"The Troubles": The British Army's Longest Continuous Deployment

The conflict in Northern Ireland is rarely spoken about these days. But it was the British Army's longest ever continuous deployment running from 1969 to 2007. Over 700 soldiers were killed in action.
To talk about this important conflict, I am joined by author Jonathan Trigg, who served during "the troubles" himself. He explains why the army was deployed, who they were up against and gives an insight into what it was like to be on operations.
He has recently published a book about the IRA in East Tyrone. It can be purchased via this link. amzn.to/44TMLp9
If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject: redcoathistory...
If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help support the channel via ko-fi.com/redc...

[@jona826]

The conflict is often framed in terms of Catholic vs Protestant but really it was a political struggle between people who wanted the territory to be part of Ireland and people who wanted it to remain British. Admittedly, religious bigotry did play into it. And another reason for why the army was deployed was because the police, predominantly Protestant, were biased against the Catholics and could not be relied on to behave impartially. One thing that really used to annoy me as a Brit was how Americans (our supposed friends and allies) raised money for the IRA in pubs etc. in places like New York. Their understanding of the conflict was very limited and the money they gave to the cause cost British lives.

[@MM22966]

That was one of things that surprised me when I first dug into the history of it. I had always heard "IRA this, Provo that", but then I found out about the Ulster Volunteer Force and UDA, and how so much of RUC was moonlighting out of uniform, busy settling scores.

[@Jiffedup]

Can you really blame the americans when alot of the North East is Irish by ancestory and the IRS were just better at PR espcially in all the irish pubs common in those areas. All they hear is a fight for freedom that mirrored the US history and being done by their distant cousins against a the English who back then did not have the best rep in the US espcially amongst the children of immigrants. Also the North East is/was heavily catholic and during the 80-90s there was huge new catholic push. So the protestant vs catholic narrative also played into the catholic Northeast vs the baptist and protestant south whose politics was directly apposed to theirs and causing issues in US Gov.

[@MM22966]

@@Jiffedup Not them, but I did hear rumors that the FBI (which should have watching/stopping crap like that) largely turned a blind eye at them. Coincidentally, I also heard that like many police organizations at the time, it was heavily Irish/Catholic. I don't have any hard proof, but I have heard it on multiple occasions.

[@wingnut71]

I wonder why the majority protestant RUC treated catholics with suspicion? Perhaps it was because a great many of them were fully supportive of the IRA? The same IRA that had declared war on Britain in 1939 and had conspired with the Nazis to plan a joint invasion of Northern Ireland in 1941. Also the same IRA that murdered 16 RUC officers in the 1950's "border campaign". Reliable catholics were allowed to join the RUC, but they had to live in protestant areas or they would be murdered. Even so the IRA made a special effort to kill them. I remember one young Catholic policeman shot in the head in Londonderry as he was waiting for his colleague to come out of a shop. Another, a father of ten kids, had resigned from the RUC because he had received direct and personal threats from the IRA. They killed him anyway with a bomb under his car.

[@wingnut71]

@@MM22966 In reality very few RUC or UDR were "moonlighting" as you say. Yes it happened but not nearly to the extent the Provos would have you believe. The FRU and their agent Brian Nelson had a bigger effect. It meant that the loyalists UFF and UVF had better intelligence on the IRA and sinn fein players and targeted them more often. Most RUC men just didn't want to get involved in illegal activity. They had a job and family and didn't want to risk losing either. Probably also up to their necks in mortgage debt.

[@philennis1545]

Did two tours in the late 80's. Not something I would like to repeat.

[@docsavage8640]

"Took place on British soil..." And there you have it.

[@strawdog291]

Indeed, and said without a hint of irony.

[@TheNinyo77]

Yeah they still haven't got it yet lol. But their govt apparently have !! Trying to use it for their Brexit exit exercise lol we all know they pulled out or where looking out when they realised the IRA could go on for another 30 yrs lol.

