Editing Ulster Defence Regiment (section)

==Formation and recruitment{{anchor|Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969}}==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to establish the Ulster Defence Regiment and for purposes connected therewith.
| year                  = 
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1969|1969]] c. 65
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 18 December 1969
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = [[Reserve Forces Act 1980]]
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = repealed 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
[[File:Soldiers of 1 UDR on parade at Steeple Camp, Antrim.jpg|thumb|right|250px|C Company, 1 UDR on parade at Steeple Camp, [[County Antrim]], [[Remembrance Sunday]] 1970]]

The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969 (c. 65) received [[royal assent]] on 18 December 1969<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44996|page=129747|date=29 December 1969}}</ref> and was brought into force on 1 January 1970.<ref>[[Statutory Instrument]], 1969 No. 1860 (C. 58), The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969 (Commencement) Order 1969</ref><ref>The New Law Journal, Volume 120, Part 1</ref>

General Sir [[John Anderson (British Army officer)|John Anderson]] [[Order of the Bath|GCB]], KCB [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]] ([[5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards]]) was appointed as the first Colonel Commandant.<ref name="autogenerated1969">{{London Gazette|issue=44971 |supp=y|page=11381|date=25 November 1969}}<br />{{London Gazette|issue=48108 |supp=y|page=3032|date=25 February 1980}}</ref> He came to be known as the "Father of the Regiment".<ref>Ryder p70</ref> The first regimental commander was a WW2 veteran of some distinction, [[Brigadier]] [[Major General Logan Scott-Bowden|Logan Scott-Bowden]] [[CBE]], DSO, [[Military Cross|MC & Bar]].<ref name="British Army Officers 1939-1945">{{cite web|url=http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_S01.html|title=British Army Officers 1939-1945 -- S|first=J.N.|last=Houterman|website=unithistories.com}}</ref>

Regimental Headquarters was set up in a small bungalow behind the [[Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes|NAAFI]] shop at [[Thiepval Barracks]], [[Lisburn]].

Recruitment began on 1 January with a press conference. Advertisements appeared in local newspapers informing the Northern Ireland public that: "There's a new regiment in the army.  We want you to help us form it." A coupon was provided for applicants to fill in, alternatively, those interested could pick up an information leaflet and application form from their local army barracks, TA Centre, Post Office, police station or library.<ref name="Potter-p25" /> A one-minute television commercial was produced which included a personal appeal by Brigadier Scott-Bowden.<ref name="Potter-p25" /> Recruiting was open to all "male citizens of good character" between the ages of 18 and 55.<ref name=autogenerated17>Ryder p37</ref> Application forms were sent to all members of the USC,<ref name="Northern Protestants pg. 212">'Northern Protestants' pg. 212, Susan McKay</ref> which was soon to be wound up.

Vetting was carried out by a Regular Army team of mostly retired officers from outside Northern Ireland including a [[Vice Admiral|vice admiral]] and a number of [[Major General|major generals]]. Each applicant had to provide two references and the referees would be interviewed by a vetting officer.  Applicants were divided into three categories: those who were immediately deemed acceptable, those who were to be immediately rejected, and those whose applications threw up doubt about their suitability. All applications were supposed to be submitted to the [[RUC Special Branch]] and [[Criminal Investigation Department]], but in practice, this didn't always happen because of the initially high number of applicants.<ref>Potter pp25-26</ref>

On 13 January 1970 seven "training majors" from the regular army reported for duty.  None had served in Northern Ireland previously. Their job was to raise each battalion and have it ready for duty on 1 April. These came to be known as TISOs<ref>Gamble p67</ref> (training, intelligence, and security officers). Each was assisted by a regular army [[quartermaster]], a [[corporal]] clerk, a [[civil service]] Clerical Officer to act as [[Orderly room sergeant|Chief Clerk]], and a typist.<ref name="Potter-p26">Potter p26</ref>

Premises were acquired from diverse sources including wooden huts in army training centres, USC huts or whatever accommodation could be found in regular army barracks or [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] Centres.<ref>Potter p27</ref>

