Diary of the Intervention

Thursday October 13th, 1983
Selwyn Strachan, Minister of Mobilisation, went to confront Airport Workers asking them to accept Coard as leader of the Grenada Revolution.

Friday October 14th, 1983
Strachan goes to “Free West Indian” to talk to journalists – a crowd gathers.

Afternoon:
Strachan is chased out of the ‘Drill Yard’, Minister of Communications and Works. Rumour has it that Maurice Bishop is under house arrest.

Saturday October 15th, 1983
Kenrick Radix leads small demonstration around the Market Square are in favour of Maurice Bishop.

Sunday October 16th, 1983
See tape of H.A.’s announcement on RFG (Radio Free Grenada) re: Maurice Bishop’s starting rumour of Assassination plot.

Tuesday October 18th, 1983
Small demonstrations in Market area. School children break window at Pearls Airport demonstration on tarmac. RFG says Airport closed. That night Vaughn, Lucian and I see Majors Layne and Cornwall at Nutmeg Restaurant. Vaughn says a few words to them.

Wednesday October 19th, 1983
Yesterday was the worst day yet in the history of Grenada. From before 8/9 a.m. crowds were gathering in the Market Square. Sections of the crowd started demonstrating. By 9:30 a.m. the crowd of about 5,000 decided to liberate their leader, Maurice bishop and marched up Lucas St. to his home, Mount Wheldale.
I was within 200 yards of Mount Wheldale, heard the roar of the crowd, when the security guards opened fire above the heads of the demonstrators. When it became apparent that the crowd intended to rescue Maurice, the guards offered to bring him to them but the crowd surged in and took him from a room, half dressed, thin and weak from lack of food.
I stood at Government Gate entrance and saw him surrounded by jubilant supporters including a few uniformed PRA, only his arms visible above the crowd. Jacky Creft was with him. The people laughed, shouted with success and carried him down to Fort George, renamed Fort Rupert in honour of Maurice’s father and that is where he died.
Thousands of supporters milled around the Market, Lucas St., a group set out to control the radio station so that their Leader could talk to them. No military were in evidence. A car arrived at the Fort with a few guns, perhaps 3-4. People waited and waited to hear Maurice.
I was leaning against the Radix building in Church St. at about 12:30 p.m., when three (3) armoured cars lumbered down, slowing as they came to the intersection because of two (2) cars between them and the traffic police and because perhaps 100-200 people were thronging the street. I at first felt relief, here were the army to save Maurice. A look at the faces of the young men on the outside of the vehicles clutching machine guns gave the lie to any hope.
I had not yet seen such set, angry, frightening determination. The two front flaps in the first vehicle flew open. A soldier shouted to the driver “get the fuck up there”, the driver had started slow because of the cars between him and the road to the Fort. He rammed the car in front of him squashing the back right up to the rear window and the first vehicle went up to the Fort.
Within seconds there was a barrage of machine gun and heavier artillery fire. We doubled down, dodged behind cars and ran to the Demerara Life building. People were running from the sight. Robin was at the Harbin house in Young St. A clear view of the Fort was possible from there. A pall of dark smoke rose from it. Dozens of people were clambering, then jumping from the walls of the fort. Some fell 20-30 feet, some were arrested for a second or two by outcropping on the sheer face of the Fort walls, only to continue to their fall.
Soon people were running down the streets from the Fort with their hands straight up in the air. An eyewitness saw Maurice Bishop and Whiteman with their hands held in the air, a bullet wound in Maurice’s leg – put into a van by soldiers.
At 10:00 p.m. Grenadians heard a release by the Armed Forces. Commander Hudson Austin said bishop and his followers had taken over the fort and vowed to kill the entire Central Committee of the NJM Party. He said Bishop and Ministers Whiteman, Creft and Norris Bain, Trade Union Leader Vincent Noel and Bains’ brother had been killed among others.
Two soldiers had died. Many injured were in the hospital. The Revolutionary military Council were in charge, a 24 hour curfew was now in force for 4 days, anyone seen on the streets would be shot on sight. Grenada mourns.

