[71] The General Officer Commanding of the British Army in Northern Ireland refused to allow the Army to become involved until the Belfast administration has used "all the forces at its disposal". Date: 1970 Feb 13-1970 Jun 02 Held by: The National Archives, Kew: Former reference in its original department: NI 5/54/01 (9044/1/1970) Legal status: Public Record(s) WebSpecial Constabulary. His son had been a kidnap victim. Goulding also stated that British troops would be in a "very perilous situation" until the B-Specials were disarmed and disbanded. During that same time period members of the Dromore UVF were said to have supervised the expulsion of Catholic families from Dromore and many UVF units joined the new Constabulary with their commanders appointed to senior positions. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). [17][18][19], The composition of the USC was overwhelmingly Protestant and Unionist, for a number of reasons. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. WebThe Police Museum holds microfilm copies of the Royal Irish Constabulary service records 1822-1922, the originals of which are held at the Public Record Office at Kew in London. [77] However, on 14 August they did not hold back Protestants who attacked the Catholic Dover and Percy streets in the Falls/Divis district, and instead "fought back" Catholics there. 9 Jan 2020 19:08.
Police Finding a Memorial During a visit our team will be happy to help you find specific memorials or recommend areas that you might like to visit as you are exploring. Craigs vision of a system or organised reprisals by a Special It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal These records list the names of the clerical staff who worked for the Royal Irish Constabulary. One is the correspondence registers which contain lists of members names who paid into the fund with notes regarding whether the person had been pensioned, died, or received any rewards from the fund. Special Constables who complete an additional period of ten years service are eligible for a clasp to the medal, upon the recommendation of the Chief Officer of Police. "The activities of the USC are contested, shall we say, and people today might have concerns that they wouldn't want their ancestors' file open to the public, but there should be no concern about that. CAIN: 'Why?' By 1922 recruiting had swelled the numbers to: 5,500 A Specials, 19,000 B Specials and 7,500 C1 Specials. [34], By July 1921, more than 3,500 A Specials had been enrolled, and almost 16,000 B Specials. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. To browse this image set, select from the options below. 2, Returns, nominal returns, arranged by counties, Miscellanea, intelligence notes, M series: 36-40, Miscellanea, RIC acts (two copies, one with amendments to 1918), Miscellanea, conferring of the title 'Royal Irish Constabulary': program of ceremony (incomplete), Miscellanea, statement on behalf of the officers commenting on part 1 of the report of the committee on the police services in England, Wales and Scotland, Miscellanea, Dublin metropolitan police-D division, superintendents journal and letter book, Miscellanea, transport code: first edition, Miscellanea, recovery of old firearms: Ballincollig, Miscellanea, recovery of old firearms: Carrickfergus, Miscellanea, staff, head constables: list of 'good' men, Miscellanea, staff, veterans' division: temporary constables, drivers, fitters, Miscellanea, staff, clerical staff: record of service and salaries, Miscellanea, staff, chief of police department: staff and administration, correspondence, Miscellanea, constabulary code, fourth edition, Miscellanea, constabulary code, fifth edition, Miscellanea, constabulary code, sixth edition, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Antrim, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Belfast, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Carlow, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Cavan, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Clare, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Cork (Eastern Region), Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Cork (Western Region), Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Depot, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Donegal, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Down, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Dublin, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Fermanagh, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Galway (Eastern Region), Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Galway (Western Region), Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, British recruits, Gormanston no. The Specials, who were armed and not trained for riot duty, used deadly force on a number of occasions. WebCatalogue description Ulster Special Constabulary: general correspondence Ordering and viewing options This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. The USC continued to do duties for a month after the formation of the UDR and RUC Reserve to give both of the new forces time to consolidate. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Proni) is governed by the Department for Communities. .tableizer-table td {
[15] Following the death of a Special Constable near Newry on 8 June 1921, it was alleged that Specials and an armed mob were involved in the burning of 161 Catholic homes and the death of 10 Catholics. The remarks column explains if the recruit resigned or was dismissed, as well as where they were stationed. [44], Uniforms were not available at the outset so the men of the B Specials went on duty in their civilian clothes wearing an armband to signify they were Specials. You will also find division journals. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. "[73] In August 1969 the IRA Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding issued a statement saying that his men were deployed in Belfast in a defensive capacity protecting Catholics who had been "terrorized by mobs backed by armed B-Specials." The collection contains a variety of records related to the administration of the Royal Irish Constabulary. padding: 4px;
On 30 April 1970, the USC was finally stood down, as a result of the Hunt Committee Report. The Centenary Historical Advisory Panel is chaired by Queen's University historian Professor Paul Bew and includes academics from Cambridge University, Sheffield University and Ulster University. Northern Ireland had been destabilised by disturbances arising out of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association's agitation for equal rights for Catholics. Their pogrom is to be made less difficult. Speaking to The Impartial Reporter ahead of the book launch, David explained that he was inspired to write 'Duty Bound' The Special Constabulary was, as well as an auxiliary to the police, effectively an army under the control of the Northern Ireland administration. "[70] Six RUC and eleven IRA men (but no Special Constables) were killed in this campaign. Unionists in Ireland's northeast were vehemently against this campaign and against Irish independence. Pricing & History.