Seven battalions were formed initially: [[1st Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|1st (County Antrim)]]; [[2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|2nd (County Armagh)]]; [[3rd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|3rd (County Down)]]; [[4th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|4th (County Fermanagh)]]; [[5th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|5th (County Londonderry)]]; [[6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|6th (County Tyrone)]] and [[7th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment|7th (City of Belfast)]]. On 1 April 1970 the regiment joined the British Army's [[Order of Battle]] and became operational.<ref>Potter, p34</ref><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/5952.aspx |title=The Ulster Defence Regiment – British Army Website |publisher=Army.mod.uk |access-date=2013-07-17}}</ref>

===Commissioned officer recruitment===
For each battalion there was a minimum requirement of:
* 1 [[lieutenant colonel]]
* 6 [[Major (rank)|major]]s
* 7 [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]]s
* 25 [[lieutenant]]s (including 2nd lieutenants)

To recruit [[company (military unit)|company]] and platoon officers, Scott-Bowden and his subordinates were obliged to award instant [[Officer (armed forces)|commissions]] to people deemed suitable.  The ideal candidates were sought in the USC, reserve forces, university [[Officers' Training Corps]] and [[Army Cadet Force]]. In various battalions officers of company and platoon rank could be found who had served in the USC, the Regular and Territorial Army, the [[Royal Navy]], the [[Royal Air Force]], the [[Royal Marines]], the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] and even the [[United States Army]].<ref>Potter pp30-31</ref> In addition to the problem of finding officers there had to be observance of the Protestant/Catholic ratio but by March 1971, 18 Catholic officers had been recruited and the total number of officers was just enough for battalions to function at their current strengths.<ref>Potter p43</ref> This rose to 23.<ref name=autogenerated18>Potter p58</ref> All seven battalions were led by former commandants of the USC.<ref name="Northern Protestants pg. 212"/>

===Non-commissioned officer recruitment/appointment===
For each battalion there was a minimum requirement of:
* 1 [[Regimental Sergeant Major]] ([[Warrant Officer]] 1st Class (WO1))
* 7 Warrant Officers 2nd Class (WO2)
* 25 [[Sergeant]]s
* 25 [[Corporal]]s
* 25 [[Lance Corporal]]s

The appointment of [[non-commissioned officer]]s (NCOs) was carried out in a variety of ways too. In most cases, men were selected who had previously held non-commissioned rank in any of the armed forces or the USC. In at least one case (2 UDR) they were chosen by the men themselves.  In some battalions, men were appointed as [[Lance Corporal|lance corporals]] (l/cpl) on a duty-by-duty basis to assess their worth.  In the [[Newry]] (C) company of 3 UDR], many of the recruits had formerly been soldiers in the local territorial company of the [[Royal Irish Fusiliers]], including the company commander.  It was a simple matter to appoint men who had previously been his NCOs and he supplemented these with former [[sergeant]]s from the USC.  The filling of senior NCO posts in this manner did have a drawback in that many men of comparatively young ages who had considerable years of service before retirement or promotion created a "promotion block".<ref>Potter pp34-35</ref>

===USC recruitment===
{| class="wikitable" style="background: yellow;text-align:right; float:right; margin-left: 1em;"
|+B Specials UDR applications<ref name="Potter-p31" />
|-
! Battalion
! Applications
! Accepted
! USC
! Accepted
|-
| Antrim ([[1 UDR]])
| 575
| 221
| 220
| 93
|-
| Armagh ([[2 UDR]])
| 615
| 370
| 402
| 277
|-
| Down ([[3 UDR]])
| 460
| 229
| 195
| 116
|-
| Fermanagh ([[4 UDR]])
| 471
| 223
| 386
| 193
|-
| County Londonderry ([[5 UDR]])
| 671
| 382
| 338
| 219
|-
| Tyrone ([[6 UDR]])
| 1,187
| 637
| 813
| 419
|-
| Belfast ([[7 UDR]])
| 797
| 378
| 70
| 36
|-
| Total
| 5,351
| 2,440
| 2,424
| 1,353
|}

