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

Sgt Denis Taggart Age 33 (Part Time) C. Coy
4th August 1986. Shot dead by the IRA as he got out of his car outside his home in Belfast, his son who was out delivering newspapers found his father lying beside his car.
The gunmen continued to fire as Sgt Taggart lay on the ground.
He was married with 2 children and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Joe McIllwaine Age 20 (Part Time) A. Coy.
12th June 1987. Shot dead by the IRA at his work at a golf club near Dunmurry in Belfast. 3 gunmen fired 12 shots at close range after singling Joe out as he sat with other course workers during his tea break. He was single and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte G. John Tracey Age 46 (Part Time) C. Coy.
26th June 1987. Shot dead by the IRA in Belfast as he worked on a building site connecting supplies.
He only knew that morning what location he would be working in.
He was married with six children and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Steven W. Megrath Aged 20.B.Coy (Full Time)
17th September 1987. Shot dead by the IRA at a relatives house.
Two gunmen followed him into the kitchen and opened fire from close range.
He and his partner were due to be married soon after.
He was single with two children and off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Frederick Starrett Age 22 (Part Time) F. Coy.
24th February 1988. Killed by an IRA booby–trap device as he an a colleague Pte James Cummings also killed were about to close security gates in the city centre of Belfast. The 200lb bomb was detonated by command wire. A second bomb intended for police and soldier’s doing a following up operation, failed to explode, and was defused by A.T.O. He was single and on duty at the time of his death.

Pte James Cummings Age 22 (Part Time) F. Coy
24th February 1988. Same Incident as the above Pte Frederick Starrett. He was single and on duty at the time of his death . He was the 172nd UDR soldier to be killed.

L/Cpl Roy W. Butler Age 26 (Full Time) B. Coy.
2nd August 1988. Shot dead by the IRA in front of his family at a shopping centre in West Belfast, two gunmen carried out the attack He was married with one child and was off duty at the time of his death.

Pte Brian M. Lawrence Age 34 (Part Time) F. Coy.
17th June 1991. Shot dead by the IRA as he parked his car at his civilian work place at Duncrue Street,
Belfast the gunmen fired 12 shots and Brian was hit seven times.
The car used in the attack had been hi-jacked and the owners house taken over.
He was married and off duty at the time of his death.