Ulster Defence Regiment

Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Established in 1970, this was a full‐ and part‐time military force, liable only for service in Northern Ireland. It was intended to replace the discredited ‘B‐Special’ police reserve (see ulster special constabulary) and provide locally raised support for the regular army. At its maximum the UDR had 9,000 soldiers, though by the mid‐1980s this had been reduced to under 6,000. It had a very considerable turnover of personnel, with over 40,000 men and women serving at different times. Although the government hoped it would be a cross‐community force, it quickly became almost entirely Protestant, and it was frequently characterized by nationalists as no more than a re‐formed B‐Specials, composed of ill‐disciplined loyalist extremists. The involvement of UDR members in sectarian attacks—including murder—was adduced in support of this view. The regiment was never used for riot control, and its duties were confined to patrolling, manning vehicle check points, and static guard duties. In 1992 the government, hoping to defuse the criticisms of the UDR, merged it with the full‐time, regular Royal Irish Rangers (which was 30 per cent Catholic) to form a new unit called the Royal Irish Regiment.

Keith Jeffery