Thursday October 20th, 1983
11:10 a.m. The Caribbean is appalled at the murders in Grenada. Mrs. Fitzroy Bain told newsmen (overseas) that Maurice and etc. were arrested at the Fort, she and others in the room were told to leave and that is when six (6) were executed. Barbados news has just reported Alister and Leonard Hughes picked up. Tony Munro picked up yesterday, Secretary Mrs. Avis Ferguson, Huggins motor department dead.

Saturday October 22nd, 1983
On Friday the news media of the Caribbean, Antilles, Barbados, Trinidad, all covered Grenada news almost the entire day. A meeting of Caricom is scheduled in Trinidad for today. Sanctions to be imposed. Grenadians must get visas to enter Trinidad. Rumours are rampant, Grenada Radio has denied that Alister Hughes, Radix and Louison have been killed. Also picked up is Derek Steele, why? We don’t know.
We were allowed a reprieve from curfew for 4 hours Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. but told by RFG very definitely that this was to allow Grenadians to buy food. Only small shops were allowed to open, there were lines of people waiting to get in.
An American Task Force, 2,000 strong led by an anti-aircraft carrier “Independence” has been diverted from the Middle East and is on its way to Grenada. We were told it is to ensure the safety of Americans (approx, 1,000) in Grenada. I since heard the news on BBC. Grenada Radio has not yet commented on this latest turn of events. They say the island is now ruled by a Revolutionary Military Council, referred to as RMC, that within 2 weeks a cabinet will be named to run the country.

Tuesday October 25th, 1983
8.a.m. This morning at 3:40 a.m. Hercules aircraft – not less than 5, perhaps more and over 8 helicopters circled St. George’s. By 7 a.m. helicopters passed within perhaps 100 yards of our house, lower than the trees, down into the Mount Parnassus Valley. Anti-aircraft guns were fired by Grenada from all military camps. We could see the flashes of the shots explode in the sky with the planes circling barely out of range. Grenada Radio called on all Grenadians to come out and fight, to block roads. Paratroopers started landing at Point Salines Airport. Electricity went off about 8 a.m. Radio Station went off also. An American voice came over RFG – Grenadians are to stay indoors for their own protection, everything, they said, was under control.
8:30 a.m. Antilles Radio says President Reagan and State Department USA in consultation. The USA will make a report in about one hour’s time. Planes are still circling, sporadic cannon. My mother just phoned from Tanteen. Sirens, ambulances, screaming in the streets.
10:30 a.m. Two (2) helicopters have landed at the Governor Generals house. One helicopter was shot down over the sea. One American dead. Three (3) Cubans dead and 22 captured. They fought at the airport. Planes – large 4 engine Hercules are still passing over head. Sporadic shooting from the ground. A very fast, batwinged jet just passed flying very low, somersaulting through the valley and over the sea. Planes approached Fort Frederick from the sea, sipped down and fired at the Fort. The American aircraft carrier is now just off the hospital point.
10:45 a.m. Will I live to tell the tale? Right now about 6 soldiers are hiding behind our hedge over the road. Two have climbed up to the lawn in front of the house. Taking something out of their bags – grenades. They must be Grenadians - setting up an ambush? I have sent Lucian downstairs to the room.
10:58 a.m. I’m going to hide this now. Have sent some food down to the room under small veranda. The soldiers are still on the lawn. Dogs had to be brought into the veranda and are barking at them.

