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The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1970 to replace the B Specials in assisting with security duties within Northern Ireland. It was the largest infantry regiment in the British Army, formed with an initial seven battalions and an extra four added later. The concept of the regiment was based on the antiquated militia idea of raising a force locally to patrol and assist with law enforcment during a time of emergency. Unlike the militia of pre 1908 the Ulster Defence Regiment received pay. It was partly due to recruiting from the local community at a time of intercommunal strife, that it faced accusations of collusion through most of its term. In 2007 the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was awarded to the regiment for its service during Operation BANNER, and the regiment is now allowed to use the postnominal letters CGC as part of its name (The Ulster Defence Regiment CGC).

The Ulster Defence Regiment was unique. Never in modern times had a part time force been raised as an integral part of the British army to carry out military operations in its own country.

History

The regiment was formed in 1970 after recommendations from the Hunt Report (1969), which suggested replacing the part time B Specials, "seen by many as a Protestant army", with a force that would be "impartial in every sense and remove the responsibility of military style operations from the police force." The first regimental commander was Brigadier Logan Scott-Bowden. The first two soldiers reported as signing up were a 19 year old Catholic and a 47 year old Protestant. Seven battalions were initially raised, making it the largest infantry regiment in the British Army. Two years later, four more battalions were added, taking the total to eleven. Until 1976 the full time cadre consisted only of a conrate whose duties consisted of guarding UDR bases and carrying out administrative tasks. It was then decided to expand the role of the regiment by including a full time operational capability on a 24 hour basis. The first of these was raised at 2 UDR under the command of a sergeant. By the end of the 1970's the full time cadre had been raised to 16 platoons. As these "Operations Platoons" were expanded to company strength, eventually the conrate role was phased out with full time UDR soldiers undertaking their own guard duties and administration. The regiment was reduced to nine battalions in 1984, then to seven in 1991, at which point Tom King, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that as part of the restructuring of the armed forces the regiment would merge with the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment. On 1 July 1992 the merger was officially complete. On 1 August 2007 the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the second highest British military honour, was awarded to the regiment for its service during Operation Banner.

• Intimidation. The UDR was presented to the entire community of Northern Ireland as a replacement for the paramilitary police reserve, the Ulster Special Constabularly, known as the B Specials. An exclusively Protestant force, these specials were seen as a tool of the state and a means to keep the Roman Catholic members of the population in their place. With the population of the Province standing at approximately 60% Protestant and 40% Roman Catholic in 1969 it was hoped that the recruitment figures for the regiment would reflect those numbers. The first Catholic recruits were to be "A beacon of a new hope in a society torn apart by sectarian strife". Beginning with up to 18% Catholic recruits, this rapidly declined, with only 3% being Catholic when it amalgamated in 1992 with the Royal Irish Rangers, forming the Royal Irish Regiment. The main contributing factors were:

• Protestant members of the UDR intimidated Roman Catholic members into leaving.
• Intimidation from within the Roman Catholic community or from the IRA, particularly after internment was introduced. Businesses were boycotted, shopkeepers refused to serve soldiers while children faced insults and bullying at school. .

The loss of these brave Catholic men to some extent took away the raison d'etre of the regiment, which was to give Catholic members of the community the opportunity to be involved in the policing of their own community as specified in the Hunt Report. It also meant that the UDR could never be upheld as the impartial force Lord Hunt had intended it to be.

Throughout the UDR's history, there were allegations that members covertly aided the loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Evidence believed to have been examined by British military intelligence in 1973 concluded that while there was "in no case proof positive of collusion" there was however "considerable suspicion". These allegations are seen as part of "one of the most controversial episodes of Northern Ireland's conflict."

To date it is the only unit in the history of the British Army to have been on operational deployment for its entire history, from the moment it was created until it was amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992.

Duties

The primary function of the regiment was to assist the police by guarding key installations and providing patrols and vehicle checkpoints on public roads to hamper the activities of terrorist groups. The regiment was not permitted to engage in "crowd control" situations, nor was it permitted to patrol West Belfast or the City of Londonderry.

