S/Sgt John Morrell

S/Sgt ​John Michael Morrell died on 24th October 1972.

​Service Number: 23916709

S/Sgt John Morrell, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, died following fatal injures sustained in a bomb attack in South Armagh on the 15th October. His patrol was searching vacant house near border when an IRA device exploded.

Five soldiers from the Staffordshire Regiment were hurt, one very seriously. They were lured into a booby-trapped house in Armagh. 

A second booby trap, wired to a shotgun, was also found in the house.

The five men who were injured were the Staffords' first casualties since the regiment started its first stint in Ulster. Most seriously hurt was Colour Sergeant John Morrell who had to be airlifted to hospital in Belfast by helicopter

The Colour Sergeant was with a patrol which was alerted after a tip off to Armagh CID that a number of terrorist gunmen were holed up at two houses in the Drumarg Park area of the town.

Regimental Secretary Colonel Hugh Cook said: "The tip off was obviously a trick to lure our men into the terrorists trap."

Born on 27 July 1940 he was aged 32, and married with three children.

He is buried in Macclesfield Borough Cemetery.  Grave Section Y, Grave Number 17449.