At around 6.45pm on the dark evening of 27th November 1975, Rosemary McWhirter pulled up in her car at the Bush Hill Park, Enfield home that she shared with her 50-year-old husband, Ross McWhirter. Ross, along with his twin brother Norris, founded the best-selling Guinness Book of Records, and for the past three years he had presented the popular BBC children’s television programme Record Breakers.
At a time when Britain only had two and a half TV channels, the twins, who were tested on their extensive knowledge of human records on the weekly show, became household names. Earlier that day, Rosemary had visited the dentist. Later, she visited a petrol station and filled the couple’s blue Ford Granada. The McWhirters planned to meet friends that evening at the theatre. Ross was getting dressed when Rosemary arrived back. Two men were waiting in the bushes of the front garden for her return.
As she got out of the car, Rosemary saw a figure in the dark emerge from the vehicle’s passenger side. He was accompanied by another male who said, “Hand over the keys”. She briefly considered chucking the keys in the garden, but she then realised that the figure was pointing a .357 Magnum revolver at her. Having passed him the keys, Rosemary ran to the front door and rang the doorbell. It is worth noting that at this moment, Rosemary McWhirter did not realise that the men were members of the Provisional I.R.A. She presumed that they were just robbers’ intent on stealing her car. Unfortunately, her door key was on the same ring, so she needed Ross to open the door to let her into the house.
In a state of distress, Rosemary rushed past Ross. In that moment, the men shot Ross whilst he stood at the open door. The bullet entered the side of his chest, and he slumped onto the floor. Pathologists later said that this initial wound was survivable, but the I.R.A. were not here merely to injure him. The gunman calmly approached McWhirter and delivered what assassins call the coup de grace: a point-blank shot to the head. The murderers then stole the Ford Granada to make their getaway. Ross was rushed to Chase Farm Hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after.
What had this popular man done to deserve such a fate? He had offered a reward of £50,000 (today worth over £500,000) that would lead to the capture of the I.R.A. gang that had caused of death and mayhem in London and the South-East for the past twelve months. Ross, like his brother Norris, was a staunch supporter of the Conservative Party. At the 1964 General Election, he had run for Parliament in the Edmonton constituency where he lived. Norris ran at the same General Election for the Orpington seat at the other end of Greater London. At the time of the murder, the twins were putting the finishing touches to plans to set up a new pressure group, initially called the National Association for Freedom, and later simplified to the Freedom Association.
The I.R.A. started their terrorist campaign in London on 8th March 1973, when an unwieldy team consisting of 11 volunteers from their Belfast Brigade detonated car bombs outside the Central Criminal Court (“Old Bailey”) and the Ministry of Agriculture. In these two attacks, over 200 people were injured and a 60-year-old man died from a heart attack. Unsurprisingly, both buildings suffered extensive damage. The gang were captured at Heathrow attempting to fly home.
The I.R.A. leadership learnt two lessons from this first atrocity. Firstly, the publicity incurred by mainland bombings was much greater than those in Ulster. Secondly, they needed to establish a permanent gang in London and ensure that they did not attempt to leave Britain too soon after the incident.
On 10th September 1973, the I.R.A. detonated bombs at Euston and King’s Cross railway stations injuring 13 passers-by. Two days later, they began their terror offensive against shoppers, with bombs in Oxford Street and Sloane Square. It is worth noting that when targeting shoppers, bombs were frequently left in the pockets of coats on the rail in menswear departments. On the same day, a bomb exploded at the Royal Naval Association and a woman died of a heart attack during an evacuation of Euston station following an I.R.A. hoax call.
After a series of barracks bombings and army recruitment centres in the late Autumn, the terrorists were back in Central London for Christmas. Two days before Christmas Day, bombs exploded at the headquarters of building contractors, George Wimpy, in Hammersmith and at the White Lion public house in Tottenham Court Road. On Christmas Eve, a bomb blew up the North Star pub in South Hampstead, injuring six, and another exploded at the Swiss Cottage tavern. After a brief pause for festive cheer, the I.R.A. blew up the Stage Door pub in Victoria and Sloane Square tube station on Boxing Day.
