7th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment

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7th (City of Belfast) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment
Crest of the Ulster Defence Regiment.svg
Ulster Defence regimental crest
Active1971–1984
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army (1938-present).svg British Army
Type Infantry battalion
RoleInternal Security
Size750
Regimental Headquarters Lisburn
Motto(s)"Quis Separabit" (Latin)
"Who Shall Separate Us?"
March(Quick) Garryowen & Sprig of Shillelagh.
(Slow) Oft in the Stilly Night
Commanders
Colonel CommandantFirst: General Sir John Anderson GBE, KCB, DSO.
Last: General Sir Charles Huxtable, KCB, CBE, DL
Colonel of the RegimentColonel Sir Dennis Faulkner CBE

7th (City of Belfast) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment (7 UDR) was formed in 1970 as part of the 7 original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 [1] and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. [2] [3] It was amalgamated with the 10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1984 to form the 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.

Contents

History

Along with the other 6 original battalions, 7 UDR commenced operational duties on 1 April 1970.

The first training major (TISO - training intelligence and security officer) was Major RW Wilson, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who took up his appointment at Palace Barracks just outside Belfast. [4] Part of his job was to find accommodation for the various companies of the new battalion. Where possible accommodation was sought in army bases although the old Ulster Special Constabulary platoon huts were vacant and available. To have used those would have attracted criticism from those who were already claiming that the UDR was the B Specials under a new name. [4]

Recruitment

The appointment of Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) was carried out in a variety of ways. In most cases, men were selected who had previously held non-commissioned rank in any of the armed forces or the USC. The filling of senior NCO posts in this manner did have a drawback in that many men of comparatively young ages who had considerable years of service before retirement or promotion created a "promotion block" [5]

Intimidation

Protestant and Catholic soldiers were both intimidated out of the regiment. [6] Following the introduction of internment however more Catholic soldiers found themselves the subject of intimidation from within their own community. [6]

Uniform, armament & equipment

See: Ulster Defence Regiment Uniform, armament & equipment

Greenfinches

Casualties

The first soldier from the battalion to be killed was Private Sean Russell, aged 30 (D Company) who was killed as he sat at home with his wife and five children in the predominantly Catholic New Barnsley estate in Belfast. Private Russell was also the first Catholic UDR soldier to be killed by the Provisional IRA. [7] Following his death 40 Catholics resigned from the regiment. [8]

Notable personnel

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

1st Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the 7 original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was amalgamated with the 9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1984 to form the 1st/9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the seven original battalions specified in the Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received royal assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was, along with the rest of the regiment, amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment. It had previously been amalgamated in 1991 with the 11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment to form the 2nd/11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Formation of the Land Forces in Northern Ireland (CLFNI)

The 11th (Craigavon) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed from companies of the 2nd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment and the 3rd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment in 1972. In 1991 under the reductions planned in Options for Change by the British Army, it again amalgamated with 2 UDR to form the 2nd/11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

3rd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the seven original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was, along with the rest of the regiment, amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Ulster military unit of the British Army

4th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the seven original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was amalgamated with the 6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1992 to form the 4th/6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

5th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the seven original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was, along with the rest of the regiment, amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

The 6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1970 as part of the seven original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970. It was, along with the rest of the regiment, amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th/10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

The 7th/10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1984 as a result of an amalgamation between the 7th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment and the 10th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment. The resultant 7/10 UDR was subsumed into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 as part of the amalgamation which formed the Royal Irish Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

The 10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1972 from elements of the 7th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment creating a second battalion in Belfast. It was again amalgamated with 7 UDR in 1984 to form the 7th/10th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd/11th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Military unit

The 2nd//11th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment was formed in 1991 as a result of an amalgamation between the 2nd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment and the 11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment. The resultant 2/11 UDR was subsumed into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 as part of the Options for Change amalgamations and was renamed the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st/9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment</span> Infantry battalion in the British Army

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attack on UDR Clogher barracks</span> 1974 IRA attack in Northern Ireland

On 2 May 1974 the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked a British Army base manned by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) near the Northern Ireland–Republic of Ireland border at Clogher, County Tyrone. The IRA unit engaged the small base with automatic weapons, rockets and improvised mortars. Ferret armoured cars were deployed to the scene and a fierce firefight erupted. The IRA withdrew behind the border with the Republic. The assault on the outpost killed greenfinch Eva Martin and wounded another UDR soldier.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 44996". The London Gazette . 29 December 1969. p. 129747.
  2. ↑ Statutory Instrument, 1969 No. 1860 (C. 58), The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969 (Commencement) Order 1969
  3. ↑ The New Law Journal, Volume 120, Part 1
  4. 1 2 Potter p. 27
  5. ↑ Potter pp. 34–35
  6. 1 2 Potter p. 58
  7. ↑ "Belfast Gunman Kills a Part‐Time Soldier Before Children's Eyes". The New York Times. 10 December 1971. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Ryder p. 48
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