As the force was initially predominantly part-time the presence of its members was mostly felt during evenings and weekends. The force was expected to answer to general call out and was indeed mobilised on a permanent basis on several occasions such as Operation Motorman to provide manpower assistance to the police or army.

As the regiment evolved into a predominantly full-time unit it assumed more duties previously assigned to the police or army in support of Operation Banner. By 1980 the full-time element had become the majority and the regiment's role had expanded to include tactical responsibility for 85% of Northern Ireland supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary. By this time the sight of UDR patrols on the streets or countryside of Northern Ireland was commonplace.

Structure

By March 1970, when deputy Minister of Defence Roy Hattersley answered questions in the House of Commons, there had been 4791 applications to join, of which 946 were from Catholics and 2424 from current or former members of the B-Specials. 2440 had been accepted, including 1423 from current or former B-Specials.

Initially, seven battalions were raised, immediately making it the largest regiment in the British Army. Within two years, a further four battalions were added, taking the total to eleven. To begin with, the regiment consisted entirely of part-time volunteers, before a full time cadre was added in 1976.

The full-time element of the regiment eventually expanded to encompass more than half the total personnel. The UDR was also the first infantry regiment in the British Army to fully integrate women into its structure, when Greenfinches (so-called because of the code-name used to identify them by radio) took over clerical and signals duties, which allowed male members of the regiment to return to patrol duties. Properly called "Women's UDR," Greenfinches also accompanied many patrols so that female suspects could be searched. Three Greenfinches were killed during the Troubles, Private Eva Martin, L/Cpl Jean Leggett and Pte Margaret A. Hearst.

Battalions

• 1st (County Antrim) Battalion
• 1st/9th (County Antrim) Battalion
• 2nd (County Armagh) Battalion
• 2nd/11th (Craigavon) Battalion
• 3rd (County Down) Battalion
• 4th (County Fermanagh) Battalion
• 4th/6th (County Fermanagh and County Tyrone) Battalion
• 5th (County Londonderry) Battalion
• 6th (County Tyrone) Battalion
• 7th (City of Belfast) Battalion
• 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion
• 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion
• 9th (Country Antrim) Battalion
• 10th (City of Belfast) Battalion
• 11th (Craigavon) Battalion

The first seven battalions had as their commanders the former County Commandants of the USC. As they were actively involved in the winding up of their police committments the job of forming the battalions fell to the seven regular soldiers who had been appointed as Training Majors, none of whom had served in Northern Ireland before to ensure they had no preconceptions. In addition to setting up the battalions they had been briefed to ensure the former USC battalion commanders embraced the culture of the new regiment and each had a direct line to GOCNI at Lisburn to report any commander who they felt was biased - they were:

Major GD Isaac - RRW (1st Battalion)
Major PR Adair - Coldstream Guards (2nd Battalion)
Major GJ Entwistle - RRF (3rd Battalion)
Major KW Battson - RWF (4th Battalion)
Major LSTH Pelham-Burns - Coldstream Guards (5th Battalion)
Major GB Hill - King's Own Borderers (6th Battalion)
Major RW Wilson - RWF (7th Battalion)

Each battalion also had a Regimental Sergeant Major from the regular army.

The idea of using former USC County Commandants as battalion commanders was always intended to be a short lived measure and the first regular officer to take over was Lieutenant Colonel Dion Beard of the Royal Tank Regiment who assumed command of 3 UDR on 15th February 1971.

The battalions were further broken down into companies, as with the regular army. These were sometimes grouped together in a central base run by a Headquarters(administration)Company and deployed from there. Additionally some companies were in satellite bases, sometimes sharing facilities with other army units or the RUC. The companies were further subdivided into platoons and sections in keeping with the regular army structure. Typically the companies were commanded by officers from within the UDR. One such satellite base was the ill-fated Glenanne camp, part of the 2nd Battalion based in Armagh which was destroyed by IRA action.

The battalions came under command of the command infrastructure of Northern Ireland:
3 Infantry Brigade (originally based in Kitchen Hill Barracks, Lurgan, moved to Mahon Barracks,Portadown in 1976)
8 Infantry Brigade, Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry
39 Infantry Brigade, Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn

Uniform

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The original patrol dress was the drab olive green worn by all infantry regiments at that time. As the regular army changed to disruptive pattern camoflage so did the UDR. On operational duty male members of the regiment dressed in a similar fashion to regular army units. Headgear was a distinctive green beret with a gold coloured "Maid of Erin" style harp, surmounted by the Royal crown (in later years this was dulled down by blackening). As policy changed in later years the beret was dropped in favour of new lightweight helmets. Flak jackets were worn as a protection from bomb shrapnel and small arms fire. These also changed over the years as new materials made for a more successful protection.

Female "Greenfinch" members wore rifle green skirts and jackets with the UDR beret and cap badge. For ceremonial occasions the men wore the standard British Army No 2 Dress uniform (also called Service Dress). The female "best dress" was exactly the same as their patrol uniform. The beret was retained as headgear.

Weaponry and vehicles

The most familiar weapon associated with the regiment was the standard issue L1A1 Self Loading Rifle, referred to as the "SLR". Other weaponry was available however such as; the 9 mm Browning pistol, the Sterling sub machine gun, the L4A4 Light Machine Gun and the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun. Small stocks of Riot Guns were also kept. These were used to fire plastic bullets to knock down doors and other obstacles during search operations.

The regiment later exchanged its SLRs (as did all infantry units in the army) for the SA80.

The standard patrol vehicle was the 3/4 ton Land Rover used extensively throughout the British armed Forces. Following withdrawal from police service a number of Shorland armoured cars were allocated to the regiment but these were rarely used after initial service because the turret was designed to hold a General Purpose Machine Gun which was deemed unsuitable for urban use due to its rapid rate of fire and tendancy to be innacurate. The Shorland was not popular with the soldiers who used it due to its instability on the road because of the heavy turret. 3 ton and 4 ton Bedford trucks were used for large troop movements.

A range of unmarked civilian cars and vans was also used for staff, administration and covert activities.

The Ulster Defence Regiment was also deployed by helicopters supplied by either the Royal Air Force or Army Air Corps for rapid insertion or for duties in border areas where it was unsafe or unwise to use wheeled transport.

Information cards

A number of small information cards were carried by each UDR soldier to assist in the execution of his duties. These were generally referred to by their colour.

• The Yellow Card was a list of the rules for opening fire.
• The Blue Card was a detailed explanation of how arrests were to be made.
• The White Card was to be given to next of kin or other appropriate person in the event of an arrest of a suspect.
• The Green Card carried instructions on how to deal with accidental cross-border incursion into the Irish Republic and subsequent arrest by Irish security forces.
• The Red Card contained instructions on how to summon helicopter support and the drills for entering and leaving helicopters.

• Documents from 1972 released in 2003 show some of the consultation which took place concerning the Yellow Card and contain recommendations (to be included on the card) of circumstances in which soldiers could "Open fire without warning" and also authorisation for the use of heavy weapons such as the Carl Gustav recoilless rifle 84mm anti tank grenade launcher.

Music

Each battalion had a number of pipers and these musicians participated in a centralised pipe band formally called the Pipes & Drums of the Ulster Defence Regiment. Their uniform followed the traditional military dress for Irish pipers, consisting of a saffron kilt, bottle green "Prince Charlie" jacket, bottle green cape and bottle green caubeen adorned with a double size cap badge. Unlike other Irish regiments in the British Army UDR pipers did not wear a hackle.

The regimental quick march was Garryowen.
The regimental slow march was Oft In The Stilly Night.