100: Centenary historians request access to One was the desire of Unionists, led by Sir James Craig (then a junior minister in the British Government, and later the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland), that the apparatus of government and security should be placed in their hands long before Northern Ireland was formally established.[10]. The NICRA called for protests elsewhere to support those in Derry, leading to the violence spreading throughout Northern Ireland, especially in Belfast. [23] There was an immediate and illicit supply of arms available; especially from the Ulster Volunteers. Several informal "constabulary" groups had already been created, for example, in Belfast, Fermanagh and Antrim. "[13] He recommended that "the organisation of the Ulster Volunteers (UVF), (the unionist militia formed in 1912) should be used for this purpose". WebThe Ulster Special Constabulary Association (USCA) was a loyalist group active in Northern Ireland during the early 1970s.The group was established following the dissolution of the Ulster Special Constabulary (commonly known as the B Specials) and operated with a semi-paramilitary structure.
Online Medals | Identify, Value & Sell Your Medals Online Together, the records will help to provide an overview of your ancestors career in the force. There had been serious rioting between Catholics and Protestants in Derry in May and June and in Belfast in July, which had left up to 40 people dead. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? The 191921 Irish War of Independence, saw the Irish Republican Army (IRA) launch a guerrilla campaign in pursuit of Irish independence. I am trying to find records for my friends Father and his Uncle. Other types of records you will find in this collection include, Chief of police department: staff and administration, correspondence, Conferring of the title `Royal Irish Constabulary': programme of ceremony (incomplete), Dublin Metropolitan Police-D division. The Belfast units were constructed differently from those in the counties. [37] Macready and Henry Hughes Wilson argued that the concept of a special constabulary was a dangerous one. A total of 300 Special Constables were also mobilised into the RUC during the disturbances.
Constabulary Service Records William was killed in Action when involved in Air Operations at Banja Luka, Yugoslavia on 18th August 1944 when he was 24 years old. These register books recorded the constables service history. [26] A number of the newly appointed Special Constables (by the Lisburn Urban Council) had been charged with rioting and looting committed over three days and nights following the assassination RIC Inspector Oswald Swanzy. They also took over the responsibility of the Revenue Police to enforce the laws of whiskey production. The Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded in August 1922 and a new police force, Garda Sochna, took its place. The entries include the individuals birth date, native county, religion, previous occupation, date of appointment, and promotions, as well as any rewards or punishments received and the date of pension or the date of discharge. In 1970 the security of Northern Ireland became the responsibility of the RUC, the British army, and the Ulster Defence Clerical staff: record of service and salaries. A member of the advisory panel, Dr Marie Coleman from Queen's University, said gaining access to all of the files from the 1920s would help to tell the story of Northern Ireland in greater detail. They also successfully protected Catholic owned public houses in the area, many of which were looted after they were withdrawn.
Royal Ulster Constabulary [1] It initially began as a series of unrelated small groups of Any marked with an asterisk are for chief constables of the 2nd class. He also pointed out that the B Specials were the only reserve available to the RUC and that he could see no other way of quickly reinforcing the over-stretched RUC in the circumstances.
Ulster Special Constabulary Records - Genealogy Chat [75][76], In Belfast, the USC were successful in restoring order in the predominantly Protestant Shankill area, where they performed their patrol duties unarmed. Uniforms did not become available until 1922. WebLisburn won the Ulster Special Constabulary (South Antrim District) Cup for rifle shooting at Langford Lodge, Crumlin, on Saturday, scoring 297 points. B Specials part-time, usually on duty for one evening per week and serving under their own command structure, and unpaid, although they had a generous system of allowances (which were reduced following the reorganisation of the USC a few years later), served wherever the RIC served and manned Mobile Groups of platoon size; C Specials unpaid, non-uniformed reservists, usually rather elderly and used for static guard duties near their homes (originally 7,500 members), C1 Specials non-active C class specials who could be called out in emergencies. WebThe Special Constabulary Long Service Medal is a long service medal awarded in the United Kingdom to members of the Special Constabulary who have completed a 1, Disbandment register (1922) treasury sheets, Irish recruits, miscellaneous no. WebThe British Government has accepted the recommendations of the Hunt committee on policing in Northern Ireland which include the abolition of the Ulster Special Constabulary, know as the 'B Specials'. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Instead of paving stones and sticks they are to be given rifles. The government suggested that, with enough Catholic recruits, special constabulary patrols made up of Catholics only could be extended into Catholic areas. WebQuick Reference. ) (Kim Ulrich), Ulrich of Strasbourg (or Ulricus De Argentina or Ulrich Engelberti), Ulrich (Engelbert) of Strasbourg (fl. "Access to that particular collection could fill in quite a big gap about the security situation at the time that Northern Ireland was established.". The Usc was seen as violent, ill-disciplined, and sectarian. [53][54][55], The British Army was only used in the Pettigo and Belleek actions. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [59], In addition to action against the IRA, the USC may have been involved in a number of attacks on Catholic civilians in reprisal for IRA actions,[60] for example, in Belfast, the McMahon Murders of March 1922, in which six Catholics were killed,[60][61] and the Arnon Street killings a week later which killed another six. [24] Charles Wickham, Chief of Police for the north of Ireland, favoured incorporation of the Ulster Volunteers into "regular military units" instead of having to "face them down". Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. [63], The conflict never formally ended but petered out in June 1922, with the outbreak of the Irish Civil War in the Free State and the wholesale arrest and internment of IRA activists in the North. 246 pages. Those marked with a cross means the constable was a member of the Peace Preservation Force, a peace keeping force which existed before the Royal Irish Constabulary. One of his other major concerns was the use of the police force for carrying out military style operations. The Ulster Special Constabulary was set up in 1920 and dissolved in 1970 "Proni will scope the cataloguing and sensitivity review of the administrative records of the USC for the 1920s. The RIC constables found within these records were employed during contentious years in Irish history. There are special reports on the major figures of the time and the events that shaped modern Ireland available at bbc.co.uk/ni100. Born 31 January 1902 at Quintin near Portaferry County Down to John and Margaret Chermside nee McCormick at 10 Newcastle, Quintin County Down.. Irish 1911 census with his parents and siblings at 5 Newcastle, Quintin County Down. Damage to property during this period was 1 million and the overall cost of the campaign was 10 million to the UK exchequer. [6], The Special Constabulary was disbanded in May 1970, after the Hunt Report, which advised re-shaping Northern Ireland's security forces to attract more Catholic recruits[7] and demilitarizing the police. An inquest advised that the Special Constabulary "should not be allowed into any locality occupied by people of an opposite denomination. This meant that the B Specials had to be deployed, although they were not trained or equipped for public order situations. [79], The USC shot and wounded a number of people in Dungiven and Coalisland. It has been argued that their failure to deal with the 1969 disturbances was due to a failure on behalf of the Northern Ireland government to modernise their equipment, weaponry, training and approach to the job. "The Irish government has put considerable money into funding the release of archives relating to pensions that were given to 1916 veterans and people like that.". The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects. WebService in the Ulster Special Constabulary which was not counted for the award of the medal or bar, may be counted with service as a member of the RUC Reserve. In Northern Ireland, the police force became the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Ulster Special Constabulary, Coleraine | The National "Ulster Special Constabulary [33] 'A Special' platoons were fully mobile using a Ford car for the officer in charge, two armoured cars and four Crossley Tenders (one for each of the sections). The Ulster Special Constabulary Association remembrance service at St John's Parish Church in Caledon, Tyrone. WebThe Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) is a fundamental institution in Northern Irelands history. The IRA called off their campaign in February 1962. Many of the surviving records have already been deposited in local Source Information Ancestry.com. Formed in 1920 the Ulster Special Constabulary was also known as the B-Specials. The RUC had a paramilitary character until 1970, when the force was remodeled along the lines of police forces in Great Britain. : Octavo. Ulster Special Constabulary- Armagh Share 6 posts Fox8457 79 21 2 District Inspector 3rd Class Jan 26, 2020 #1 I came across these photos online, from the Picture Library Executive, National Museums NI. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In some cases, the records list the marital status, names of spouses, and birth dates and places. In Dungannon, they killed one and wounded two. Hunt concluded that the perceived bias of the Special Constabulary, whether true or not, had to be addressed. Other B Specials joined the new Part Time Reserve of the RUC. The force trained at Phoenix Park Depot. Royal Irish Constabulary
The IRA, although now split over the Treaty, continued offensive operations in Northern Ireland, with the co-operation of Michael Collins, leader of the Free State, and Liam Lynch, leader of the Anti-Treaty IRA faction. 4 Problems within the Polices forces. }
after the creation of the Free Irish State. The request includes documents relating to the so-called B Specials, an auxiliary police force known officially as the Ulster Special Constabulary. Read about our approach to external linking. With police and troops being drawn towards combating insurgency in the south and west, Unionists wanted a force that would be dedicated to taking on the IRA. "Proni will aim to open the files once classification, cataloguing and sensitivity review has been safely completed in line with Covid-19 protocols.
Ulster privacy policy, Government (local) > Police authorities and forces, GB/NNAF/C80506 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/O43623 ). This auxiliary force became known as the Black and Tans because of their uniform and were notorious for their brutality. Therefore, the main job of counter-insurgency in this border conflict fell to the Special Constabulary while the RIC/RUC patrolled the interior. margin: 3px;
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And it's not all serious business. "[37][39] John Anderson, the Under Secretary for Ireland (head of the British Administration in Dublin) shared his fears, "you cannot, in the middle of a faction fight, recognise one of the contending parties and expect it to deal with disorder in the spirit of impartiality and fairness essential in those who have to carry out the order of the Government. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the partition of Ireland. [27], Unsuccessful efforts were made to attract more Catholics into the force but these largely failed.
ULSTER SPECIAL CONSTABULARY