[@mentalneil]

I served 12 years in the Grenadier Guards, of which I served 6 ½ years in Northern Ireland, spread over 3 residential tours, 2 in Ballykelly, Co Londonderry and my last in Ballykinlar, Co Down, unfortunately for me I was approximately 12 -20 foot away from a come on bombing in Londonderry over Xmas of 87/88, this bombing left me with PTSD unknown until 04, some 17 years after it happened I finally got diagnosed, yes you'll have noticed that I served 2 tours further after this bombing but I didn't know what was wrong with me back then, and you darent go sick and tell the Dr about these problems in your head, because that would be the end of your career

[@wingnut71]

Sorry to hear about the PTSD mate. I was not in the forces but was about 100 feet away from a small bomb going off in June 1988. ( At the Balmoral agricultural show). Gave me a right shock it did but luckily no PTSD for me and no one was injured due to a telephone warning being sent. Bomb was under an RUC recruitment caravan and at first I thought the policemen inside the burning wreckage were killed but I was glad to learn that was not the case.

[@PuntBamaPunt1972]

I served in the US Navy around the same time, and had a very bad time with a ship board fire with fatalities. I also have PTSD, and I agree 100% that going to medical about those issues just wasn't done. Psych was strictly for the thumb suckers and bedwetters.

[@Grenadier96]

I served in GGG too. Did Armagh and the final tour in Belfast. Fully concur with the keeping it to yourself thing. I know blokes who had bad experiences in the province, and further tours in warmer climates who suffered in silence, much to their detriment. It just wasn't what you did. They can try and fluff it up as much as they want. But the cold hard fact was that if you stuck your hand up and said you were struggling, you were quickly written off as weak and chalked down as a liability. The best you could hope for was a quiet external posting somewhere lame out of harms way. Career's working, career's working, career stops.......

[@mentalneil]

@@Grenadier96 BRB bro 💙❤️💙💂💂💂💂

[@darthsarcastus1064]

@@Grenadier96 believe me things hadn't changed during the first few HERRICK tours, I struggled after my second Afghan tour and when I eventually came forward with my issues I was quickly packed off to Canada for a few months and sidelined on my return in late 2010. I transferred in 2015 and my career restarted in my new trade away from those that had known me before. I was diagnosed with stress and anxiety because they didn't want to acknowledge PTSD as a thing in the Army at the time, that and the fact that during the Afghan campaign probably half those that served there had some form of PTSD from their service!

[@NedTalbert]

Thanks for covering this subject. Great to see a wider breath of content. 👍

[@redcoathistory]

Glad you enjoyed it. I know it's a bit close to home both in terms of time and distance but when I spoke to Jon I knew it was something we should do an episode on.

[@TheNinyo77]

​@@redcoathistoryit's bullshit !!! That's not how it started or ended !!; those " poor RUC men " attacked catholic community's along with B specials and loyalist armed mobs !! In Derry and in Belfast ,I lived there , I seen it , and it was nothing like you describe . First soldier ,RUC man , and child where shot by ruc men or loyalist mobs FFS.

[@user-yh3cs5gg3t]

Once the British army sided with the unionists only one outcome was inevitable.

[@joereilly1519]

I also heard a quote from a UK general who answered the question how long would it take to get his men into Northern Ireland......" I can get my men in to N. Ireland in two weeks, it will take decades to get them out".

[@welshwarrior5263]

I did my tour in 1989-1990. Most of it was in Fermanagh. We had quite a few contacts on the border. One bombing in the police station in Belleek and one that didn't go off in a PVCP. (permanent vehicle checkpoint) That was the worst experience. The yellow card caused serious problems with soldiers as it caused confusion. I served all around the world, and operation Banner has lived with me every day since.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks for sharing mate. Yeah to be honest I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been operating in such an environment. I can only imagine how tricky the rules of engagement were. Hope all well and that the video did credit to the work of men like yourself.

[@welshwarrior5263]

@redcoathistory You always do credit mate with all subjects you cover. I am sure that most soldiers that went through that experience in the early days of the troubles were not quite the same person after.

[@mentalneil]

​@@welshwarrior5263I did 3 residential tours brother, and I know exactly how you feel, over Xmas 87/88 I was 12-20 feet from a bomb, that took me 17 years to ask for help and to get diagnosed with PTSD which was some 6 years after being discharged

[@welshwarrior5263]

@neilyoung5631 Same here mate. It took them 14 years to diagnose me with ptsd. The sad part of it was that I lost more friends from suicide than killed in action. I got myself through it, qualified as a gas engineer, and am now working for a civil engineering company on the water mains. Take one day at a time and stay strong brother. I hope all is well with you.

