Editing Ulster Defence Regiment (section)

==Uniform, armament and equipment==

===Uniform===
[[File:UDR Soldiers - South Armagh.jpg|thumb|left|Soldiers of 11 UDR on a patrol break in the South Armagh area. The soldier on the right is carrying a jamming device to prevent the detonation of radio-controlled [[improvised explosive device]]s.]]

The early image of the regiment, due to equipment and uniform shortages, was of a rag-tag bunch using [[World War II]] weaponry, old army uniforms and carrying pockets full of loose change in order to make reports from public telephone boxes. Many of the soldiers were veterans of earlier campaigns with the British Army or had been in the Special Constabulary and were middle-aged; this earned them the public nickname of "[[Dad's Army]]" – the sobriquet given to the [[Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]] during World War II.

[[File:Royal Irish and UDR badges side-by-side.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This illustration shows how the badge of the UDR (right) was created from the badge of the Ulster Rifles (left).]]

After equipment shortages were resolved, male soldiers dressed in a similar fashion to regular army units. Camouflage jackets were worn and headgear was a distinctive dark green [[beret]] with a gold coloured "Maid of Erin" style harp, surmounted by [[St Edward's Crown]] (in later years this was dulled down by blackening, a common practice for units of the British army when wearing [[Cap badge#Cap badge variations|cap badges]] on operational duties).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royaltankregiment.com/en-GB/capbadgemotto.aspx|title=Cap Badge/Motto – The Royal Tank Regiment Association<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=29 July 2013|archive-date=5 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000414/http://www.royaltankregiment.com/en-GB/capbadgemotto.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> The badge was a direct copy of the Royal Ulster Rifles cap badge with the [[Latin]] [[motto]] removed from its base. Female "Greenfinch" soldiers wore combat jackets and [[rifle green]] skirts with the UDR beret and cap badge. For [[ceremonial]] occasions men wore a rifle green version of British Army ([[Uniforms of the British Army#No.1: Temperate ceremonial|No.1 Temperate ceremonial]]). Female "best dress" was a rifle green jacket and skirt. The beret was retained as headgear for men and women in best dress.  On the formation of operations platoons, narrow coloured slides were adopted and worn on the shoulder straps in battalion colours. These indicated to the trained eye that the wearers were full-time soldiers. They were dispensed with as the operations platoons expanded into full-time [[Company (military unit)#British Army|rifle companies]] and were replaced by battalion-specific epaulette slides. Rank badges were as for infantry [[British Army Other Ranks rank insignia|NCOs]] and [[British Army officer rank insignia|officers]] and worn in the same fashion.

===Armaments===
Initially, the weapons issued were of WW2 vintage such as [[Lee–Enfield#Rifle No. 4|Lee–Enfield No.4 rifles]] and [[Sten|Sten submachine guns]]. In early 1972 the rifles were replaced with the standard issue [[L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle]] (SLR).<ref name="Potter p77">Potter p77</ref> Other weaponry became available too: 9&nbsp;mm [[Browning Hi-Power|Browning pistols]] (Browning 9mm), the [[Sterling submachine gun]]s (SMG), the [[Bren|L4A4 Light Machine Guns]] (Bren LMG) and [[FN MAG|L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun]] (GPMG)s. Small stocks of [[Federal Riot Gun]]s (FRG) were kept and used to fire [[plastic bullet]]s to knock down doors and other obstacles during search operations. A number of [[Carl Gustav recoilless rifle|Carl Gustav]] (Charlie G) 84&nbsp;mm recoilless rifles were stocked but rarely deployed as the weapon was unsuited to most operations. (see Boat Sections below). SLRs were replaced in 1988 by the [[SA80]] and at the same time machine guns were superseded by the [[L86 LSW|Light Support Weapon]].<ref name=autogenerated10>Potter p312</ref>  Metal [[caltrop]]s were used at vehicle check points <ref>Potter p47</ref> to puncture tyres on cars trying to escape roadblocks.

For personal protection off duty, some soldiers were issued with a [[Walther PP]]. Major [[Ken Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass|Ken Maginnis]] acquired permission for some to purchase Browning 9mm pistols at £200 each.<ref>Ryder p124</ref> These were deemed to be more effective. In the late 1980s the Walther PP was replaced by the [[Walther P5]], considered a more practical weapon because of its size and ballistic capabilities. Any soldier considered to be at particularly high risk would be permitted to keep his rifle at home. This policy was known as "weapons out" and was reduced by 75%, when SLRs replaced Lee–Enfields in 1972, due to the high number of rifles stolen by paramilitaries.<ref>Potter pp78-80</ref>

The weapons out policy was eventually discontinued on the introduction of the SA80 rifle by that time only a small number were held at home by soldiers of 6 UDR.<ref name=autogenerated10 />

====Weapons used by the Ulster Defence Regiment====
Firearms

<gallery>
File:No 4 Mk I.JPG|No4 Rifle
File:SLRL1A1.jpg|L1A1 SLR (Rifle)
File:SA-80 rifle 1996.jpg|SA-80 L85A1 rifle
File:Sterling SMG.JPG|Sterling SMG
File:Browning High-Power 9mm IMG 1526.jpg|Browning 9mm
</gallery>

===Equipment===

====Transport====
[[File:Shorland armoured car mk1.jpg|thumb|[[Shorland armoured car]] used by the UDR]]
[[File:Lynx Hubschrauber IFOR.jpg|thumb|[[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|AAC]] Lynx helicopter used to support the UDR]]

