These pages are dedicated
to those who paid the ultimate price in the name of their
country during the bloodiest thirty-plus years of domestic British history ...

Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Association CGC.

The Association was formed following the disbandment of
the three Home Service (HS) Battalions in 2007.

Ulster Defence Regiment (CGC)

The Ulster Defence Regiment lost 197 Soldiers (4 of whom were female) during Op. Banner while in Service. A further 61 were targeted and murdered AFTER having left the Regiment.

The UDR Soldier

As poppy petal gently fall
Remember us who gave our all
Not in the mud of foreign lands
Nor buried in the desert sands.

In Ulster field and farm and town,
Fermanagh's lanes and drumlin'd Down
We died that violent death should cease
And Ulstermen might live in peace.

We did not serve because we hate
Nor bitterness our hearts dictate.

But we were they who must aspire
To quench the flame of terror's fire.

Grieve not for us, but this we ask,
Let others yet take up the task.

© John Potter

The letters CGC stand for Conspicuous Gallantry Cross which was awarded to the Regiment by HM The Queen on 6th October 2006 ... this award was to the Regiment and is unique as no bravery award has ever been awarded to any Regiment before or since, thus the full title of the Regiment is the Ulster Defence Regiment CGC (for short). 
The award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was awarded ONLY to the Ulster Defence Regiment and the HOME SERVICE Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment who served solely in the province ...

2nd Battalion

3rd Battalion

4th Battalion

5th Battalion

6th Battalion

7th Battalion

8th Battalion

9th Battalion

10th Battalion

11th Battalion

1st - 9th Battalion

4th - 6th Battalion

7th - 10th Battalion

RTA's

Training Camp

L/Cpl Victor Smyth age 54 (Part Time) E. Coy.
6th September 1972. Killed when his car overturned and burst into flames after an explosion caused by a car bomb, he had been driving home after coming off duty in Portadown.
He was married with one child, and off duty at the time of his death.

2nd/Lt R. Irwin Long Age 29 (Part Time) C. Coy.
8th November 1972. Shot by the IRA in Lurgan as he drove to collect his four year old daughter from his Grandmothers home. He died an hour later in Hospital, he was married with two children, one of whom was only 3 months old when he was killed. He was off duty at the time of his death.

Sgt Alfie Diyle Age 24 (Part Time) E. Coy.
3rd June 1975. He and two friends were shot dead by the IRA in Killeen, as they returned from a Canine Association show in Cork, a total of sixty bullets had hit the car, his wife was expecting there first child. His brother-in-law, an RUC constable was also shot dead by the IRA.
He was married and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte George Lutton Age 41 (Part Time) C. Coy.
15th November 1976. He was shot by the IRA at a barrier in Edward Street in Lurgan.
One of a four man foot patrol ambushed by gunmen who fired ten shots, a second soldier was injured.
He was married with two children and on duty at the time of his death.

Pte Robert J. McNally Age 20 (Full Time) A. Coy.
13th March 1979. Fatally injured by an INLA booby trap car bomb which exploded beneath his car in Portadown on the 6th March 1979. He was married with 2 children and off duty at the time of the explosion.

Pte S. David Montgomery Age 23 (Part Time) C. Coy.
8th March 1984. Shot dead by two IRA gunmen as he worked at a filling station in Moira on the Airport Road. The gunmen forced customers to lie on the floor, then executed David with two shots to his head. He was single and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte David Chambers Age 34 (Part Time) C. Coy.
4th June 1984. Shot by the IRA as he arrived for work at the Boxmore Container Factory in Dollingstown. He was knocked off his motorcycle with a shot gun blast, then a gunman ran back to him as he lay on the ground and shot him four more times, a 200lb bomb designed to kill security forces taking part in the follow up operation exploded in a nearby derelict house injuring two policemen and a UDR soldier.
He was married with 2 children and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Willie R. Megrath Age 46 (Part Time) B. Coy.
23rd July 1987. Ambushed by the IRA as he drove home to Lisburn after work. He was the 166th UDR soldier to be killed. He was married with two children and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Colin J. McCullough Age 24 (Part Time) C. Coy.
23rd September 1990. Shot by the IRA as he sat in his car with his fiancée in Lurgan. The gunmen shot him thirteen times, his fiancée who was not injured ran after the gunmen as they fled.
He had previous service in the Royal Irish Rangers. His elderly Mother, and his Fiancée suffered years of taunting by local republican sympathisers. He was single and off duty at the time of his death.