Operation Conservation - Aftermath

Aftermath

The sudden counter-ambush disrupted the British operation, and the officer in charge aborted it. He later stated that:

In military terms, it was one of the IRA's finest attacks in South Armagh. They picked out the COP team in the most exposed position. With hindsight, it was the one weak link in the operation and it says something for the IRA's tactical and field skills that they identified that fact before we did.

After the incident, another British senior officer concluded that a skilful gun team was operating at that time near Cullyhanna. Indeed, on 20 September, another soldier was hit and wounded there during a heavy machine gun attack on a 1st Cheshire Regiment patrol at Drumalt. The IRA unit responsible for the ambushes was nicknamed the "Cullyhanna Gun Club" by the British army. Author Toby Harnden suggests that the IRA show of force proved again that they could dispute the ground to the troops everywhere in south Armagh due to its better knowledge of the terrain and use of rugged soil to conceal positions.

Lance Sergeant Stewart was 35 at the time of his death. He was buried with full military honours in his home town of Perth, Scotland on 11 May 1990.