| Ian John McKay | |
| Birth Date: | 7 May 1953 |
| Birth Place: | Wortley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Death Place: | Mount Longdon, Falkland Islands |
| Placeofburial: | Aldershot Military Cemetery |
| Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | British Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1970–1982 |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Unit: | 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment |
| Battles: | The Troubles Falklands War |
| Awards: | Victoria Cross |
Ian John McKay, VC (7 May 1953 – 12 June 1982) was a British Army soldier and a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Born in Wortley, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, McKay was the eldest of the three sons of Kenneth John McKay, a steel worker, and Freda Doreen Hargreaves. He was educated at Rotherham Grammar School.[1]
McKay left school at seventeen and in August 1970 enlisted in the Army, training as a paratrooper.[1] Posted to the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (1 Para) in early 1971, he served in Northern Ireland, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
On 30 January 1972, McKay was part of a patrol on the streets of Derry involved in the killing of unarmed civilians known as Bloody Sunday. In official reports concerning the massacre he is referred to as Soldier T. An inquiry concluded that McKay was likely responsible for firing the shot which wounded Patrick Brolly. However, the inquiry determined that he was the only soldier present who had not fired indiscriminately, had a valid reason to fire, and had not intended to shoot Brolly. The inquiry found that if he did fire the shots which wounded Brolly, he unintentionally hit him while aiming at another man who was throwing bottles containing acid at him.[2] [3]
By April 1982 he was platoon sergeant of 4 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment,[4] and deployed with his unit for service in the Falklands War. He was killed during the Battle of Mount Longdon, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
After initial burial in the Falklands, McKay was later brought home, and on 26 November 1982 he was re-buried with full military honours at Aldershot Military Cemetery.[1]
McKay's medals were sold by his wife around the year 1989, and his VC is now on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.[5]
The Territorial Army centre in Sgt McKay's home town of Rotherham is named "McKay VC Barracks", also an accommodation block at the Defence Academy at Shrivenham was named McKay House in his honour.[6]
In mid October 2011, the Sergeants and Warrant Officers bar at MPA, Falkland Islands, was renamed as "Ian McKay VC Bar" in his honour.
The McKay VC Gymnasium is a gym facility and sports hall located across the football fields at Vimy Barracks, Catterick Garrison. A facility that oversees the training of recruits from The Parachute Regiment and other Units.
McKay was profiled in the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes, which included archive footage, dramatisations of his actions and an interview with his mother.
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry found that, of the soldiers who fired upon civilians, Private T (McKay) was the only one to do so with plausible cause if he was responsible for shooting Patrick Brolly and injuring him.[7]