Awards, Honours & Decorations

The most notable award to the Ulster Defence Regiment was the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross made by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second in 2007. This unit citation confers the right of the regiment to be known as The Ulster Defence Regiment CGC During the award ceremony in Belfast the Queen paid tribute to the regiment by saying "Your contribution to peace and stability in Northern Ireland is unique." "Serving and living within the community had required "uncommon courage and conviction". "The regiment had never flinched despite suffering extreme personal intimidation. Their successes had "come at a terrible price, many gave their lives. Today you have cause to reflect on the fine achievements, while remembering the suffering". "The Home Service Battalions of the RIR and the UDR which had preceded them won the deepest respect throughout the land." So that their actions would always be remembered, the CGC was awarded to the RIR/UDR "as a mark of the nation's esteem" with the citation, "This award is in recognition of the continuous operational service and sacrifice of the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner."

A number of individual town councils in Northern Ireland honoured the regiment with "Freedom of the Borough" awards, most notably that given to the 7/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion where in addition to the Freedom of the City" the Wilkinson Sword of Peace was awarded for "community relations work". This prestigious award was also later given to the 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, successor to the 6th & 8th (Co Tyrone) Battalions of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

Many individuals received awards through the British honours system however for most UDR soldiers the presentation of decorations assumed the form of "service" or campaign" medals including:

The General Service Medal with "Northern Ireland" bar.
The Ulster Defence Medal replaced in 1992 by the
Northern Ireland Home Service Medal
The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

• The Most Decorated UDR Soldier

Corporal Eric Glass, a part-time member of the 4th (Fermanagh)Battalion was twice decorated for his bravery. He had already come under attack at his home which was burnt out on one occasion when on 21st august 1978 he was the driver of a mini-bus containing seven council workers which came under attack. He was able to drive through the ambush, get to safety, call in assistance and give first aid to three wounded workmates (including a 64 year old Catholic man), despite being wounded twice in the arm. For this he was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. On 6th February 1992 he was lured by an anonymous telephone call to a remote lane near the border with the Republic of Ireland. Already suspicious, he had brought his personal protection weapon (an automatic pistol) with him. He was approached by two men, one at either side of his van. They announced they were IRA and demanded he get out of the vehicle. Drawing his pistol he fired through the door of the van and killed the terrorist on his left. In the subsequent gun battle he was wounded in the leg. For this action he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Notable Members

• Major Ken Maginnis
• Colonel Alan Brooke
• Captain Frederick Michael Alexander Torrens-Spence DSO, DSC, AFC
• Colonel (Reginald) Harvey Bicker OBE TD
• Major Samuel (Sam) Foster CBE
• Oliver Gibson
• Lieutenant Michael Copeland
• Danny O'Connor
• Tom Elliott
• Captain Colin Wallace
• Willie Frazer

Attacks On The UDR

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• The Attack On the Deanery, Clogher. The following is based on information from the official regimental history "A Testimony to Courage" - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194. The IRA operative Sean O'Callaghan claims to have been involved in this attack.

Described as the "most determined attack ever against a UDR base" and carried out by up to 40 men, the rocket and mortar attack against the Deanery UDR base (a company outpost of 6 UDR based at St Lucia Barracks, Omagh) commenced at just before midnight on 2nd May 1974. The company commander recalls the sound of mortars as the attack opened and he called the unit to "stand to" to defend the base. The main body of the attack was based on a small hill 800 yards to the north of the base but another raiding party was deployed to the south, catching the stronghold in a withering crossfire of mortars, RPG rockets and small arms fire. The Conrate Guard stood to and returned fire whilst members of a patrol from the 1st Royal Tank Regiment ran to their Ferret Scout Cars and opened fire with their heavy Browning .30" machine guns with one vehicle leaving the barracks in an attempt to cut off the avenue of retreat to the border with the Irish Republic. A total of 15 mortar bombs and two or three rockets were fired at the base. Most of the mortars fell short and did little damage but one rocket exploded against a tree just outside a window to the stairwell landing, just as Lieutentant Martin and his wife, Private Eva Martin were running down the stairs from the Operations Room. Lt Martin was wounded by shrapnel in the head, leg and stomach but his wife was killed instantly by another fragment. She was the first Greenfinch to be killed in the troubles. The attack lasted for up to 25 minutes during which, in the words of the company commander "all hell broke loose". When it was over and there was silence in the battered barracks, all that could be heard was the steady "drip of blood down the stairwell". Reinforcements were rushed in from 6 UDR at Omagh, 4 UDR from Enniskillen and 8 UDR from Dungannon but by the time they arrived the attackers had fled the scene, leaving behind an M1 Garand rifle and 27 mortar bombs. Cut-off groups and ambush parties were hampered by hijacked cars which the attackers had placed across roads to cut off attempts to hamper their retreat into the Irish Republic. The commander of the UDR, Brigadier Harry Baxter, visited the base the following morning and was most concerned about the effect on morale because of the death of F/Pte Martin and was given the reply, "It's not going to affact us. We'll turn out just as much and we'll get more people to join, so don't worry." Lt Martin recovered from his wounds and returned to duty but was later attacked at his home and resigned from the regiment for the sake of his family. NON-FREE IMAGE REMOVED

• Destruction of Glenanne UDR Base. (From the regimental history). The base at Glenanne had been built in 1972 to accomodate two companies of the 2nd Battalion with its headquarters in Armagh. Seven soldiers based at the barracks had been killed and the "gallant" Newtownhamilton Platoon had all resigned having come under such extreme pressure from the IRA. By 1991 it had been decided that the base no longer had any operational use and a decision was taken to close it. On the night of 31st May the sergeant in charge of the guard detail noticed a large tipper lorry in a field just above the barracks. Thinking the base was about to come under mortar attack he called the guard to "stand to" and raised the alarm. The lorry had in fact been launched, driverless, down the slope towards the perimeter fence which is crashed through before coming to rest against the main building. Seconds later a 2000lb bomb, one of the largest ever used by the IRA, tore through the building virtually obliterating it. The explosion was so loud that it was heard in Balbriggan (just outside Dublin) 60 miles away. Three soldiers were killed and twelve injured in the blast. The base was never used again and the remains were demolished.
• The Remembrance Day Bombing took place on November 8 1987 in the Provincial town of Enniskillen County Fermanagh. A parade of 115 UDR soldiers were making their way to the cenotaph to take part in the ceremony of remembrance. It has been alleged that this honour guard and colour party was the intended target..

• The 2nd Battalion (2 UDR) suffered the highest number of casualties by far with 47 dead and was often required to be supported by troops from other battalion areas.

Members killed

Between 1 April 1970 and 30 June 1992, a total of 197 soldiers were killed as active servicemen. Another 61 members were slain after they had left the UDR. Many UDR soldiers were killed in the line of duty, or because of their association with the regiment.

Two UDR soldiers were killed by the regular army, three by loyalist paramilitaries, three others were killed as members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), and the remaining 192 by republican paramilitaries (mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army). During this time members of the UDR were responsible for the killing of six civilians and two members of the IRA. Many unionist politicians in Northern Ireland today are former members of the UDR, Tom Elliott and Jeffrey Donaldson for example.

Aftercare

Some UDR soldiers were injured during their service or suffer from service related disabilities. Uniquely the regimental association is the only one in the British Army to offer a specific "Aftercare" service. These men and women are also cared for through the British National Health Service and additional resources are offered by a number of civilian and forces charities such as "Combat Stress" . The regimental association care page gives advice and offers assistance to former soldiers now suffering from physical or mental illness or who are in need of welfare or vocational assistance. These services are also available to immediate family members of soldiers killed on or off duty. The regimental association has a benevolent fund which exists to provide assistance to those who require it as a consequence of illness or hardship . Former members of the regiment are also entitled to seek assistance from the (British) Service Personnel and Veteran's Agency (SV&PA)who offer a variety of welfare services, including pensions for injured soldiers or widows. The SP&VA includes a section explaining that UDR soldiers are eligible for pensions if they were "injured or disabled through serving in Her Majesty's (HM) Armed Forces"

• Other civilian charities: SSAFA ; Combat Stress ; The Royal British Legion .

