Soldier's widow hopes historic gesture will lead to lasting peace

Senior Features Writer

Thursday 28 June 2012

THE widow of the highest ranking soldier killed by the IRA has welcomed the historic handshake between the Queen and Martin McGuinness.

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Marisa Duffy

Anne Blair was a 36-year-old mother of two young children when her husband, Lieutenant Colonel David Blair, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion The Queen's Own Highlanders, was killed by an IRA bomb.

Lt Col Blair was one of 18 soldiers murdered at Warrenpoint on the evening of August 27, 1979, just hours after the Queen's cousin, Lord Mountbatten, was killed. The attack was the British Army's worst single peacetime loss since the Second World War.

Mrs Blair, now 69, lives in Edinburgh and has never spoken publicly of her loss. Of yesterday's monumental meeting between the Queen and the Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister and former IRA commander, she told The Herald: "Having to meet somebody who represented the group who effectively murdered Lord Mountbatten, her cousin, not to mention all the soldiers on that day and everybody else, I thought it was enormously brave of the Queen. "At the same time, I also feel that if this represented peace, then it was a price well worth paying. It's a small price to pay for the sake of peace. "She represents this country and has been absolutely amazing in the way she has done the right thing. Clearly this was regarded as the right thing to do. "Obviously, she has very much got in mind all sorts of terrible things the IRA represented but it was quite right to do what she did, to shake hands with Martin McGuinness."Mrs Blair, who was presented with the Elizabeth Cross, a commemorative emblem given to the next of kin of members of the British Armed Forces killed in action, had to explain her husband's death to her two young children.Her daughter Alexandra was 10 and her son Andrew eight when their father was killed during his four-month tour of duty in Northern Ireland. At the time the family were living at the Redford Barracks in Edinburgh but were planning to move to Hong Kong in the autumn of that year. Mrs Blair added: "The IRA murdered 18 soldiers in that particular incident, including my husband, so I have never been at all happy about the IRA."However they are supposed to have disbanded, and one's hope is that they have and that this represents peace for the future."Referring to the handshake, she said: "It's very surprising, very extraordinary, but it is marvellous if this is going to represent peace. It is a great gesture." Lt Col Blair died just hours after Lord Mountbatten, his 14-year-old grandson, an 83-year-old woman relative and a 15-year-old boatman were killed when their boat was blown up during a fishing trip off Donegal. Then six soldiers were killed at Warrenpoint, near the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, when an 800lb bomb was detonated by remote control as members of the Second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment drove past in their Land Rovers.Those who survived radioed for help, prompting Lt Col Blair, the most senior officer in the area, and some of his men to fly to the scene in a helicopter. Just after their arrival, a second, larger bomb was detonated, killing 12, including the colonel.He had just turned 40 and died instantly. His military funeral was held at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. Now, 33 years after her husband's death, Anne Blair hopes yesterday's handshake between Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister and the Queen marks a lasting peace.

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Soldier's widow hopes historic gesture will lead to lasting peace

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