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The '''Ulster Defence Regiment''' (UDR) was an ] ] of the ]. The '''Ulster Defence Regiment''' (UDR) was an ] ] of the ].


Formed in ], it was designed to replace the controversial ] of ]. Throughout its history the UDR was dogged by accusations of collusion with ] paramilitaries, many of whose members were also serving UDR soldiers, and had a reputation for brutality and maltreatment of civilians. Brigadier David Millar, the former commandant of the Fifth Battalion (]), once admitted that if he expelled any of his soldiers for belonging to an illegal ] paramilitary group, he would be left without a regiment. Formed in ], it was designed to replace the controversial ] of ]. Throughout its history the UDR was dogged by accusations of collusion with ] paramilitaries, many of whose members were also serving UDR soldiers, and had a reputation for brutality and maltreatment of civilians. Brigadier David Millar, the former commandant of the Fifth Battalion (]), once admitted that if he expelled any of his soldiers for belonging to an illegal ] paramilitary group, he would be left without a regiment.


Two UDR soldiers, who were also members of the ], were convicted of the ] murder of three members of the ] in a ] attack. In ], 28 UDR soldiers were arrested by the ] as part of the ] into security force ] with paramilitaries. Six of those arrested were later awarded damages over their arrests. In ] David Jordan, a former UDR soldier, broke down in a bar and admitted to being part of a patrol that killed ] councillor Patsy Kelly in ]. Jordan also implicated former ] ] member ] in the murder. Two UDR soldiers, who were also members of the ], were convicted of the ] murder of three members of the ] in a ] attack. In ], 28 UDR soldiers were arrested by the ] as part of the ] into security force ] with paramilitaries. Six of those arrested were later awarded damages over their arrests. In ] David Jordan, a former UDR soldier, broke down in a bar and admitted to being part of a patrol that killed ] councillor Patsy Kelly in ]. Jordan also implicated former ] ] member ] in the murder.

Revision as of 21:47, 20 October 2005

The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army.

Formed in 1970, it was designed to replace the controversial B-Specials of Northern Ireland. Throughout its history the UDR was dogged by accusations of collusion with loyalist paramilitaries, many of whose members were also serving UDR soldiers, and had a reputation for brutality and maltreatment of civilians. Brigadier David Millar, the former commandant of the Fifth Battalion (County Londonderry), once admitted that if he expelled any of his soldiers for belonging to an illegal unionist paramilitary group, he would be left without a regiment.

Two UDR soldiers, who were also members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, were convicted of the 1975 murder of three members of the Miami Showband in a Ulster Volunteer Force 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, 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.

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. At first, the regiment was 82 per cent Protestant and 18 per cent Catholic, but this ratio became 99:1 as the regiment began to emulate its predecessor organisation. The full-time element of the regiment eventually expanded to encompass half the total personnel. The UDR was also the first regiment in the British Army to fully integrate women into its structure, when the so-called Greenfinches took over clerical and signals duties, which allowed male members of the regiment to return to patrol duties. One Greenfinch, Eva Martin, was killed during the Troubles.

The regiment was reduced to first nine battalions in 1984, then to seven in 1991 through amalgamations, before being amalgamated as a whole with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment, after many calls for their disbandment. In 1990 British Secretary of State Peter Brooke described them as committed to "justice, decency and democracy".

Between April 1, 1970 and June 30, 1992, a total of 197 members of the UDR were killed during the Troubles. Two UDR men were killed by British soldiers, three by loyalist paramilitaries, and the remaining 192 by republican paramilitaries (mainly the Provisional IRA). During this time the UDR killed (officially) six civilians and two members of the IRA. Many unionist politicians in Northern Ireland today are former members of the UDR.

Battalions

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