[@mentalneil]

@@welshwarrior5263 thanks brother, I take each day as it comes, I've far too many good friends to that bloody black dog, keep your head down bro, and TC

[@andrewmcneilismcneilis6596]

‘85, 87,88,89 a lot of my youth spent serving in Ulster. As an Englishman of Irish descent I person believed in a United Ireland but only achieved through democracy. I found the IRA highly professional but total hypocrites, particularly their racketeering. Did we learn lots of life lessons? Yes. Would I do it again? Only if I’d made a difference rather than making up the numbers.

[@niallcarr9253]

Tough luck if you're the farmer's son who stumbles on the cache & despite a listening device recording his response, he was shot dead . He was about 13 years.

[@Grumpylove]

Did a tour 81-82 which was nice. Then posted there 84-87 . Lots of memories, some better than others. We had it drummed into us by NITAT, our sole job was to assist the RUC. Religion wasn’t our concern, bad guys were bad guys, regardless of which “foot” they favoured. The IRA weren’t our major concern, the INLA were getting a name for themselves in the cruelty stakes. If memory serves, it was three female INLA members who planted the Droppinwell inn bomb at Ballykelly. Not a pretty sight.

[@66kbm]

Why would you want to disclose all that info?

[@mentalneil]

​@@66kbmsometimes it helps us to be able to talk about the crap we went through, life wasn't all roses for us

[@johnhudghton3535]

@@66kbm what info? Nothing sensitive here.

[@davidrobinson6296]

I was surprised to hear that paramilitary informants have recieved military pensions when I served four tours in NI (2RRF 1970/74) & was blown up on the M62 & was then told by the MOD that I was not entitled to any pension whatsoever - justice?

[@joereilly1519]

I heard of story about an airline pilot who landed his airliner in Belfast and Said " Welcome to Northern Ireland turn your clocks back to 1690".

[@OldhamSteve52]

Served in NI, North Howard St, 79. As a young lad had a great time patrolling Falls Rd, Divis flats. Only seems like yesterday. Had some good mates who you could rely on when the bullets were flying.

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

I was in there in 81, I don’t think much had changed around the patch since you were there, the lower falls were still slums & the Divis a hive of a illicit activity, you probably used the same tactics as in there, get up onto the landings, never get stuck on the ground in particular under the flats, one of guys shot & killed a gunman from the Sanger on the top of the Divid Tower. We had a very active tour, with all of the hunger strikers dying during our time there.

[@wingnut71]

North Howard Street is now a social housing scheme and a young mothers hostel. I was there a while back due to work but would never have gone there during the troubles. I thought about all the lads that had been there and in particular the ones who were killed. I recalled how one poor fella had gone to feed the dogs that they kept on the base and the IRA threw a coffee jar bomb from the top of the adjacent Conway mill. They could see into the base from the top of the mill and had been watching for an opportunity. I remember hearing about it on the news at the time and thinking it was so sad.

[@MC14may]

Londonderry 89-91,Omagh 93-95,Belfast 00,Ballykelly 05-07 and I was the last soldier to leave Bessbrook Mill

[@OscarGomez-hx8zc]

Chris thank you for this piece as it is a painful conflict to talk about and that most of non English people know about, very interesting, thanks again!

[@redcoathistory]

Thankyou for watching. Yes, its a very painful conflict but one that is important to talk about.

[@Ewen6177]

39 Bde 87-89 and 8 Bde 94-96. Just short of 5 yrs. Loved the countryside, loved the people, when they could talk.

[@1987Liono]

It is not forgotten in Ireland.

[@jelehan88]

It's not talking about it that keeps resentment going. When another sees how events shaped the other then understanding occurs.

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

I believe once the IRA became involved it was a slippery slope all the way & the British government played into their hands by introducing the biggest recruiting opportunity the IRA could wish for. In 1971 the British government ordered the British army to seal off vast republican areas, enter & kick in the doors & drag away the menfolk. Grandfathers, fathers & sons, approx 1,900 were taken, nationalist young men were also taken away, all 107 of them!! As the army left the front door the IRA were piling in the back with the offer of “do you want revenge” ? A new generation were recruited to help with the cause!! By the time 1981 came around I found myself at the same doors this knocking & when answered, I’d politely state “as a member of her majesty’s forces I’ve come to search your house” & on occasions leaving with another young man.

