Soldier saved life of pizza boy by shielding him from hail of bullets

A soldier saved the life of the 19-year-old pizza delivery boy wounded in the Massereene Barracks shooting by leaping on top of him as Real IRA gunmen opened fire.

Domino’s driver Anthony Watson, who lives close to the barracks in Antrim town, has reportedly told friends an unarmed soldier shielded him from the hail of bullets, which claimed two lives.

Mr Watson said: “The soldiers shouted for us to ’get down’ before I even knew what was happening.

“Then one of the soldiers just threw himself on top of me as the bullets were still firing.”

One of the gunmen then walked over and shot the soldier and fired three bullets into Anthony. Police said he was in a comfortable condition at the Antrim Area Hospital last night.

However, his 32-year-old Polish colleague, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen, was still in a serious condition at the same hospital.

The two other surviving victims, both soldiers, were said to be stable and comfortable at the Ulster Hospital in Belfast.

This article is from The Belfast Telegraph