The Provisional IRA murdered a policeman on the Falls Road in Belfast. PC Colin Gilmore was travelling in an armoured Land Rover when the terrorists lobbed home-made grenades from the upstairs window of a derelict house. This was the first confirmed fatality caused by what later became known as a 'drogue bomb'. Drogue bombs consisted of little more than a pound of explosive packed into a tin can. Simple, but deadly, this new weapon could penetrate armoured vehicles where bullets and other bombs had failed.
The device thrown at Constable Gilmore's vehicle struck the roof and exploded on impact, piercing the armour and fatally wounding the officer.
The 27-year-old originally came from Carrickfergus and had previously been an Irish Guardsman before joining the RUC. He left a wife and baby son.
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| Example of a 'drogue bomb', this one was designed to be used in a grenade launcher |
