ "In Memory of Sergeant Charles Chapman" (PDF). nivets.org.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2018.