Editing Ulster Defence Regiment (section)

===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 />