A statement to the Strickland Enquiry by a civilian, an ex-soldier living at Dillon's Cross
At about 19.30 hours on 11th December, I heard two or three bombs explode. Shortly afterwards the house door was opened and I was told to put my hands up. The man who told me to put my hands up were about 5ft 10in in height, wearing a British warm overcoat and Tamoshanter cap. He had a queer sort of a flat nose. I could identify him. In addition I saw two men behind him - one was wearing a black, stiff RIC cap and another in soldier's uniform with 3 medals. He had 2 badges on his left arm. They were all armed with revolvers. They told me to get the furniture out of the house as they were going to burn it. This I did and they assisted me in doing so.
After depositing furniture in the road, one went and brought some petrol, the petrol was in a square tin. They sprinkled petrol over the furniture and set it alight. They went into the back yard and got some 30 chickens, wrung their necks and threw them on the fire - I spent the night in the field with my wife
At 06.30 the next day I returned to the house and found the man with the black RIC cap still there. He told me to get off the street and stay in my house, which I did