The Comanchero had recently split, with most members defecting to form the first Australian chapter of the US-based Bandidos. Caesar Campbell, the biggest and baddest of all, took three shots at the Milperra Massacre. We have all paid a terrible price and we will never be allowed to forget it or escape from itMilperra changed everything. [5], During the club's 1983 Christmas run fighting broke out between the two chapters, prompting the Birchgrove chapter to break away and form a new club. Comanchero vice president Robert 'Foggy' Lane, his sergeant-at-arms Phillip 'Leroy' Jeschke and their comrades Ivan 'Sparra' Romcek and Tony 'Dog' McCoy also died. Illustration from the Sydney Morning Herald, September 3, 1984.Credit:Franklin Johnson. Some were moving into the Norseman bar of the Viking to hear a band, The Lads. 'I've read books on what happens to soldiers in battle and what they say is that it's so overwhelming for your brain that you actually go dumb,' Eaves said. Source: Justice Adrian Roden on sentencing the Milperra bikies, The comments below have not been moderated, By
The Milperra Massacre, Milperra bikie shoot-out[1] or Father's Day Massacre[2] was a gunfight between rival motorcycle gang members on 2 September 1984, in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Communication at the University of Technology, Sydney. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 06:34. [2] 'But something from 36 years ago where I never hurt anybody,I'm not allowed to work in an IT department of a church. He is yet to enter a plea to any of the charges. Six of the Milperra massacre bikies convicted of seven murders were sentenced to life in prison while three others received terms of 18 or 20 years. But it was so confusing to me I couldn't tell who was who in this brawl that was going on. I also wanted to know more about the clubs themselves and what it is about the way of life that they offer that led these people, many of whom would in all other respects be regarded as law-abiding and responsible citizens of commendable character, to indulge in what on the face of it is irresponsible, anti-social behaviour of extreme violence, bringing with it obvious danger to human live, and in the facts of this case, the tragic consequences of seven deaths. Watching war movies gave him an appreciation of the bravery of soldiers. As Sergeant-at-Arms, he ordered Ross to face charges of breaking one of the ten club rules. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He is pictured with his sister Vanessa at Christmas in 1987. Several vanloads of motor cyclists were driven away by police for questioning. Failed to delete memorial. Some are in their thirties and forties, have no significant prior convictions and have good family and work backgrounds. As I ran I was worried I was going to get a bullet in the back." 'I've always been embarrassed by it - not ashamed, but embarrassed - and always kept it a secret. 'The outcome of this for both sides is people have died early, people on both sides have committed suicide. He worked as an insurance and investment agent for a few years before setting out to become a filmmaker. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. A 20-minute battle waged with guns, baseball bats and knives killed two Bandidos, four Comancheros and an innocent bystander, 15-year-old Joanne Walters. They knew it was going to happen and both gangs were prepared for the fight. 'As patriotism can lead to jingoism and mateship can lead to cronyism, so bikie club loyalty, it seems, can lead to bikie club war.'. Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eaves had only been in the club for a few months before tensions between the Comanchero and Bandidos exploded in bloodshed. 1984 gang gunfight in Milperra, Australia, Comanchero Club Rule 4: "Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Ol' Lady, or taking advantage of a rift between them for future conning up, will be thrown out". Seven people were killed: six motorcycle gang members and a fourteen year old female bystander, Leanne Walters. "When I saw him he was pointing the gun our way, and then the little girl fell. 'I never hurt anybody, was never accused of hurting anybody, killing anybody, shooting anybody, doing anything like that.'. "I was the first person shot," Snake says in footage to be aired on Wednesday's episode of the Channel Seven documentary series Gangs Of Oz. "We are running out of cars to take the weapons away," said one ballistics officer who had just loaded a dozen rifles plus baseball bats and machetes into the boot of his car. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The Milperra massacre's origins lay in a split in the Comanchero ranks a year earlier. So can a pride in physical strength and courage. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Marking 35 years since the 'Milperra Massacre'. Glen Eaves was just 22 when he was present at the 1984 Milperra bikie massacre; He did not injure anybody, helped to save others and tried to stop the bloodshed ; The Comanchero and soldier was sentenced to life in prison for seven murders; Those convictions were reduced to manslaughter and he was released in 1988 ', Glen Eaves (pictured) is an award-winning filmmaker who has run a pay TV network and completed three university degrees. A system error has occurred. Two Bandidos and four Comanchero were killed. [9] Campbell later claimed that the wife of one of the Comancheros had shot him several times with a handgun. Any member found guilty of breeding dissension in the Club (ie Running down the President of the Club or Club policies in any way, shape of form - or bad s*** rumours) will be thrown out. A violent shootout in Australia, which came to be known as the Milperra Massacre, killed seven and wounded 28 near Sydney in 1984. Eaves called Jock Ross and warned him that going to the swap meet was 'crazy'. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. [11], Ross received a life sentence for his role in the violence. Hewas still just 24 when sentenced to life in jail in June 1987 after being convicted along with eight others of seven murder charges. I mean, those sorts of weapons can do some terrible damage. Four shotgun pellets remained in his body which were dug out by his wife before he fled to Western Australia. Any member found guilty of not helping another member who is in genuine trouble, not bulls*** trouble, will be severely dealt with. 'I picked up a gun and I shot once into the air and once into the ground as they were coming down to attack and that scared them off,' he said. So can a pride in physical strength and courage. Please try again later. Some of the bikes had shotguns and rifles clipped to them. Not only that, they'd sent scouts down to identify that we were there. "I saw another guy shoot someone in the guts, and he just keeled over and then the girl was shot. Seven people were killed on Father's Day in 1984 at Milperra and the massacre continues to damage other lives. About 12 members of the Bandidos gang were kept in a police cordon in the service station. They hid under tables as the shots rang out. Casualty Disambiguation: see Federal Court of Australia (Sydney NSW) decision on 22 September 2014 in Francis v Allen & Unwin [2014] FCA 1027 by Katzmann J, parties Janette Gail Francis v Allen & Unwin Pty Limited, Lindsay Simpson, Pamela Walters, Rex Walters, Lorraine Walters. Snoddy's betrayal sparked a feud which culminated in the Milperra massacre. The shootout had its roots in an intense rivalry that developed after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club . About 40 people were trapped inside the Norseman Bar when the shooting started. 'Jock invited me to hang around with the club. Make sure that the file is a photo. He seemed to be firing in all directions, " the man said. Having served his sentence, Glen Eaves hoped he would be able to get on with his life. Clive Small charts the tensions back to the infamous Milperra massacre in 1984, when six bikers were shot dead in a pub car park in Sydney, while a teenage girl was killed in the crossfire. Spencer had visited several outlaw clubs in America two years earlier and remembered how much respect U.S Bandidos showed to him, so he contacted their National President Ronnie Hodge. Eaves, who joined the Comanchero just months before the massacre, did not kill or injure anyone at Milperra. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 'They rode in and saw us,' Glen Eaves remembered. 'There was, I thought, a very good reason for that. The screenplay was written by Greg Haddrick, Roger Simpson and Jo Martino. According to Campbell, in late 1983, one of his brothers and another Comanchero had called on another member and caught the Comancheros' president (and founder) William George "Jock" Ross, in a compromising position with the member's wife. The venue had been widely advertised in the press, motorcycle shops and on power poles. Add to your scrapbook. Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Real Ol' Lady or taking advantage of a rift between them for future 'conning up' will be thrown out. 'My heart and soul's with the army,' Eaves said. After realising he'd been caught off guard and not having had the chance to set up a formal battle plan, Jock Ross ran from the back of the tavern holding a machete in one hand and a pick handle in the other. Some took their bats and bars with them; others had guns. Justice Adrian Roden would describe what happened next as he sentenced Eaves and the others almost three years later. [16] As a result of the massacre, the New South Wales Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973, which allowed registered owners the right to carry firearms in public, was subsequently amended to require "a good reason for the issue of a [firearm] licence". The two of them were about seven metres from one of the gunmen. Greg James QC, represented all but one of the Bandidos' members during their trial, that being Colin Campbell. 'In those days, there was no internet so I could sort of hide a bit, you know,' he said. Source: Document seized by police after the Father's Day Milperra massacre. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. But like most admirable qualities, these can be carried to excess. [8], The court case following the "Milperra Massacre" was at the time one of the largest in Australian history. September 12, 1984. Credit:Bruce Miller. A famous photo shows Phillip "Bull" Campbell collapsed in grief onto Shadow. They set up their first chapter in Sydneyright in the heart of Comanchero territory. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. FACED with a loaded gun, Geoff "Snake" Campbell didn't ask for mercy. Then came the motorbikes. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. 9. 