Attitudes and image

The initial image of the UDR was not unlike that of the World War 2 Home Guard. Inadequate supplies of vehicles, uniforms and ammunition and an almost total lack of training made them appear amateurish and at times, almost risable. Due also to the higher numbers of men over 45 in the regiment the nickname "Dad's Army" which had been given to the Home Guard was applied to the UDR and was hard to shake off. Problems arose with the perception of discipline too. It was not uncommon for men to be led by NCO's or officers who they worked with on farms or in factories or offices. Regular army officers were shocked by the familiarity between ranks as they would often address each other by their Christian names on duty. With many members unused to wearing uniform, some patrols had a ragbag appearance.

Much of the criticism levelled against the regiment was, and still is, (understandably) politically motivated. Born into the volatile political situation of Northern Ireland in the 1970's the UDR became a political football with complaints from various politicians and community leaders:

• Unionist politicians demanded that the battalions be commanded only by Ulstermen who were loyal to the Protestant ethos of the (prorogued) Stormont administration.
• Bernadette Devlin made a statement in the House of Commons, "Do you really expect me or any other member or anybody in Northern Ireland to accept one solitary word of the whitewash and eyewash you have produced. Can you give me one concrete statement that it (the UDR) is not the USC under the guise of the British army?"
• In a late 1980s poll 89% of Catholics were opposed to any extension of the UDR's role.
• In the mid-1980s the SDLP said the UDR "has by far the worst record for serious sectarian crimes of any Regiment presently in service with the British Armed Forces".
• Between 1970 and 1985 seventeen UDR members were convicted of murder or manslaughter, 99 of assault, and "others" (no exact figure) were convicted of charged or convicted of armed robbery, weapons offenses, bombing, intimidation and attacks on Catholics, kidnapping, and membership in the UVF.
• Only a small fraction were involved in such crime, but the proportion was higher than for the regular British Army or RUC.

Allegations of collusion

Throughout the UDR's history, there were allegations that members covertly aided the loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Evidence believed to have been examined by British military intelligence in 1973 concluded that while there was "in no case proof positive of collusion" there was however "considerable suspicion". These allegation are seen as part of "one of the most controversial episodes of Northern Ireland's conflict."

• In 1972/3 an estimated 5-15% of UDR soldiers were directly linked to loyalist paramilitary groups,
• In 1972/3 it was believed that the "best single source of weapons, and the only significant source of modern weapons, for Protestant extremist groups was the UDR",
• It was feared UDR troops were loyal to "Ulster" alone rather than to "Her Majesty's Government",
• The British Government knew that UDR weapons were being used by loyalist paramilitaries, including the killing of a Roman Catholic civilian and other attacks.

Despite knowing that the UDR had problems and that over 200 weapons had been passed from British Army hands to loyalist paramilitaries by 1973, the British Government went on to increase the role of the UDR in maintaining order in Northern Ireland. This was part of the wider "Normalisation, Ulsterisation, and Criminalisation" strategy to quell the violence of the IRA.

• The Miami Showband Massacre: Two UDR soldiers, who were also members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, were convicted of the 1975 killing of three members of the pop group the Miami Showband in a UVF attack.

• In 1989, 28 UDR soldiers were arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary as part of the Stevens Inquiry into security force collusion with paramilitaries. Six of those arrested were later awarded damages over their arrests.

• In 1999 David Jordan, a former UDR soldier, allegedly broke down in a bar and admitted to being part of a patrol that killed nationalist councillor Patsy Kelly in 1974. Jordan also implicated former Democratic Unionist Party Northern Ireland Assembly member Oliver Gibson in the murder

• In an article in the Belfast Newsletter of 2nd May 2008 the MLA for East Belfast, Michael Copeland(a former UDR Officer) alleged that vetting procedures for the UDR were not carried out by the regiment itself but by the Special Investigations Branch of the army (Royal Military Police). He goes on to suggest that "Given the strict controls over the issue and storage of service weapons and personal protection weapons, any instance of misuse should and would have been dealt with at the time by the special investigation branch, whose activities, as previously stated would be well known to military intelligence. The failures, if any, lie at the door of British military intelligence, who, if they harboured such suspicions, should have taken action."