Wednesday October 26th, 1983
8:08 a.m. This is the first chance I’ve had to write again. We fixed up a shelter in the room downstairs with old bed springs and mattress. Lucian is so frightened. The PRA were with us all day. I gave them some lunch. Determined, palefaced, I said to give up the fighting. One said the Americans captured the airport and ‘we re-captured it’, and they got Beausejour and ‘we got it back’.
I locked the dogs in the veranda. Later in the day 5 p.m.? we thought the soldiers had gone. I let the dogs out and fed them. One of the soldiers shot Lady – he said she was attacking him – poor Lady. She’s not dead, shot near her ear. Lucian was terrified.
Hercules planes circled all night. Jets screamed by all yesterday. A bomb fell on Cecily’s shop about 100 yards from us. Our front door burst open, the window split. Pictures and bricabrac fell. Light shades smashed. We have no electricity or telephone. I took a chance this morning and drove up to Gordon and Joyce with Lucian’s passport. If Beverly can get off, perhaps Lucian can go with her. If the soldiers come back today, we’ve decided to go up to Gordon’s so we’ve packed a few clothes. Large flares were dropped by the jets early this morning – 4:30 a.m. over Mount Parnassus and Fort Frederick. It was like daylight in our shelter. I think they have to take out the Fort and the Mount Parnassus house. Hope they don’t take us out at the same time.
12:15 a.m. We are at Molly McIntyres. Decided to go to Gordon’s as things seemed peaceful enough. Got there and saw a general exodus of St. Paul’s people. They said a release was heard over Radio – everyone to move 1 ½ miles away from Fort Frederick by 12 a.m. So far we have not heard any large explosions.

Thursday October 27th, 1983
6:15 a.m. Things started to happen about 3 p.m. yesterday. Four jets, a Hercules attacked the Fort. We heard the battle. Went to bed about 8:30 p.m. – eight refuges, slept on the floor on cushions. Didn’t get much sleep. Bombs heard up to about 4:45 a.m. Then silence. Even the Hercules seemed to have gone. I think the Fort is out. At 5:45 a.m. a new battle was engaged.
This house looks out to the Southeast, we see the sea and what we think must be Egmont Bay. The Hercules is circling now over the area and cannon ack ack and that strange sounding machine that sounds as if it’s winding up to fire are being heard.

6 a.m. news over Radio 610 (Trinidad). Announcer said Sir Paul Scoon, Govenor General of Grenada will address Grenadians in a few hours time on the successful take over by the Americans – this must be a mistake!’. There was a deep silence for a while. The fighting is still going on, he must have started to read a release that had not been released!
7:10 a.m. Two Grenadian soldiers just passed up. Only remaining vestige of their uniforms are their boots, a bundle on their backs, perhaps holding the uniform – dejected, heads down. A few Grenadians pass and say to them “Freedom”. No reaction to this, they continue on their way. Yesterday one PRA went to a neighbour to borrow clothes and get rid of his uniform. I wonder if the dogs are all right. Must get back to Sunnyside today. Is the house still standing?!
3 p.m. Drove down to Sunnyside about 10:30 a.m. Everything O.K. here. Grenadians in knots along the way – all quiet, but saying ‘hi’ and looking happy – no one sure of themselves yet. Stopped by Wilky. Next door neighbour tells us some PRA buried a big gun in lot behind him, changed into civilian clothes – he seems worried. Drove down the lane to check on my mother. Americans, black and white, looking exhausted, labouring up the lane pulling gun carts. Asked where they could find oil.
Cicely’s shop and Bishops top house flattened. Burnt out armoured car by Government House. Crashed helicopter in Tanteen. The Payne’s and my mother saw the pilot burnt, one American ran from the helicopter. PRA? found a dead American nearby, already stiff. Tied him on to their jeep – drove off. Came back later, dumped him, covered him with debris and shot him.
Back home. Cooked all meats – still no electricity or telephone. Had lunch – Joyce, Gordon, Bev and Hugh and three of us. Right now heavy artillery fire being heard in direction of Fort Jeudy/ Westerhall. We can see American soldiers on top of Fort Frederick. All prisoners and detainee have been released by the Americans. Perhaps they couldn’t tell the difference between them. Hopefully, the prisoners will eventually be re-captured.
Evelyn Maitland, Keith Hayling, Evelyn Bullen and many others are dead. It is said that PRA trucks filled up with dead bodies buried them behind the prison. This may or may not be true.
4:15 p.m. Mission accomplished! Two jets and a C 130 just bombed what must be an ammunition dump at Calivigny. What a sight. We sat in our veranda and watched the war. Saw the bombs drop, huge black mushrooms clouds rise, heard and felt the thumps, the strange winding up noise which I can’t place – it’s still exploding – at one point a jet dived almost perpendicular to the sea with dark smoke streaming behind, we thought it had been hit. Just before it reached the sea, it curved and flew straight up – was the pilot having fun? Fantastic does not describe it.