The response from the B Specials was mixed. Some felt betrayed and resigned immediately,<ref>Ellison 2000, pp. 66–67.</ref> while others made application to join the UDR as soon as forms were available. Others joined the newly formed RUC Reserve instead, especially in Belfast, where during the first month of recruiting, only 36 Specials applied to join the UDR compared to an average of 29% – 2,424, one thousand of whom were rejected, mainly on the grounds of age and fitness. Around 75% of the men of the Tyrone B Specials applied, of whom 419 were accepted and, as a result, 6 UDR started life as the only battalion more or less up to strength, and remained so during its history. In five of the seven battalions, former Specials made up more than half of personnel; in 4 UDR, it reached 87%. The story was different in Belfast (10%) and the rest of Antrim (42%), where the figures were more balanced, with a correspondingly higher proportion of Catholic recruits.<ref name=Potter29>Potter, p29</ref>

Some former B Specials felt so aggrieved at the loss of their force that they booed and jeered passing UDR patrols. Most anger seemed to be in [[County Down]], where the USC District adjutant actively campaigned to persuade his men not to apply.<ref name=Potter29 />

===Catholic recruitment===
The ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'' stated on 18 February 1970 that the first two soldiers reported as signing up were a 19-year-old Catholic and a 47-year-old Protestant.<ref>Ryder 1991, p.35</ref> The regiment began with Catholic recruits accounting for 18% of the membership. Many were ex-regular soldiers, "eager to get back into uniform".<ref name="Potter29" /> By 1987 Catholic membership was 4%.<ref>''UDR tries to attract more Catholics.'' [[The Times (London, England)]], 21 December 1987</ref>

===Recruitment summary===
By March 1970, there had been 4,791 applications to join, of which 946 were from Catholics and 2,424 from current or former members of the B-Specials. 2,440 had been accepted, including 1,423 from current or former B-Specials.<ref>{{hansard|1970/mar/23/ulster-defence-regiment-applicants|house=written|access-date=15 October 2008}}</ref>

As the percentage of recruits from both communities did not reflect the religious [[demographics of Northern Ireland]], it never became the model Lord Hunt intended.<ref name=":0">Potter, p376</ref> Catholics continued to join the regiment, but the numbers were never representative. They were highest in 3 UDR, which had the highest percentage of Catholics throughout the Troubles, beginning with 30%, although this was a much lower percentage than that of the battalion area. Some [[Section (military unit)|sections]] were staffed entirely by Catholics, which led to protests from the B Specials Association that in 3 UDR "preference for promotion and allocation of appointments was being given to Catholics".<ref>Potter, pp57–58</ref> This was partially explained by the fact that in the mostly Catholic town of Newry, the Territorial Army company of the Royal Irish Fusiliers had been disbanded in 1968 and the vast majority of its soldiers had joined the UDR en masse.<ref name=Potter35>Potter, p35</ref>

The company commander of C Company, (Newry), 3 UDR, was the former commander of the TA unit and was pleased to see that virtually all of his TA soldiers were on parade, in the TA Centre, in exactly the same drill hall as they had previously used, for the first night of the new regiment. He noted there were some former B Specials in the room and observed they did not initially associate with the others – not on the grounds of religion but because the former TA soldiers all knew each other socially and sat together on canteen breaks whereas the former specials kept to their group of comrades, but within a week both had melded together.<ref name="Potter35" />

By 1 April 1970, only 1,606 of the desired 4,000 men had been enlisted, and the UDR began its duties much under strength.<ref name="Potter-p31">Potter, p31</ref> The regiment continued to grow, however.  In 1973 numbers peaked at 9,100 (all part-time) and at the time of amalgamation had stabilised its numbers at 2,797 permanent cadre soldiers and 2,620 part-time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ni/security.htm#01|title=CAIN: Northern Ireland Society – Security and Defence|first=Dr Martin|last=Melaugh|website=cain.ulst.ac.uk}}</ref>