[@wingnut71]

The people who got their doors kicked in were already radical republicans. Granted, internment gave them another grievance for them to use in propaganda but they were already committed to The IRA cause, whether active or not. Don't forget, many senior IRA players were lifted and put in Long Kesh. The old sob story of innocents being taken was largely just that, a sob story for propaganda purposes. Those who were lifted in error were released within 48 hours.

[@seanmccann8368]

@@wingnut71 Do you wonder they were republicans when they were treated as second class citizens in the country that claimed them as 'subjects'? When the entire government and policing sstructure of the 'state' was antagonistic to them? When the british army massacred innocent civilians in their streets and country lanes? Curious that the paras never butchered protestant 'terrorists' isn't it.

[@keithagn]

Wow. I found this video areal eye opener. Thank you for this.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers, Keith. Not my usual subject matter but I felt it was an important story to tell.

[@josephtreacy667]

Never realised there were that many killed.

[@michaeljepson]

People especially ex or serving British army tend to forget to mention the Royal Marines & the RAF Regiment ( I served in the RAFR and was in NI for 61/2 years on OP Banner). Note the RAF Regiment was one of the first untts deployed on Banner. That story about the banner is bull S**t.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers Michael - fair point, would have loved to have talked more about the RAFR and Royal marines. Both deserve their own series of videos.

[@jimboll6982]

Raf regt, wanna be soldiers, but decided on a cushy option 😂

[@bandit6272]

Hamas using IRA tactics, or is it the other way around?

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

Yeh 6 months wasn’t long at all & yeh our bases were right in the community & a company area of responsibility was small, you could pretty much cover it in a 2+hr patrol. Yeh, primitive is the wrong term I think basic would be much better one, the purpose built bases were generally like the old style US style forts during the Indian wars, a square fort with the outer perimeter made of wriggly tin (galvanised corrugated tin) a tower on each corner, there was then an inner blast wall of breeze blocks, the rest of the camp was made up of porta cabins & thinking about it now, there were mostly 4 man rooms where as at home we were in 10 man rooms, as time went on they were better protected by cages around the sangers & blast protection over the cabins etc. We had a cookhouse ops room, washroom’s etc & the most important one… a Choggy Shop (Char Wallah) an Indian guy who ran a little shop in one of the cabins, he provided, confectionery & such like, as well as a lot of essentials like toiletries etc Burgers, tea & coffee were his thing too, he worked hard, usually 0900-2300 everyday he slept on the floor of his little den, he very rarely went outside the perimeter as his provisions were brought in, he was completely invaluable. So yeh compared to many of the patrol base in the likes of in Iraq & Afghanistan we lived in luxury! 😊

[@cameronsimpson-ld8nk]

Brilliant guys. Great to see this subject covered

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Cam.

[@lokischildren8714]

Oooo yes it was a war I did three tours in. Northern Ireland 1996 too 1998,1999,2000

[@redcoathistory]

That must have been an incredibly busy time. I hope that you found the video interesting. Jon is such a lovely bloke.

[@lokischildren8714]

@@redcoathistory it's was a extremely busy time during the ceasefire the IRA and loyaltist terrorist groups were goading us to break the ceasefire.

[@Grenadier96]

I did '99 and '2000 (Armagh and Belfast). You weren't in the Grens by any chance were you?

[@darthsarcastus1064]

In Kosovo in 1999 we were still bomb bursting out of our patrol bases much like the soldiers in NI did. Patrolling the streets of Pristina like they had done in Belfast or Londonderry. Our Pre Deployment Training was done at Tin City in Lydd and in Germany operating Snatch Landrovers which still had the counter terrorist hotline number stencilled on the side. Having grown up in north London in the 70's and 80's I was no stranger to what the IRA could achieve (Mill Hill barracks, Hyde Park, Regents Park, Staples Corner bombings etc). But we were in eastern Europe, on a NATO peacekeeping mission still conducting ourselves like those in the province of NI would do. In 1999 the threat of the Soviet hordes crossing into West Germany were long gone but the troubles still influenced our non conventional tactics.