Friday October 28th, 1983
8 a.m. The operation over Calivigny started up again this morning. The Hercules circled high, fired off shots out of range, while two Sabre jets dived repeatedly and dropped bombs. After about 1 ½ hours of this four helicopters joined them and are still flying low over the bay. From the explosions heard and the mushrooming black clouds, it seems a great deal of arms and ammunition must have been blown up. We could feel the shock waves form here.
This morning news says Hudson Austin has a woman hostage and is holed up in the South Western part of Grenada. He is asking for safe passage to Cuba or Guyana.
Tempe had lights last night. We’ve cooked all the food we had. Some had to be given to the dogs. Hope we’ll be able to get some stores for the weekend. Lady seems to have a fever, shivering. Hope she makes it.
We hear over Barbados radio that Radio Free Grenada has been demolished. Four bodies have been found in the rubble.
9:04 p.m. A large explosion just heard form the vicinity of Fort Frederick. We can see the US Marines on top the wall.
2 p.m. Helicopters still over mount Egmont bay. One picked up something – too far to see if it was bodies or equipment and ferried it to a boat. The large helicopter carried a smaller one in the same way.
About 4 or 6 helicopters going backwards and forwards. The Hercules constantly circling. Will we ever get rid of the sound of those engines? Ruffina came about midday – wanted us to take her and children to the country. We assured her that it didn’t make sense. Country also in confusion. No more food, so we gave her some of our cooked food. If we don’t find a small shop open later or tomorrow we’ll have to live on crix and porridge for a couple of days. The dogs are lucky. We still have figs. Ruffina took some. She says the Americans are going to bomb the Cuban Embassy later today. People are going to Fort Frederick and being given food by the Americans.
No news from Grenada. We are anxious to know what’s really happening here. Cars, jeeps, trucks filled with ammunition, all carrying white flags are rushing down. No bombing or sound of planes now. Even the helicopters are not in sight.
7:45 p.m. Grenadians are looting stores in town. People have been passing up St. Paul’s laden with boxes, bags. A car passed with open trunk packed with goods. Matresses, radios, everything they can carry. Huggins, Hubbards etc. We can’t understand why the police from Jamaica, Barbados etc, do not keep order in the town. Three large tanks with Americans passed up and came back an hour later. Leaflets were dropped today at Westerhall – residents are to go 3 miles away. Apparently Hudson Austin has taken Germany woman hostage and is holed up there.
The Mother Hen still circling over-head. We are now worried that home may be looted, perhaps by PRA who are in hiding and can’t find food. Joyce and Gordon stayed at their place tonight – Jean Fenty and mike and Margaret Bain are there – they live in Westerhall. Grenada is being batted like a ball between the O.E.C.S., Britain, and U.S.A. etc. Doesn’t anyone think they should wait a bit and see how the Grenadians feel about the invasion before they provide all the answers?

