A volunteer medical worker has told how he dodged bullets and petrol bombs to rescue injured people in west Belfast during the 1969 August pogroms.
Fifty years after violent clashes erupted across the north, Jimmy Allison has described how he braved gunfire to save lives.
The 83-year-old was a volunteer with the Order of Malta when members were mobilised to help treat the wounded between August 14-16.
He is the last surviving member of the order from that time.
Seven people were killed and dozens injured across Belfast as loyalist mobs attacked nationalist districts in the north and west of the city.
Many believe the RUC failed to intervene and even helped loyalist gangs.
Mr Allison said he and colleagues had been asked to travel to the lower Falls area on the evening of August 14 as trouble was expected.
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The west Belfast man, who has been a member of the Order of Malta for 67 years, said they made their way to a Legion of Mary Hall in the Sultan Street area.
“About 8pm the casualties started to come in,” he said.
“There was some interaction at the interface between the Falls and Shankill.
“As the evening progressed the situation got worse.
“There was a wholesale invasion of the Lower Falls by loyalists and we were getting lots of casualties in – mostly damaged limbs, heads and people burned by petrol bombs.
“The police and B-Specials arrived on the scene and we started getting gunshot wounds.”
The former civil servant’s job was to drive the order’s ambulance, which became known as ‘The Big White Ghost’ as it often appeared and disappeared through clouds of smoke while trying to attend casualties.
Mr Allison said during the worst of the trouble there were “wild” scenes and his ambulance was hit by gunfire and petrol bombs.
“You hadn’t time to be frightened but looking back it was a bit scary, there were scary moments,” he said.
Three people were killed in the immediate area including Patrick Rooney (9) and 20-year-old Hugh McCabe on August 15.
The previous evening Protestant man Herbert Roy (26) was also shot dead.
Mr Allison, who is recovering from a heart attack, has been decorated over the years by the Order of Malta for his volunteer work and currently holds the title of Knight of Magistral Grace.
Almost a year after the Falls Road pogroms, he was also witness to another significant event in the north’s Troubles when he helped some of the wounded during the 'Battle of St Matthews' in east Belfast.
The gunfight involved loyalists and republicans in disputed circumstances at St Matthew’s Church in the Short Strand.
Two loyalists were killed along with one republican, Henry McElhone.
Former IRA leader Billy McKee, who died in June this year, was also injured during the firefight.
“Henry McElhone was in the grounds and myself and another guy hauled him in under fire,” said Mr Allison.
The pensioner said both men were taken to the Mater Hospital in north Belfast in the back of his ambulance.
While on route he encountered a loyalist road block on the Albert Bridge which included two vehicles creating a “chicane”.
“They were not in uniform but they were armed,” he said.
“I put the lights on and the horn and, coming from the Newtownards Road, they opened the chicane.
“But as soon as they saw the Maltese Cross on the ambulance they started to close the chicane.
“There was a VW Beetle and I hit it and they came after me in their car.”
He said the pursuit ended when the ambulance and chasing loyalists encountered a group of nationalists from the Markets area.
Only later did he find out who was in the ambulance.
Mr Allison remains active with the Order of Malta and in recent years has helped raise around £100,000 for a maternity hospital in Bethlehem, which is run by the organisation.
He said cash is raised by placing a box at cribs in churches during the Christmas period.
