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Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary (USC). During the Anglo‐Irish War the Royal Irish Constabulary was reinforced in 1920 in the south by the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries and in the north by the Ulster Special Constabulary. Recruited from the revived Ulster Volunteer Force, the new constabulary had three sections: A men were fulltime, paid, and armed; B men were part‐time, paid, and armed; while C men were an unpaid reserve. Until the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was established in 1922, the USC took a leading role in countering IRA attacks in the north. But the often brutal tactics employed by the Specials alienated the Catholic population, who regarded them as little more than Protestant vigilantes. In 1926, after the shelving of the Boundary Commission report, the A and C Specials were disbanded, but the B Specials continued to support the RUC. In 1940–4 they were expanded into an Ulster Home Guard, while in 1968–9 they were used extensively in the policing of civil rights marches. However, inquiries into the disorders sparked off by the marches condemned the B Specials as biased and ill‐disciplined. As a result they were disbanded in 1970 and replaced by the Ulster Defence Regiment, which many of them joined.
Elizabeth Malcolm |
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"Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html "Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html |
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Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary, 1920–70. Formed as an auxiliary armed police force by the new Northern Irish government, the Ulster Specials in 1922 consisted of ‘A’ full-time, ‘B’ part-time, ‘C’ reserve with 5,500, 19,000, and 7,500 members respectively. Always dominated by old Ulster Volunteer Force and Orange order members and seen as a ruthless sectarian force by the catholic minority, it was reluctantly paid for by the British Treasury. After the early turbulent years of the province, the ‘A’s and ‘C’s were disbanded. The ‘B’ Specials became a target for criticism of their aggressive policing of civil rights marches in the late 1960s. The Hunt Report (October 1969) recommended their replacement by a new part-time security force, soon known as the Ulster Defence Regiment. The new, avowedly non-sectarian, force failed to recruit many catholics and was destined to be almost as controversial as the ‘B’ Specials.
Michael Hopkinson |
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html |
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Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary, 1920–70. Formed as an auxiliary armed police force by the new Northern Irish government, the Ulster Specials in 1922 consisted of ‘A’ full‐time, ‘B’ part‐time, ‘C’ reserve with 5,500, 19,000, and 7,500 members respectively. Dominated by old Ulster Volunteer Force and Orange order members and seen as a ruthless sectarian force by the catholic minority, it was reluctantly paid for by the British Treasury. After the early turbulent years of province, the ‘A's and ‘C's were disbanded. The ‘B’ Specials were criticized for their biased policing of civil rights marches in the late 1960s. The Hunt Report October 1969) recommended their replacement by a new part‐time security force, soon known as the Ulster Defence Regiment. The new, avowedly non‐sectarian, force also failed to recruit many catholics and became almost as controversial as the ‘B’ Specials.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html JOHN CANNON. "Ulster Special Constabulary." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-UlsterSpecialConstabulary.html |
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