3. We literally had our backs to the wall, nowhere to run, when they approached'. Any member found guilty of screwing another member's Real Ol' Lady or taking advantage of a rift between them for future 'conning up' will be thrown out. 00:34 EST 08 Jan 2021. Bandido member John "Whack" Campbell never fully recovered from the injuries he received and in 1987 died in jail from complications. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Resend Activation Email. 'Bandidos were quickly out of their cars and off their bikes and many began moving towards the Comancheros. They had declared war on each other, and once that happens you can be assured a full-scale battle will take place if they meet in public". There are no volunteers for this cemetery. One man who took part in the shoot-out in the Viking Tavern who wished to be anonymous stated in 2014: Milperra was catastrophic; it was a ridiculous and terrible thing to happen. ', Jock Ross (pictured) was a father figure to Glen Eaves and encouraged him to join the army. More than 30 men were arrested last night as police questioned at least 500 witnesses after seven people were shot dead in a bikie brawl at the carpark of the Viking Tavern in the south-western suburb of Milperra. We came from all walks from life optometrists, engineers, clerks and blue collar workers and all had our reasons for being there (in a motorcycle gang). Wes Graham, 23, who was on the hotel verandah when the shooting started, said he saw two shots fired in the air and then one man shot in the head. Another Campbell brother, John "Wack" Campbell, died three years later from his injuries. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The initial confrontation between the clubs was verbal, involving the brandishing of "non-lethal" weapons and challenges to drop the guns and settle it like men but ended with the accidental discharge of a shotgun into the air. Thirty-five years ago, two bikie gangs opened fire on each other in the car park of a south-western . 6. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Snake's brother Gregory "Shadow" Campbell and an "adopted brother", Mario Ciantar, were less fortunate. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Three more bodies fell close together near a line of motorcycles, shot within metres of the gunmen. It is unfortunate that so many of them have chosen to play no part in the sentence hearing, although years of their lives are at stake. September 21, 1984. . "For no reason. cemeteries found in Leppington, Camden Council, New South Wales, Australia will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was watched by Wayne McTighe, 12, from his home on the other side of Beaconsfield Road. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Even the Uniting Church kicked him out of a job after two weeks. On Father's Day, 1984, members of rival gangs the Commanchero and Bandidos met in the car park of the Viking Tavern at Milperra, in Sydney's south west, and went to war. 7 are killed, comprising of 6 bikers and an innocent civilian. It . Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? [12], The Comancheros were notorious for carrying registered shotguns openly while riding. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Leanne Walters I found on Findagrave.com. 'It's caused a great toll on people's mental health at different levels. Any member found guilty of selling, distributing or using hard drugs will be thrown out. Select from premium Milperra Massacre of the highest quality. So, if they were infants then they are now in their 60s ot 70s or so. Many of us just wanted to escape our dreary lives; escape for one night a week, dress up like Marlon Brando and be a wild one. 'And what it was drawing in those days was a lot of young, disenfranchised young guys that didn't have a father figure,' Eaves said. The Milperra massacre's origins lay in. ', Six bikies and a 15-year-old girl were killed in the Milperra massacre on Father's Day, 1984 (pictured). 'Whereas this opened up my eyes and since then I've gone on to make lemonade from lemons. There is a problem with your email/password. 'It's shocking,' Eaves said. Jock Ross suffered a brain injury after being shot in the head. 'It hasn't cost me any friendships or anything like that. An experimental film Eaves (right) made at UTS won an award which was presented by acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann in the presence of then NSW premier Bob Carr (left) in 1995. He would try to establish himself in new jobs before criminal background checks were completed. 4. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Clubhouse attacks and other violence continued until August when Campbell alleged that Spencer and Ross "declared war" in a phone call.[3]. What actually happened before all hell broke loose has never been told before due to the code of silence even among enemy clubs. The clubs had a no drugs policy and Colin "Caesar" Campbell, Sergeant-at-Arms of both Comanchero chapters and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Bandidos after they were patched over, points to the acrimony of the split as the sole reason. By 1.45 pm more than 400 people were at the ranch-style tavern. The other dead were men. The first two policeman to arrive at the tavern were powerless to catch the killers. [17][c], In a repetition of the circumstances that led to the Milperra massacre, in early 2007 more than 60 members of the Parramatta and Granville chapters of the Nomads, previously affiliated with the Comancheros, defected to the Bandidos. All the murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on appeal. 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