Ulster Defence Regiment

The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage. The UDR replaced the Ulster Special Constabulary ("B-Specials") along with a separate police reserve, to assist the regular Armed Forces. It was the largest infantry regiment in the British Army, formed with seven battalions and an extra four added within two years.

The regiment consisted overwhelmingly of part-time volunteers until 1976 when a full-time cadre was added. Recruiting from the local community at a time of intercommunal strife, it was accused of sectarian attitudes and collusion with loyalist paramilitary organisations through most of its term. The regiment was intended to be nonpartisan, and it began with Catholic recruits accounting for 18% of membership, however due to various circumstances by the end of 1972 the Catholic membership made up around 3% of the regiment's soldiers.

In 1992, the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment. In 2006, the Royal Irish Regiment was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, which entitled the UDR to be known as The Ulster Defence Regiment CGC.

Read more about Ulster Defence Regiment:  Background, Formation, Operational Role, Structure, Casualties, Infiltration By Paramilitaries, Music, Options For Change and Amalgamation, Awards, Honours and Decorations, UDR Memorial

Famous quotes containing the words defence and/or regiment:

    Education must have two foundations—morality as a support for virtue, prudence as a defence for self against the vices of others. By letting the balance incline to the side of morality, you only make dupes or martyrs; by letting it incline to the other, you make calculating egoists.
    —Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741–1794)

    We had an inspection today of the brigade. The Twenty-third was pronounced the crack regiment in appearance, ... [but] I could see only six to ten in a company of the old men. They all smiled as I rode by. But as I passed away I couldn’t help dropping a few natural tears. I felt as I did when I saw them mustered in at Camp Chase.
    Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)