[@johnhudghton3535]

The British were made to fight with kid gloves, one hand behind their back, so many restrictive rules of engagement but the IRA fought with knuckledusters - no rules.

[@wingnut71]

True.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers, John. I think that has been true of a lot of post WW2 conflicts but must have been particularly difficult in NI due to being on home soil.

[@richardnewton638]

That is true to some extent, however I think a lot of those rule were enforced by battalion commanders. the first tour was in Xmag and we were a law unto ourselves the last was Belfast and we had so many company directives on stop search, vcp etc it felt like one hand tied like you say . I did a few months working with Blue 9 from castle rea and those guys were brilliant, mental but brill, no rules at all. Even now at 60 I'm still working for military in middle east but more a desk wally. good video though.

[@SSGTStryker]

28:04 We had Woolworth’s here in the U.S., my mother worked at one in Piqua, Ohio in the 70’s. I had a similar surreal experience when we were deployed to Nogales TX/Nogales MX border in the early 2000’s.

[@johnhudghton3535]

More on this subject please. Expose the filthy tricks and torture of the other side.

[@pogues1]

All sides? Greetings from Belfast.

[@glenbrooks2269]

Nice Video I did 6 tours in total and on one of them Mr J Trigg was my platoon commander

[@redcoathistory]

Small world! Thanks for sharing!

[@TyroneMooselips]

lRA so famous everyone loves them

[@Thurnmourer]

Mmmm, such a complicated event that few properly understand. Can't really say what happened during it has left me particularly fond of Americans of the Plastic Paddy variety, however. A country that is blabbering on so much about how it is our ally yet you could walk into any "Irish Pub" and find a tip jar for the IRA...

[@TheHorrorificPodcast]

I think the idea of paying informants pensions came from examples of people like Martin McGartland. In his book 50 Dead Men Walking he talked about people quickly catching on and calling him "Money Bags" because he flashed the cash.

[@johnhudghton3535]

In the face of the paramilitary also involved the wonderful tactic of chimney sweeping: an RAF helicopter hovering over a players house, the downdraught causing soot and chimney filth to fill the room.

[@williamtraynor-kean7214]

I would disagree that The Falls Road incident was the start of the problems with the Catholic/Republican population, the real change came with internment without trial. My first emergency tour was in 69 and the training was primitive to say the least. Riot training was based on our Aden experience, one thing learned was never wear a red hat to a riot. The concern was the IRA and the PIRA were socialist organizations, the idea being that Ireland would be a socialist outpost like Cuba but without the sunshine, cigars or attractive woman. A good read on this is “Pig in the Middle” the British Army in N Ireland. We lost the first British soldier killed on duty in Ulster, the first British soldier killed was a Catholic on leave who was killed by a Protestant gang.

[@paddy1952]

I was a Canadian soldier during the troubles and totally supported the rule of law and the British Army. After Bloody Sunday, not so much.

[@purplesprigs]

Oh please. Cry me a river. Villains posing as victims.

[@paddy1952]

@@purplesprigs Don't flaunt your ignorance, tough guy. Not attractive. A little reading wouldn't hurt you, either.

[@dessy-cs9ws]

@@purplesprigs They were innocent people marching for civil rights and were murdered by scum.

[@karenalletson9767]

Oh dear. A lot of false narative at the start. I was stationed there pre 69 and was with the first troops to hit the ground in August 69. We knew very well what the situation was and new very well how to handle civil unrest situations, having not long been back from Hong Kong. Of course, forming box and rolling out the banners didn't last more than a day or two. The thing that did surprise us was the feudal system of voting and once understood tended to lean our sympathies toward the Roman Catholic community. Unfortunately the civil rights movement was very quickly infiltrated by IRA. It is true that initially we had our backs to those communities and our bayonets pointing the other way. within a few days we found ourselves being shot in the back, literally, I can personally vouch for that. It went down hill very quickly from there.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks for sharing your memories and apoloiges that you feel we made a mistake in the film.

[@wingnut71]

I never understood this Sympathy for the Catholics thing with outsiders. There was a damned good reason why catholics were kept out of government jobs where they could do harm. The British should have understood this from their experience in Dublin in 1920 that having catholics in the civil service was a bad idea. After all it was the IRA spy in Dublin castle that exposed the dozen or so British agents and got them killed. Why on earth would any sane person give their potential enemy a job? It didn't take them long to turn on the army. The abduction and murder of the three young Scottish lads who were off duty having a pint was 5 months before internment and 9 months before what is now called bloody Sunday. The British army soon learned who the real bad guys were.