Saturday October 29th, 1983
7 a.m. Hercules still circling. 3 a.m. this morning we heard what sounded like heavy ground fire from the direction of Westerhall or Egmont Bay.
B.B.C. has reported the looting, also C.B.C. (Barbados). We can see people collecting water from a passing van in the road. There have been rumours of the water being poisoned. Must check our tank to see if it is full. Food will have to be brought in from outside soon. B.B.C. reported the Admiral gave information that 5,000 troops are in Grenada 10,000 are on the ships. They have more or less mopped up resistance in the town and are now concentrating on the hills further North. They say over 400 Cubans are still fighting them and they fear guerilla warfare may exist for some time in the hills.
3:15 p.m. A helicopter is circling the house, passing over, and on either side, nearly as low as the tops of the trees. We can see the men, the guns, quite clearly. Perhaps they’re going to try to land on the lawn? Tanks and armoured cars are on the road, two near the bottom of our gap. The man who told us a gun was buried near his home has just gone up in a car with some American soldiers. Perhaps this is why they seem so interested in our area right now.
This morning we went down Lucas St. People had looted Government house and even taking chairs. We saw American soldiers go into Green Gables where the things had been taken. Wanted to get a message to Vaughn by Ham Radio, but DeCoteau has not got his set up. When we got to Church Street, Valerie and I went in our cars to the Queens Park. From Cemetery Hill on the left, 10 or more Task force boats lay close to shore, on the right you could see helicopters in the park. Soldiers, tanks, armoured cars. It is being used as a base. We’d heard that Bernard & Phyllis Coard had been caught hiding in a house near Government House roundabout. Grenadians told the soldiers where they were and I saw Phyllis sitting, handcuffed at the Park. They got Strachan as well.
Randy met us at Ollie’s. He said the soldiers kicked open doors in Grand Anse to search, wherever owners were not home. Grenada Beach Hotel doors were kicked in. there had been a lot of fighting there on Wednesday. Radio Grenada came on the air this morning at 10 a.m. Paul Scoon spoke. He will set up an interim Committee of 12, none of whom will be politicians, to run the country. He has asked business places to open on Monday. The helicopter seems to have gone.
3:45 p.m. Wrong. It is still circling us.
4:40 p.m. Just went down the gap. Two truckloads of soldiers and many armoured cars. One in our gap. Now the jets are circling the house. Spoke to a soldier. He says her is O.K. “pretty well clear now, Ma’am”. They have just moved on. But the jets are streaming low over the house over and over again.
The helicopter stayed with us until about 6 p.m. So low and so concentrated apparently on circling Sunnyside, we can’t understand why. Three or four jets also passed and re-passed repeatedly, but they took a wider circle. About 10 p.m. the Hercules dropped flares in a semi-circle from Mount Parnassus to Laborie. It was like daylight in here.

Sunday October 30th, 1983
6 a.m. This is the first day there are no planes in the sky, no forces in sight on the ground. Bethel’s bell is calling Grenadians to Service. All is peace.
6:30 a.m. The helicopters are back.
6:45 a.m. A helicopter has just passed carrying something large in a bag and has gone across Mount Parnassus valley.
10:20 a.m. We had 5 helicopters, 3 jets circling for about one hour, but the centre of the circle is perhaps Madigras or lower St. Davids – we are now on the fringe.
7:15 p.m. We were locking up the house at 11 a.m. – wanted to see if Clifford and Beryl were O.K. – when soldiers came up to search the house. They found some PRA helmets behind the boundary hedge and went on up to search around the house at the top of the hill. Tried to go up St. Paul’s, but were stopped. By then the entire area was crawling with marines. They let us go towards town.
Went to Stan Friday’s. they had just returned home from Tuesday morning – had been at the hospital – things were bad there. A Sargeant of the 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers told us about the attack down at Point Saline and how at one time 17 of his group were wounded by their own aircraft by mistake. The soldiers had no food, or water. Stan and I took two or three in our cars down to Juliens, got some cokes, found Food Fair trying to get things in order for Monday and managed to get them some food.
We went up to Gordon’s. By that time (2:30 p.m.), the Marines had searched the area and moved on. ? James – member of Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association Board – was seen handcuffed, going down in a jeep. This evening 7 p.m. Panorama said Hudson Austin had been captured, was being held by the Americans at Point Saline and would be taken off the island. They did not know where to.

Monday October 31st, 1983
Tonight the sound of planes in the distance constantly. Today, business – not quite as usual. An American army truck smashed into A Payne’s house in order to avoid hitting a Grenadian kneeling in the middle of the street at the bottom of Market Hill, dressed in a long white robe – perhaps he was praying for Grenada.
Hundreds of reporters in town. People smiling, thronging the streets, swapping experiences over the past week while dozens of army vehicles pass filled with American soldiers. When the euphoria that Grenadians feel dies away I hope there will be something solid to replace it. I hope the Americans remember we are a people and not just something to be manipulated to their advantage in the fanatical fight against communism.