Soldier publishes controversial new book (From Warrington Guardian)

Soldier from Fairfield publishes new book about Northern Ireland

4:30pm Monday 23rd April 2012 in News

Len Halliwell

A FORMER soldier from Fairfield is pulling no punches in a controversial new book about the troubles in Northern Ireland.

Leonard Halliwell, of St Peter’s Way, slams the Government and the Army’s hierarchy in his debut book ‘The Khaki Revolutionary’.

The 61-year-old completed two tours of duty in Crossmaglen, South Armagh as a driver in the Royal Corp of Transport, but says he was far from a model soldier.

The father of four said: “I was discharged as unfit for army service but I was taken back because they were desperate for soldiers to go to Ireland. One officer told me they only kept me on the first time because I was a good footballer!”

After retiring from his job as a bus driver four years ago Leonard decided to share his story.

He said: “I thought it had to be told and it might just benefit the people who died. It’s very incendiary, it attacks the British and American government, the IRA, Catholicism and it condemns war.”

One of the main subjects in ‘The Khaki Revolutionary’ is the death of Captain Robert Nairac, who was killed by the IRA while working undercover.

Leonard also did undercover work in Northern Ireland driving unmarked cars and he blasts the Army hierarchy for leaving Captain Nairac to his fate.

He said: “He was one of the finest soldiers and the army just abandoned him, it must have been terrible for his parents.”

Although this is his first novel, Leonard has had poetry published before and real life events in the book are interwoven with his poems.

He said: “You can’t be taught to write poetry, you just write it when it comes. I write a lot of my poems at three in the morning.”

The Khaki Revolutionary is available to download from amazon.co.uk.

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