By David Williams
Daily Mail
16th June 2010

The commanding officer of the Paratroopers responsible for the Bloody Sunday deaths disobeyed an order not to enter the Bogside estate where 13 civilians were killed, Lord Saville revealed.

The report gave a damning indictment of the actions of Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford and many of his men from Support Company.

Criticised: Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford disobeyed an order not to enter the Bogside estate where 13 civilians were killed

Many 'knowingly' put forward 'false accounts in order to justify their firing', it said.

One soldier, Lance Corporal F, who in evidence was said to be responsible for four deaths, received devastating criticism for opening fire on civilians, while others are singled out for shooting people in the back or on the ground.

Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions, must now decide whether any could face charges. None are serving soldiers so are not subject to military law.

The report says Colonel Wilford, commander of 1 Para, had sent his men on to the Bogside because he wanted to show the way to deal with rioters was not for soldiers to 'shelter behind barricades like Aunt Sallies' while being stoned.

Instead, he believed they should 'go aggressively after rioters as he and his soldiers did in Belfast' where they were stationed.

The report details how the soldiers lost all self-control and says none of the casualties was armed with a firearm or, with one probable exception, a bomb of any description.

There was a 'serious and widespread loss of fire discipline', the report said.