Three British soldiers were killed in this often overlooked ambush, the leader of the patrol survived, and said the van looked like the type of shape of a Britsih rail delivery van, the back was covered in armoured platting with slits in parts for Vols to point their weapons out, according to the report four Volunteers were in the van two standing & two lying along the vans floor, three AR-15s & one AK47 was used, the attack lasted less than 5 minutes, the soldier who wasn't hit returned fire but claimed no hits as the bullets just hit off the armoured plate. Here's the soldiers account of the ambush.

"On 21 December, Sergeant Rick Garmory was leading his brick in staggered formation past St Patrick's Church in Crossmaglen; Guardsman Graham Duggan, behind him, was carrying a Light Machine Gun, while Guardsmen Kevin Johnson and Glen Ling were across the road. Although it was market day, Garmory noted that the road was almost deserted. He said later in an interview with Colonel Oliver Lindsay for a history of the Grenadier Guards: On coming round the bend near the Rio Bar, I saw 40 yards away what looked like a British Rail parcel delivery van parked partly on the pavement on the left facing away from us. It had an 18-inch tailboard with a roll shutter that could be pulled down. The van immediately struck me as highly suspicious because I saw what looked like cardboard boxes piled to the top in the back, all flush with the tailboard so they would fall out if the van moved off fast. I instantaneously put my magnifying sight to my eye and saw four firing slits, two above the other two, among the boxes. I immediately opened fire. Garmory said he knew by experience that he was under heavy fire from three Armalites and an AK-47. Two IRA men were probably firing standing with two lying down. He continued: Bullets passed through the sleeves of my smock. I could see them hitting the pavement in front of me and also the wall just to my left. Having fired off a whole magazine I whipped back behind a wall, gave a quick contact report and saw my three Grenadiers had been hit. I ran back to Duggan who was still conscious although an Armalite round had pene¬ trated his liver. I told him to hang on. 1 was still under fire ... I fired off Duggan's LMG magazine from the hip in one quick burst which quietened them down a bit. I could see the van's rear must have armoured plating behind the boxes because every third of my rounds was tracer and I could see them ricochetting upwards off the plating. When the magazine was empty I ran across the road to Johnson, moved his body off his rifle and fired more shots at the van as it careered off, partly hitting a telegraph pole just in front of it. Staff from the nearby health centre tended to the three guardsmen but it was too late. 'Looking back on it, as Lve done so often since, the IRA were highly professional, said Garmory. 'Their supporters' signalling presumably indicated to them that our armoured car \[which had been accom¬ panying foot patrols earlier that day\] was being refuelled . . . "

IRA South Armagh Brigade ambush British patrol from armoured plated van, Crossmaglen, 21 December 1978