"[48] The government suggested the recruitment of more Catholics to form "Catholic only" patrols to cover Catholic areas, but this was not acted upon.[26]. Any views expressed in message boards and members notes represent the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions of Findmypast Limited. "There are a lot of ethical issues regarding the release of them.". 2023 BBC. There are a small number of pension records within this collection. As a reserve police force, they were used in times of emergency such as the [78], The USC's most controversial conduct in the 1969 riots came in provincial towns, where the Special Constabulary formed the main response to the rioting. The force trained at Phoenix Park Depot. WebThe Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. The request includes documents relating to the so-called B Specials, an auxiliary police force known officially as the Ulster Special Constabulary. The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military reserve special constable police force in Northern Royal Ulster Constabulary, 11 April 1975 Read More. A full database of all tributes is available in our Remembrance Centre. The Ulster Special Constabulary was disbanded in May 1970. Ulster [22], There was a willingness to arm or recognise existing Protestant militias. September 2004, Can anyone tell me where the records are held for the Ulster Special Constabulary a part time unit of the Royal Ulster Constabulary founded 1920 and disbanded 1970. [79], The USC shot and wounded a number of people in Dungiven and Coalisland. 246 pages. 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. 12481277), https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ulster-special-constabulary, Royal Ulster Constabulary (including Specials), Paramilitary Forces and Internal Security. They also, Catholic Emancipation, term applied to the process by which Roman Catholics in the British Isles were relieved in the late 18th and early 19th cent., SS Numbered Memorials A B sfnp error: no target: CITEREFHezlet1974 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1920-1922), Timeline of the Irish War of Independence, The Troubles in Northern Ireland (19201922), Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, Major Kenneth Wiggins Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass, "Tit-for-tat: the War of Independence in the northern counties", "Craig-Collins Agreement text; downloaded 7 November 2010", "Why 'The Big Fellow' has little to teach political parties in modern Ireland", "Violence and Civil Disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969 Report of Tribunal of Inquiry", "Cameron Report Disturbances in Northern Ireland (1969), Chapters 19", "Chapter 12 - The Cause of the Disorders", "CAIN: Violence and Civil Disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969 Report of Tribunal of Inquiry", Ulster Special Constabulary Roll of Honour, Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, Belfast International Airport Constabulary, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ulster_Special_Constabulary&oldid=1152118088, Defunct law enforcement agencies of Ireland, 1970 disestablishments in Northern Ireland, Defunct police forces of Northern Ireland, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2022, All articles needing additional references, Pages using law enforcement agency with local civilian police general nature, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Map of Ulster Special Constabulary's jurisdiction, A Specials full-time and paid, worked alongside regular RIC men, but could not be posted outside their home areas (regular RIC officers could be posted anywhere in the country); usually served at static checkpoints (originally 5,500 members). She added: "We know that there are personnel records relating to the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC). Category:Ulster Special Constabulary For years Britons resisted having a proper police force, because they associated it with repression, especially of the French kind. Ulster Special Constabulary WebUlster County, N.Y. probate records in the office of the surrogate, and in the county clerk's office at Kingston, N.Y. [81], He found some evidence of cross-membership of the USC and loyalist paramilitary organisations. In some cases, the records list the marital status, names of spouses, and birth dates and places. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. A Message From The SheriffIt is the mission of the Ulster County Sheriff's Office to serve the public by enhancing our partnership with the community, and in so These include correspondences, intelligence notes, programmes of ceremony, constabulary codes and lists of good men to name but a few. The Royal Irish Constabulary Forum 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.[86]. Ulster Special Constabulary, Coleraine This page summarises records created by this Organisation The summary includes a brief description of the collection (s) Several informal "constabulary" groups had already been created, for example, in Belfast, Fermanagh and Antrim. [2] It performed this role most notably in the early 1920s during the Irish War of Independence and the 1956-1962 IRA Border Campaign. Sold for. [citation needed], The IRA issued a statement which said that any Catholics who joined the specials would be treated as traitors by them and would be dealt with accordingly.[26]. [1] It initially began as a series of unrelated small groups of "[70] Six RUC and eleven IRA men (but no Special Constables) were killed in this campaign. Royal Irish Constabulary You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members. "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. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. The B Specials were tasked to relieve the RUC from normal duties, to allow them and the British Army to deal with the disturbances. 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). Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), About our [21] In Ballymacarrett, a Protestant rector named John Redmond had helped form a unit of ex-servicemen to keep the peace after the July riots. [15], The idea of a volunteer police force in the north appealed to British Prime Minister David Lloyd George for several practical reasons; it freed up the RIC and military for use elsewhere in Ireland, it was cheap, and it did not need new legislation. This database contains images of Church of England marriage records and banns in registers from parishes in the West Yorkshire area of England. 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. Lists of Special Constables, including: - names and ballymenaguardian.co.uk 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. This was despite the Craig-Collins Agreement which was signed by the leaders of Northern Ireland and the Free State on 30 March, and envisaged the end of IRA activity and a reduced role for the USC. It wasn't until the County and Borough Police Act of 1856 that it became compulsory for municipalities to establish a police force. [52], The renewed IRA campaign involved attacking barracks, burning commercial buildings and making a large-scale incursion into Northern Ireland, occupying Belleek and Pettigo in MayJune, which was repulsed after heavy fighting, including British use of artillery on 8 June. Therefore, the main job of counter-insurgency in this border conflict fell to the Special Constabulary while the RIC/RUC patrolled the interior. The Royal Irish Constabulary Roll - A roll of all members Its functions and membership were largely taken over by the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.[8]. It will list every known member of the RIC who served, 27 Apr. [23] There was an immediate and illicit supply of arms available; especially from the Ulster Volunteers. [67], The 'A' and 'C' categories of the USC were dispensed with, leaving only the B-Specials, who functioned as a permanent reserve force, and armed and uniformed in the same manner as the RUC. Black and Tans and Auxiliaries An Overview William was killed in Action when involved in Air Operations at Banja Luka, Yugoslavia on 18th August 1944 when he was 24 years old. Speaking to The Impartial Reporter ahead of the book launch, David explained that he was inspired to write 'Duty Bound' Member Since: The Ulster Unionist Labour Association had established an "unofficial special constabulary," with members drawn chiefly from the shipyards, tasked with policing Protestant areas. Home Guard / B-Specials GlenavyHistory.com The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Proni) is governed by the Department for Communities. "[36], Sir Nevil Macready, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of the British Army in Ireland, along with his supporters in the Irish administration, refused to approve the new force but were overridden; Lloyd George approved of it from the beginning. The Police Roll of Honour records suggest that most Special Constabulary fatalities occurred on duty. "Ulster Special Constabulary : Octavo. Northern Ireland had been destabilised by disturbances arising out of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association's agitation for equal rights for Catholics. Northern Ireland was created in 1921 after Ireland was partitioned. This record is held by Bedfordshire Archives. 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. "Proni will aim to open the files once classification, cataloguing and sensitivity review has been safely completed in line with Covid-19 protocols. The British Government commissioned three reports into the policing response to the 1969 riots. The Royal Irish Constabulary Forum The USC was initially financed and equipped by the British government and placed under the control of the RIC. [88] Initially, the Regiment had 4,000 members who worked part-time while the new special constabulary, the RUC Reserve which replaced the B-Specials, initially consisted of 1,500 members.[89][90][91]. border: 1px solid #CCC; 2023