[@wingnut71]

@@bfc3057 You don't have to be in control of an organisation to use it to further your aims, just like a person on a ship doesn't have to be at the wheel to arrive at the same destination. The hard-line republicans just had to turn up at protests and use it as cover to stir up trouble with the RUC. The aim was always to provoke a violent response and thereby cause bad publicity for the police and to increase anger in the population. They did of course achieve that goal. They weren't Provos because that organisation did not exist yet, but many would be members of official IRA.

[@jona826]

Anyone interested in this conflict might want to keep an eye out for a board game in development called "The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998".

[@johnhudghton3535]

The special operations took the chaps by RAF Support Helicopter over the Irish border where many armouries were located.

[@wingnut71]

You sure about that? Would the Irish government not protest this? The choppers would be easily spotted in daylight and heard after dark. They would also show up on civilian radar. I Never did hear of this claim before.

[@johnhudghton3535]

@@wingnut71 the SHF could fly very low at night and avoid radar detection. The Irish government had an issue because they turned a blind eye to the republican activities on the border they also had to deny Brit activities that uncovered and destroyed the republican arms dumps that they would not admit to knowing about or at the least strongly suspecting. There was lots of helicopter activity along the border - at night who is to say where the noise was coming from especially if hush was in order. There were also incidents when troops were accidentally dropped on the wrong side of the border - usually embarrasing.

[@wingnut71]

@@johnhudghton3535 never heard of any arms dumps blowing up in Eire. Not saying you're a liar, just don't ever recall such a thing. I have suspected that they might have booby trapped the bomb that killed Brendan Burns and friends in 1988 but that was in South Armagh and it's just my suspicion, because by that time it was much less common for IRA bombs to go off prematurely. Could have been some sort of mistake on their part though.

[@seanmccann8368]

@@johnhudghton3535 One brit helicopter tried to land on the square in Monaghan Barracks one morning despite the guard trying to point out the flag flying on the pole - didn't get the message until rifles were pointed at them. Thought they owned 'Aira' (as Maggie Thatcher liked to call us) too.

[@johnhudghton3535]

@@seanmccann8368 Yep there were sometimes navigation errors. Red faces and a dressing down in those cases.

[@robertmoyse4414]

I had some sympathy for the republicans, but their hypocrisy always annoyed me. The IRA considered that the UDR and RUC were never off duty but the IRA wanted the protections accorded to civilians whenever they were not on active service. Isn’t that hypocrisy? This was exemplified by the republican outrage when a heavily-armed IRA ASU on its way to kill a couple of constables at Loughgall got ambushed in ‘87. Militaries have short corporate memories. There were lessons from NI that were relevant in Iraq and Afghanistan, but mostly not the ones being taught. I served in NI in 80, 81, 82, 87 and 88 and in Iraq in 91 and 07-08. I can tell you that Crossmaglen was a lot more dangerous than anywhere I ever went in Iraq.

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

During the early days, our tactics really dictated the IRAs method of response, on my 1st tour in west Belfast 76-77 over Xmas & New Year, at that time there was a call from the peoples peace movement it was “7yrs is enough, don’t make it 8” I served my last tour in 93!! At that time our foot patrols tended to consist of 2 teams of 4, supported by 2 land rovers circulating around us, so our whereabouts & direction of travel etc were easily monitored so it wouldn’t take long to set up an ambush, be it a shoot or grenade, so a lookout (Dicker) could give the signal as we say approached a junction, a gunman could then step out spray the street with a burst of fire or throw a blast bomb & escape knowing his route would be clear. We over time changed our tactics & by the time I was back in West Belfast in 81 we were patrolling in 12 & at times 16 man multiples again broken up into teams of 4, so the IRA changed their methods of attack, the short range attacks were virtually unknown as a clear route for escape could not be guaranteed, the IED had became a popular means of attack. (2m checks) Note… I know I’ve simplified the manner of attack etc & I know the sniper was used throughout the whole conflict & very elaborate attacks were planned & carried out using mortars RPG etc. Other paramilitary groups such INLA were also very active. I completed six tours both in urban & rural areas. I did prefer urban.

