Sir Alan Donald recounts his Tim win National Service in 1949 – a mere 4 years after the Second World War ended.
You can see the video here
He did basic training at Ranby Camp as part of the Nery Gun battery in the Royal Horse Artillery
Tag: sir Alan donald
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National Service in 1949
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Tiananmen Massacre
Sir Alan Donald recounts his experiences of the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing in 1989 during his time there as British Ambassador.
see the YouTube video here
AED + JHTD Massacres Sir Alan Donald served as the British Ambassador to China and earlier to the Congo DRC, then known as Zaire. During that time he witnessed two momentous events – Massacres at Kolwezi in the Congo and in Tiananmen Square in Bejing. In this video he recounts how experiences
Background Context :
The Tiananmen Square Massacre, also known as the June Fourth Incident, occurred on June 4, 1989, in Beijing. It was the culmination of weeks of student-led pro-democracy protests sparked by the death of Hu Yaobang, a reform-minded Communist Party leader.
Key Events
- Protests (April–May 1989): Demonstrations began in April, with students demanding political and economic reforms, including freedom of the press and an end to corruption. By mid-May, numbers swelled to an estimated one million people in Beijing.
- Martial Law (May 20, 1989): Following internal division within the Communist Party, hardliners led by Premier Li Peng and supported by Deng Xiaoping declared martial law to suppress the “counter-revolutionary riot”.
- The Crackdown (June 3–4, 1989): On the night of June 3 and the early morning of June 4, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) advanced toward Tiananmen Square using tanks and live ammunition. Much of the violence occurred on the roads leading to the square, such as Chang’an Avenue.
The Kolwezi massacre refers to the mass killing of civilians in the mining town of Kolwezi, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), in May 1978. The event occurred during the Shaba II conflict when rebels from the Congolese National Liberation Front (FLNC) invaded the town.
Key Facts of the Massacre
- Perpetrators: The killings were carried out by FLNC rebels (often called Katangan rebels) who invaded from bases in Angola.
- Casualties:
- Estimates indicate that between 120 and 170 European expatriates (mostly Belgians and French working in the mines) were killed.
- Approximately 700 African civilians were also killed during the occupation.
- Atrocities: Survivors reported summary executions, including the murder of 34 men, women, and children in a single house. Victims were often targeted based on race or their connection to the mining industry.