References

Notes

1. EF/KMcA. "4NI website". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
2. "MOD website". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
3. "BBC ON THIS DAY". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-14. {{cite web}}: Text "10" ignored (help); Text "1969: Ulster's B Specials to be disbanded" ignored (help)
4. "BBC NEWS". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-14. {{cite web}}: Text "Chequered history of Irish regiment" ignored (help); Text "Northern Ireland" ignored (help)
5. ^ CAIN Archive:Public Records: Subversion in the UDR Although initially written in 1973, the report was only declassified in 2004.
6. "The Regimental Association of The Ulster Defence Regiment". www.udrassociation.org. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
7. ^ "CAIN: HMSO: Hunt Report, 1969". cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
8. On This Day, BBC
9. http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_S01.html
10. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
11. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
12. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1972/feb/03/ulster-defence-regiment#S5CV0830P0-02514
13. Queen awards RIR gallantry cross, BBC, 6 October 2006
14. http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2006/mar6_UDR_inherits_legacy__RGarland.php
15. http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2006/mar6_UDR_inherits_legacy__RGarland.php
16. http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2007-07-31-2102214044_x.htm
17. The Blackwell Companion to Modern Irish Culture, W. J. McCormack, Blackwell Publishing 1999, pp578
18. What is collusion?, BBC, 22 January 2007
19. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-07-11/Writtens-4.html
20. "MOD Army". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
21. "MOD Army". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
22. Hansard, 23 March 1970, reproduced in millbanksystems.com
23. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
24. "MOD Army". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
25. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/publicrecords/1972/prem15-1011-1.jpg
26. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/publicrecords/1972/prem15-1011-2.jpg
27. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
28. "UDR Association". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
29. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
30. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+lying:+a+former+terrorist+describes+his+life+in+the+IRA,+and...-a019071766
31. A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
32. Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194
33. Five more were killed after amalgamation with the Royal Irish Rangers: UDR Association website; CAIN: Sutton index of deaths
34. See Royal Irish Regiment webpage
35. See the following quotes of 1975's chapter of Sutton chronology:
    • 27 July 1975 William Hanna (46) Protestant Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
    Also off duty Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) member. Shot outside his home, Houston Park, Mourneview, Lurgan, County Armagh.
    • 31 July 1975 Harris Boyle (22) Protestant
    Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Also Ulster Defence Regiment member. Killed in premature explosion while planting bomb on minibus belonging to Miami showband, Buskhill, near Newry, County Down.
    • 31 July 1975 Wesley Somerville (34) Protestant
    Status: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Also Ulster Defence Regiment member. Killed in premature explosion while planting bomb on minibus belonging to Miami showband, Buskhill, near Newry, County Down.
36. http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=69367
38. Transforming Settler States: Communal Conflict and Internal Security in Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe, Ronald Weitzer, University of California Press, 1990. Page 208. ISBN 9780520064904.
39. What is Collusion, BBC, 22 January 2007
40. ^ May 2 2006 edition of the Irish News available here.
41. Paisley by Ed Moloney & Andy Pollak Poolbeg Press Ltd., 1986 P.363-402
42. 1976: UDR men jailed for Showband killings
43. "A Chronology of the Conflict - 1989". CAIN. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
44. "Collusion - Chronology of Events in the Stevens Inquiries =". CAIN. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
45. See reference here

Bibliography

• A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0850528194

External links

• Palace Barracks Memorial Garden
• Regimental Association of the Ulster Defence Regiment CGC
• Murder, Collusion & Lies: The murder of Seamus Ludlow
• Seamus Ludlow by Ed Moloney, Sunday Tribune

• History of Northern Ireland
• The Troubles in Northern Ireland
• Infantry regiments of the British Army