The standard patrol vehicle was the 3/4 ton [[Land Rover#Military use|Land Rover]] used extensively throughout the British armed forces.  Following withdrawal from police service, a number of [[Shorland armoured car]]s were allocated to the regiment.<ref name="Potter p48">Potter p48</ref> Rarely used after initial service because the turret weapon was a [[General-purpose machine gun|GPMG]] and deemed unsuitable for urban use due to its rapid rate of fire. The Shorland was not generally popular due to its instability on the road. This was due to the heavy turret. However, some battalions continued to use them into the 1980s in high-risk area because of the increased protection plate armour gave over Makrolon [[polycarbonate]] armour fitted to Land Rovers. The tough Shorlands saved the lives of a number of people on patrol.<ref name="Potter p48"/>

Units were sometimes deployed by Royal Air Force and [[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] helicopters for rapid insertion or for duties in areas of greatest threat where it was unwise to use "green transport" (wheeled).<ref name="Potter p224">Potter p224</ref>

====Boat patrols====
Several battalions were supplied with rigid [[Dell Quay Dory]] craft for patrolling [[waterways]] shared with the [[Republic of Ireland]] in an attempt to prevent gun-running across these narrow channels such as [[Carlingford Lough]].<ref name="Potter p77"/> Assisted by land-based [[Decca Radar|Decca Marine radar]] mounted on a Land Rover, deployed at Killowen Point. These boats were armed with [[Bren light machine gun]]s and carried a Carl Gustav 84mm anti-tank weapon in addition to the rifles and sub-machine guns normally carried by soldiers. The shore-based dories proved inadequate and a paper was submitted by 3 UDR in 1972,{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} recommending a naval vessel to be stationed in the centre of Carlingford Lough<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=43167|title=Royal Navy weigh anchor in Carlingford Lough – Northern Ireland News, 10/08/2005|website=4ni.co.uk}}</ref> to assist with the suppression of gun-running. This suggestion was adopted and to the end of the security situation a small warship was on station off the coast of the [[Warrenpoint]]/[[Rostrevor]] shoreline. This intervention was called Operation Grenada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vilaweb.cat/media/attach/vwedts/docs/op_banner_analysis_released.pdf|title=– page 6-1}}</ref> Gun-running across these coastal estuaries ceased as a result.<ref>Potter 2001 p87</ref> 3 UDR continued to use dories and radar on stretches of the coast. The radar was withdrawn from use and later dispatched to the south Atlantic during the Falklands War on board the {{SS|Atlantic Conveyor}} and lost when the ship was sunk after being hit by two Argentine Exocet missiles. The 4th Battalion also carried out waterway patrols on upper and lower [[Lough Erne]].<ref>Ryder p191</ref>

====Communications====
At first there were not enough radios to issue to each patrol and those available were of the [[Walkie-talkie|PYE "Bantam"]] type used by the police, which did not have sufficient range.<ref name="Potter p37">Potter p37</ref> As a result, UDR patrols were issued with pockets of small change to use in [[Red telephone box|telephone boxes]] in order to effectively report back to base.<ref name="Potter p37" /> When radios were issued they were of the type used by the regular army such as [[Larkspur radio system|Larkspur A41]] manpacks, B47 and C42 vehicle mounted sets.<ref name="Potter p37"/> Over time these were replaced with ''Stornophones''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.storno.co.uk/ |title=Storno Radio Communication Systems |publisher=Storno.co.uk |date=2012-11-03 |access-date=2013-07-17}}</ref> as vehicle sets with preselected frequencies which operated on the NINET [[Broadcast relay station|rebroadcast system]], working through masts strategically placed on various high points throughout Northern Ireland such as [[Slieve Croob]]. Pyephones continued to be used for foot patrols but the range of these sets gradually improved.<ref name="Potter p37"/> Each battalion was able to communicate with other battalions using C42's and B47's installed in the battalion or company [[Operations room]] (Ops Room) or Communications Centre (Comcen) as well as the [[BID 150]] system of cryptic coding and [[scrambler]] telephone system.

====Dogs====
Search dogs were originally provided by the regular army but eventually a UDR dog section was formed to provide more immediate assistance in search operations. One of the dog handlers, Corporal Brian David Brown of 3 UDR together with his [[Labrador Retriever|Labrador]] dog Oliver was killed in [[Kilkeel]] by an IRA bomb in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://army-uk.com/news_detail.php?id=1385|title=Ex Army UK. MOD direct sales – used military trucks. Ex Army Land Rovers for Sale and Export|website=army-uk.com}}</ref> Cpl Brown was posthumously awarded the [[Queen's Gallantry Medal]].<ref>Potter p287</ref>

====The Yellow Card====
[[File:The Yellow Card.jpg|thumb|right|The Yellow Card]]
All members of the British Armed Forces, including the UDR, carried a number of small information cards to assist in the execution of their duties in Northern Ireland. These were generally referred to by their colour. The most important of these was the [[Rules of engagement|Yellow Card]] which contained the rules for opening fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/glossary.htm#Y|title=CAIN: Glossary of Terms on Northern Ireland Conflict|first=Dr Martin|last=Melaugh|website=cain.ulst.ac.uk}}</ref>

This content of this information card was seen as vitally important and all soldiers were taught to be entirely familiar with it as it contained specific instructions to be followed when opening fire on a suspected enemy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/383102.stm |title=UK &#124; Rules for a dangerous operation |work=BBC News |date=1999-07-01 |access-date=2013-07-17}}</ref> Requiring, "total understanding and instantaneous recall of the provisions...."<ref name="Potter p224"/> Warnings were to be issued to allow suspects to surrender. Soldiers could only shoot without warning "if there is no other way to protect themselves or those whom it is their duty to protect from the danger of being killed or seriously injured." The card was amended in 1980 to carry the words "Firearms must only be used as a last resort".<ref>Human Rights in Northern Ireland p155</ref> The use of the card was debated in Parliament.<ref>{{hansard|1995/feb/01/northern-ireland-rules-of-engagement|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref>