27 October 1971: Ronald Dodd, 34-year-old Protestant, married with 2 children, and an RUC police officer was investigating an arson attack at Gallagh when he was shot in an IRA ambush. Sgt Dodds son, Mark, was 13-years-old at the time of his fathers death. He later joined the UVF and 4 years later was killed in a premature explosion. Sgt Dodd and another constable were sent to a farm just after 9:00PM to investigate a wooden shed that had been set on fire. They had investigated the incident and just as they were about to drive away, there was a heavy burst of machine gun fire. Mr Dodd was killed and the other constable was hit in the wrist. The July 1972 inquest was told that Sgt Dodd had been hit by 11 bullets. The surviving constable said that a report was received at Toombridge RUC station that a shed had been burnt. He said that when the shooting started he ran into the farmyard and took shelter behind a lorry. He said he then ran through the back door of the farm house and people were screaming. He telephoned the police and a hospital. The incident was described by the coroner as one of the most callous, cold-blooded, foul killings I have ever heard of. LEST WE FORGET!
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:27:03 +0000
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