The first Independent Monitoring Commission report in April 2004 described the UVF/RHC as "relatively small" with "a few hundred" active members "based mainly in the Belfast and immediately adjacent areas". [20][21], Since 1964, there had been a growing civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland. However, the year leading up to the loyalist ceasefire, which took place shortly after the Provisional IRA ceasefire, saw some of the worst sectarian killings carried out by loyalists during the Troubles. The UVF very clearly have involvement in drug dealing, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the community. [119] In 2002 the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee estimated the UVF's annual running costs at 12 million per year, against an annual fundraising capability of 1.5 million. Eleven months later, a 40-year old man was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of the UVF's alleged second-in-command Harry Stockman, described by the media as a "senior Loyalist figure". For the fourth year, UVF was included on the list of Top Performers on. The arms are thought to have consisted of: The UVF used this new infusion of arms to escalate their campaign of sectarian assassinations. [57] In 1976, Tommy West was replaced with "Mr. F" who is alleged to be John "Bunter" Graham and remains the incumbent Chief of Staff as of 2012. On 18 June 1994, UVF members machine-gunned a pub in the Loughinisland massacre in County Down, on the basis that its customers were watching the Republic of Ireland national football team playing in the World Cup on television and were therefore assumed to be Catholics. "Ulster's Uncertain Defenders: Protestant Political Paramilitary and Community Groups and the Northern Ireland Conflict". [42] Both the UVF and the British Government have denied the claims. Our Classes Muscle Testing Workshop Contact Us Review us uvf members list uvf members list During the riot, UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle. She died of her injuries on 27 June. Recently it has emerged from the Police Ombudsman that senior North Belfast UVF member and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Special Branch informant Mark Haddock has been involved in drug dealing. The origins of the UDA lay in west Belfast with the formation of vigilante groups such as the Shankill Defence. Thousands of families, mostly Catholics, were forced to flee their homes and refugee camps were set up in the Republic of Ireland. The initial aim of Ulster Resistance was to bring an end to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. [29] Unionist support for O'Neill waned, and on 28 April he resigned as Prime Minister. The Geography of Service and Death (GoSD) has details of around 400 UVF members from West and East Belfast. Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. [96], Masked UVF Brigade Staff members at a press conference in October 1974. The no-warning car bombings had been carried out by units from the Belfast and Mid-Ulster brigades. It comprises high-ranking officers under a Chief of Staff or Brigadier-General. The UVF launched further attacks in the Republic of Ireland during December 1972 and January 1973, when it detonated three car bombs in Dublin and one in Belturbet, killing five civilians. Unable to find their target, the men drove around the Falls district in search of a Catholic. F". Since 1969 the group had also carried out attacks in the Republic of Ireland. [58][59][98] Graham has held the position since he assumed office in 1976. Henry MacDonald and Jim Cusack provide a fascinating insight into the UVF's origins, growth and decline. [28], By 1969, the Catholic civil rights movement had escalted its protest campaign, and O'Neill had promised them some concessions. [107] A British Army report released in 2006 estimated a peak membership of 1,000. The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade was founded in 1972 in Lurgan by Billy Hanna, a captain in the UDR and a member of the Brigade Staff, who served as the brigade's commander until his shooting death in July 1975. "[18], In November 2013, after a series of shootings and acts of intimidation by the UVF, Police Federation Chairman Terry Spence declared that the UVF ceasefire was no longer active. This was a large, three-day riot between Irish nationalists and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Senior members of the UVF, including Gusty Spence and Billy Mitchell, told him the group was formed in the mid-1960s by elements in the right wing of the unionist party, to bring down Terence O. "BBC News Man held over East Belfast police murder bid", "Surge in Belfast violence blamed on resurgent UVF", "The Beast from East Belfast could put an end to flags violence right now but he won't", "East Belfast UVF: Mission Accomplished? The largest death toll in a single attack was in the 3 March 1991 Cappagh killings, when the UVF killed IRA members John Quinn, Dwayne O'Donnell and Malcolm Nugent, and civilian Thomas Armstrong in the small village of Cappagh. [46] Some of the new Brigade Staff members bore nicknames such as "Big Dog" and "Smudger". [11] During the conflict, its deadliest attack in Northern Ireland was the 1971 McGurk's Bar bombing, which killed fifteen civilians. [44], The brigade formed part of the Glenanne gang, a loose alliance of loyalist assassins which the Pat Finucane Centre has linked to 87 killings in the 1970s. John Bingham Life & Death John Dowey Bingham (c. 1953 - 14 September 1986) was a prominent Northern Irish loyalist. "The Dublin and Monaghan bombings: Cover-up and incompetence". [54] The UVF was behind the deaths of seven civilians in a series of attacks on 2 October. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. John Harbinson, a Protestant handcuffed and beaten to death by a UVF gang on the Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast in May 1997 Catholic workmen Eamon Fox, 44 , a father of six, and Gary. [128] Information regarding the role of women in the UVF is limited. A lengthy internal investigation into the former 'brigadier' led by convicted UVF bomber and provost marshal Jackie Anderson found that he stole at least 250,000 over the past five years. Thirty-three people were killed and almost 300 injured. The group is a proscribed organisation and is on the terrorist organisation list of the United Kingdom.[8]. The plan was that the bomb would explode en route, killing everyone on board . However, the year leading up to the loyalist ceasefire, which took place shortly after the Provisional IRA ceasefire, saw some of the worst sectarian killings carried out by loyalists during the Troubles. ", "Ulster Volunteer Force is no longer on ceasefire, police warn", "Gary Haggarty: Ex-senior loyalist pleads guilty to 200 terror charges", "Police seize drugs and arrest 11 during raids on east Belfast UVF", "Nine men charged after east Belfast UVF police raids", "Brexit: loyalist paramilitary groups renounce Good Friday agreement", "NI riots: What is behind the violence in Northern Ireland? The UVF launched further attacks in the Republic of Ireland during December 1972 and January 1973, when it detonated three car bombs in Dublin and one in Belturbet, County Cavan, killing a total of five civilians. "Attack on girl blamed for trouble News, East Belfast", http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/east-belfast/news/attack-on-girl-blamed-for-trouble-16015238.html, "BBC News Man held over East Belfast police murder bid", http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13894198, http://www.u.tv/news/UVF-members-behind-flag-trouble/88468242-4c5a-4e07-a3c4-3dba8ad46ed4, "Twenty-nine police injured as water cannon and plastic bullets fired in Belfast as 1,000 protestors clash in escalating violence over flying of Union flag", http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261290/Twenty-police-injured-water-cannon-plastic-bullets-fired-Belfast-1-000-protestors-clash-escalating-violence-flying-Union-flag.html, http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/surge-in-belfast-violence-blamed-on-resurgent-uvf-29011837.html, http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/the-beast-from-east-belfast-could-put-an-end-to-flags-violence-right-now-but-he-wont-29013680.html, http://sluggerotoole.com/2011/06/24/east-belfast-uvf-mission-accomplished/, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24391243. Two UVF men were accidentally blown up in this attack. In 1984, the UVF attempted to kill the northern editor of the Sunday World, Jim Campbell after he had exposed the paramilitary activities of Mid-Ulster brigadier Robin Jackson. Loyalists were successful in importing arms into Northern Ireland. Along with the newly formed Ulster Defence Association (UDA), the UVF began carrying out gun attacks on random Catholic civilians and using car bombs to attack Catholic-owned pubs. In 1990, the UVF joined the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) and indicated its acceptance of moves towards peace. [22] In April, loyalists led by Ian Paisley, a Protestant fundamentalist preacher, founded the Ulster Constitution Defence Committee (UCDC). MRF teams operated in plain clothes and civilian vehicles, equipped with pistols . Though, for its own purposes, it assumed the same name it has nothing else in common. Marina Ponomareva Marina Ponomareva Junior Talent Acquisition Specialist at LeadDesk The UVF very clearly have involvement in drug dealing, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the community." [74], On 3 May 2007, following recent negotiations between the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde, the UVF made a statement that they would transform to a "non-military, civilianised" organisation. [21] Some unionists feared Irish nationalism and launched an opposing response in Northern Ireland. [87][88] A dissident Republican was arrested for "the attempted murder of police officers in east Belfast" after shots were fired upon the police. dwayne johnson rock foundation contact. It used submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, grenades (including homemade grenades), incendiary bombs, booby trap bombs and car bombs. The shooting raised questions over the future of the PUP. [53] These men had overthrown the "hawkish" officers, who had called for a "big push", which meant an increase in violent attacks, earlier in the same month. UVF: Behind the Mask is the gripping and shocking history of the Ulster Volunteer Force, from the formation of its post-1965 incarnation up to the present day. [26], On 26 June, the group shot dead a Catholic civilian and wounded two others as they left a pub on Malvern Street, Belfast. The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade carried out further attacks during this same period. That year, a string of tit-for-tat pub bombings began in Belfast. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British soldier. This move comes as the organisation holds high level discussions about their future. The report added that individuals, some current and some former members, in the group have, without the orders from above, continued to "localised recruitment", and although some continued to try and acquire weapons, including a senior member, most forms of crime had fallen, including shootings and assaults. [110], Prior to and after the onset of the Troubles the UVF carried out armed robberies. [21] The group called itself the "Ulster Volunteer Force" (UVF), after the Ulster Volunteers of the early 20th century, although in the words of a member of the previous organisation "the present para-military organisation has no connection with the U.V.F. [13][14][15][16][17] The other main loyalist paramilitary group during the conflict was the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), which had a much larger membership. [115] They always signed their statements with the fictitious name "Captain William Johnston". [84] Eleven months later, a man was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of the UVF's alleged second-in-command Harry Stockman, described by the Belfast Telegraph as a "senior Loyalist figure". The UVF agreed to a ceasefire in October 1994. The UVF agreed to a ceasefire in October 1994. Ed Moloney, Secret History of the IRA, p.321, "Voices From the Grave:Two Men's War in Ireland" Ed Moloney, Faber & Faber, 2010 pp 417. Two of those later convicted (James McDowell and Thomas Crozier) were also serving members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), a part-time, locally recruited regiment of the British Army. Scores of houses and businesses were burnt-out, most of them owned by Catholics. [36] Catholic churches were also attacked. [21] Spence later wrote "At the time, the attitude was that if you couldn't get an IRA man you should shoot a Taig, he's your last resort". The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) the loyalist paramilitary group behind Friday's proxy bomb threat that saw Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney evacuated from a peace event in Belfast have. Eight people were shot dead and hundreds were injured. LOYALIST paramilitary groups are raking in around 250,000 a month from payments by more than 12,500 members. David Ervine led the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing While not officially a unit of the UVF, the Butchers were staunch Loyalists and most were UVF members. The group concluded a general acceptance of the need to decommission, though there was no conclusive proof of moves towards this end. Their weapons stock-piles are to be retained under the watch of the UVF leadership. By the summer of 1916, only the Ulster and 16th divisions remained, the 10th amalgamated into both following severe losses in the Battle of Gallipoli. Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. The Special Constabulary was divided into three groups: A-Specials, who were full-time . [123][124], The strength of the UVF is uncertain. They also stated that they would retain their weaponry but put them beyond reach of normal volunteers. [22] The shootings led to Spence being arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum sentence of twenty years. [87] The UVF leader in East Belfast, who is popularly known as the "Beast of the East" and "Ugly Doris" also known as by real name Stephen Matthews, ordered the attack on Catholic homes and a church in the Catholic enclave of the Short Strand. [148] A Canadian branch of the UDA also existed and sent $30,000 to the UDA's headquarters in Belfast by 1975. Your job ad can make or break your candidates' decision to apply to your company. [139] In 2002 the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee estimated the UVF's annual running costs at 12 million per year, against an annual fundraising capability of 1.5 million. The gang comprised, in addition to the UVF, rogue elements of the UDR, RUC, SPG, and the regular Army, all acting allegedly under the direction of British Military Intelligence and/or RUC Special Branch. William Marchant (loyalist) Bobby Mathieson (UVF member) Billy McCaughey Samuel McClelland Robert McConnell (loyalist) Bobby McKee Billy Mitchell (loyalist) David Alexander Mulholland John Murphy (loyalist) P Clifford Peeples R Lindsay Robb Brian Robinson (loyalist) S George Seawright Robert Seymour (loyalist) William Smith (loyalist) [citation needed], On 26 March 2022, the UVF was linked to a hoax bomb alert at a bar in Warrenpoint, County Down. In Belfast, loyalists responded by attacking nationalist districts. Thirty-three people were killed and almost 300 injured. [41] On 17 May, two UVF units from the Belfast and Mid-Ulster brigades detonated four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan. [80], In the twentieth IMC report, the group was said to be continuing to put its weapons "beyond reach", (in the group's own words) to downsize, and reduce the criminality of the group. It set up a paramilitary-style wing called the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). Referring to its activity in the early and mid-1970s, journalist Ed Moloney described no-warning pub bombings as the UVF's "forte". The feud with the UDA ended in December following seven deaths. It used sub machine-guns, assault rifles, pistols, grenades (including homemade grenades), incendiary bombs, booby trap bombs and car bombs. Twenty tons of ammonium nitrate was also stolen from the Belfast docks.[40]. [26] He died of his wounds on 11 June. 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uvf members list