[@MM22966]

How were the deployments from a personal point of view, if I may ask? How long were you deployed in theater, did you get home leave mid-tour, what kinds of bases/living conditions? Were there safe areas in-country you could go off duty?

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

I think in most soldiers eye’s it was a case of it’s nice to be doing something “real” My 6 tours were all short 4-6 month ones, (4,days home leave inc travel) housed in relatively primitive small security bases some purposely built others in possibly old mills within the main hotspot areas both rural & city, I never did a 2yr deployment. Difficult to sum up feelings, I think as in all conflicts the quote that sums it up goes something like, long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror! Although I can say I didn’t have any moments of sheer terror I had many moments of fear, anger, adrenaline rushes & sadness. It was/is a totally f****d complex affair & no side got it right, but the pain & suffering inflicted on each other by a minority from both sides of the divide was horrendous, not forgetting the atrocities carried out here on the British mainland. It wasn’t all doom & gloom there were many funny incidences. I love Northern Ireland & it’s people, I’ve been out there a number of times since on my motorcycle & visited all of areas I’d served & at some locations within those areas it gave me a very small idea of what it may feel like for a WW2 veteran to visit a battlefield site that they fought over during their service. All behind me now, a part of life’s great tapestry.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot for sharing that. Very much appreciated.

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

Just have to add…many funny moments too, watching a young child crawling across the top of a wall with a small stone in his hand towards a kneeling soldier providing sniper cover during a riot, lifting his beret up, hitting him on the head with the stone before replacing his beret & escaping, soldiers with very little experience of rural life running for their lives from everything from chickens to “bulls”, small calf’s 😂 guys falling over things out of things & the big one, jumping over a small wall in the dark.. with a 6 foot drop 😂, guys stuck to their waists in bogs or trapped in black thorn hedges, moving just of site of guy during patrol & watching the look on his face when he thinks he’s been left 😂 The story of the tricks we played on a new young platoon commander we taking delivery of would take a book, from staging a riot to stone his veh as he approached the base, to being greeted by a supposedly drunk Sgt Maj & everything in between to ending with him entering the company commanders office to be greeted by the said commander in a compromising position with a young soldier 😂.

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

Glad “Woke” hadn’t been invented at that time. 😊

[@jamesquirk4999]

Rip 🙏 actor David McCallum star of 1960s TV 📺 show Man 👨 From Uncle and last of surviving actor from great World War Two movie 🎬 Great Escape and proud soldier of the Queen 👸 he was lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment

[@barryhackett4227]

I don't think you're people think there anything wrong being in same one country that's why you have problems and people don't like England

[@Grenadier96]

The last tour I did was Belfast in 2000/1. It was as much Rangers v Celtic as anything else. I was introduced to the concept of 'Recreational rioting', that wasn't a thing on my previous tours. The intensity and frequency of rioting in the Ardoyne and North Queen Street/Tigers Bay was insane. The Holy Cross school thing was a bloody quick education for younger bods who hadn't served in the province before. That taught them more in a single day than the entire pre-tour training package ever did. I have never experienced hatred on that level before, and I've not experienced it on subsequent tours in hotter climates either. All told, your average young squaddie did an incredible job under unmerciful levels of provocation. The whole politics and nuances of the thing aside, your young private soldiers and NCO's put their lives on the line to prevent what would have otherwise been bloodshed in an all out civil war, and achieved the objective with the odds stacked against them. I'm proud of the very small part I played in bringing about the peace we see today. Not so long ago, I shared a drink (heavy night!) with one of our old adversaries from a place called Lurgan. We had a very mature conversation about the whole thing, admired each other for what we stepped up to do and got blind drunk as if we were the best of friends. Politics and religion has cost more lives in this world than any disease. The saddest irony being that it is man made.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot for shsring. That must have been a night to remember - would have liked to buy you both a beer.

[@Grenadier96]

always up for a buckshee pint!@@redcoathistory

[@davidbirt4643]

They had to do it

[@casinodelonge]

But but but.. Gerry Adams only made the sandwiches !!

[@EddieWhitehead-e7z]

Served with the RAF Regiment 81 , 82, 83 what a joke and a dump, get out give to the micks. Got out to Oz stuff the UK oh by the way thanks for the pension.

