The Provisional IRA shot dead a British soldier on foot patrol in the Lower Falls district of Belfast. Private John Ballard was providing cover for colleagues at the junction of Sultan Street/Osman Street when he was hit in the neck by a sniper's bullet. The 18-year-old was serving in the Royal Anglian Regiment (3rd Battalion), along with his older brother.
Pte Ballard was the son of a Grimsby fisherman, one of eight children. His parents thanked the people of Belfast for the many letters of condolence they had received. A photograph of Pte Ballard appeared in newspapers at the time, taken three days earlier and just 300 yards from where he was shot.
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| Pte Ballard pictured three days before his murder |