The year of 1974 in London turned out to be bloodier than 1973. In early Summer, the I.R.A. infiltrated the ranks of Irish builders employed to renovate the Palace of Westminster. On 17th June, they succeeded in detonating a bomb on the Parliamentary estate, which left 11 people injured and caused extensive damage to the building. Exactly one month later, at 2.30pm on 17th July, a 10-14 pound bomb exploded inside the White Tower of the Tower of London. This bomb had been placed next to the wooden carriage of an 18th century bronze cannon inside the Mortar Room. The blast hit an ancient oak door, which sent hundreds of splinters flying.
At the height of the tourist season, the Tower was overflowing with children, their parents and teachers. Of the 41 injured victims, 12 were children. Witnesses reported that many of the detached limbs strewn around were very small. One person, a 48-year-old Sunday School teacher called Dorothy Household, died in the attack. The outcry was considerable, and even the I.R.A. chose not to claim credit for the incident. Shortly afterwards, the I.R.A. established their new permanent force in London. The six-man team, frequently assisted by a couple of females who smuggled bomb-making equipment in from Ireland, comprised Joe O’Connell, Edward Butler, Harry Duggan, Hugh Doherty, Brendan Dowd and American Liam Quinn. Their first H.Q. comprised a couple of adjacent flats at 21 Waldemar Avenue, Fulham, and the I.R.A. allowed them to choose their own targets. By the Autumn, the gang were ready for their debut. It was to be just outside London in Guildford.
On Saturday 5th October at around 8.30pm, time bombs left under seats and tables exploded at the Horse and Groom and the nearby Seven Stars pubs. Both were packed with customers enjoying a weekend drink. These pubs were targeted as the were frequented by off-duty members of the armed forces. Five people were killed instantly and 65 were injured, 30 of whom sustained life-changing injuries.
The I.R.A were so pleased with the results that a month later a bomb, consisting of 6 pounds of gelignite wrapped around pieces of shrapnel, was thrown into the King’s Arms pub in Woolwich. Two died in this attack, one of whom was a 20-year-old sales assistant, and 35 were injured. From then on, and for the next year, the gang wrought mayhem in London.
Bombs exploded in Tottenham Court Road, in Oxford Street, inside Harrods in Knightsbridge and at the London home of Edward Heath. An off-duty policeman was shot dead in the street in Baron’s Court, a bomb disposal expert died attempting to defuse a bomb in a Kensington shoe shop, a Mayfair restaurant had a bomb thrown through its window and a passer-by was killed by another bomb left at Green Park tube station. Every person and every place was a “legitimate target” for this gang. However, Ross McWhirter turned out to be their last murder.
Police were anticipating that the gang would target the same Mayfair restaurant, Scott’s on Mount Street, that they had attacked earlier in 1975. On Saturday 6th December, as the Police lay in wait, a four-man I.R.A. team drove past Scott’s and raked the front of the restaurant with machine gun fire. Two unarmed Police Officers waved down a taxi and followed the I.R.A. car for several miles. Other Police in cars joined the chase, and the gang could only respond by firing at their pursuers. Eventually, in desperation, the terrorists ditched the car and ran into a block of low-rise council flats in Balcombe Street, Marylebone.
After racing up the stairs they broke into Flat 22b, where a middle-aged couple, Sheila and John Sims, were watching the television. The unfortunate residents were to become their hostages for the next six days. Police and press surrounded the building, and the siege was the media sensation of that week. Initially, the gang demanded a plane to fly them to Ireland, but were eventually reduced to begging for food deliveries. The siege ended abruptly when a news broadcast mentioned that the S.A.S. were about to storm the flat. Most civilians knew nothing of the S.A.S. in these days, before the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege, but the I.R.A. were acquainted with them. The gang immediately came out with their hands up.
All four were convicted of seven murders, a series of terrorist offences and kidnap at their Old Bailey trial in 1977. They remained in gaol until 1999, when they were released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. That year they appeared at the annual Sinn Fein conference and were cheered to the rafters by members. Gerry Adams introduced them as “our Nelson Mandelas”.
Norris McWhirter went ahead with establishing the Freedom Association and made it the most significant conservative pressure group of the decade. He continued appearing on Record Breakers until 1985, and eventually passed away in 2004. His memorial service was attended by Lady Thatcher. Ross’s legacy continues to live on to this day in the continuing work of the Freedom Association.