[@tabletsam5624]

Lohnt Live Commandante Francis Hughes.

[@simonh6371]

Re. UDR, I suppose one could regard them as militia as you put it. However at the time they were just the NI version of the TAVR (Territorial Army/Volunteer Reserve). They certainly risked a lot more than TA soldiers in mainland Britain though.

[@redcoathistory]

I don’t believe any disrespect was meant by the comment.

[@simonh6371]

@@redcoathistory No I certainly never thought that at all and didn't want to imply that any disrespect was meant.

[@christopherwatts1833]

I cannot understand how Christians could fight each other. Why couldn't it be sorted out by talking. Jat

[@user-sz6nb1vk6q]

It seems to me that pretty much every religion have fighting amongst themselves, always have done always will! ☹️

[@MM22966]

Religion is usually only part of it, and talking goes bye-bye if only ONE side doesn't want to, let alone both. Please look up things like the 30 Years War, Albigensian Crusade, or some of the modern problems faced by groups like the Mormons when they were formed.

[@skadiwarrior2053]

It's In Group/Out group conflict. Runs throughout history and is a part of nature.

[@wingnut71]

The IRA didn't want to talk, they wanted a war because they thought that was the only way to get what they wanted, which was Brits out. What was unspoken was that they glorified violence because they felt it restored their wounded pride.

[@gijoe508]

Goes back to when both English and Irish were Catholics, the English invaded the island in the middle ages, 1000 years of trying to control people results in a lot of bad blood. Doesn’t excuse the IRA for their terrorism.

[@Walkerwonderswhy]

My great grandad was in the black and tans

[@johnaitken7430]

British army was army of colonial occupation..uneducated squad dies tending to brutality.

[@redcoathistory]

I'm guessing you are not really called John Aitken and probably get paid a small retainer by a certain foreign government to write bizarre comments like this. All the best.

[@bogbay]

@@redcoathistory Rudeness aside, I would love to know which part of his post you dispute. NI remains a disputed place. Demographics are changing and within ten years there will be a majority "nationalist" population. If the British Army was again deployed to NI, they would be there on behalf of one community and you did not address this adequately NI was a sectarian project from the very beginning which one side used to continue the suppression of the native population which had been done by British monarchs for 700n years before events you talk about. If you were in the same circumstances, would you have been an IRA man? Very likely I'd say I see in most of the comments here an unwillingness to deal with anything but the operational nuts and bolts of life in the British Army in NI, which is fair enough. But it is a very one-sided account and does not address the fact that many in the UDR were themselves terrorists or colluded with terrorists. Many in the upper echelons of the police and the army also colluded with terrorists. Do a video on how innocents were killed by UFF/UVF/UDA terrorists using information supplied by security force sources

[@davidneumann5175]

Johnny Adair should have been Knighted. But politics put him in prison. FOREVER ULSTER

[@TyroneMooselips]

He loves ulster so much he ran away from it

[@elwynj5379]

To label this in the thumbnail as “forgotten” is crass stupidity….

[@redcoathistory]

Not really mate. I ran it past a number of veterans of the campaign and they all felt it was forgotten. So keep the word "stupid" to yourself mate as there is no need to be rude.

[@elwynj5379]

@@redcoathistory I hope you let the veterans know they are not forgotten and never will be. I stand by my opinion.

[@Jubilo1]

The British were forced to concede by the USA. Nice going Uncle Sam...

[@hansblitz7770]

The British military is super duper gay.

[@EddieWhitehead-e7z]

Not when I was in but there you go, you can keep it now it’s crap run down and could not fight its way out of a paper bag.

[@SuperLegionnaire]

The British army;s longest deployment was The Raj,in India.

[@redcoathistory]

It wasn't, Sir. But many thanks for the input.

[@markrunnalls7215]

Martin mcguiness had his own brother shot... I recalled chatting to a veteran and he was in NI when patrolling he got buckets of urine thrown at him, together with TVs toasters irons and glass dropped on them when passing the houses, they'd throw anything out of an upstairs window..

[@wingnut71]

Yep, bottles filled with piss or battery acid were a favourite for the rioters. I don't know how more soldiers didn't just lose it and start shooting.

[@haalstaag]

FRU?