The Last Post

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Apr 112015
 

0ccf091‘The Last Post.’

If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which ‘The Last Post’ was played; this brings out a new meaning of it. Here is something everyone should know.

We have all heard the haunting song, ‘The Last Post.’ It’s the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the story behind the song?

If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings. Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the American Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia… The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.

During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.

When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier.. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician. The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform. This wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as ‘The Last Post’ used at military funerals was born.

The words are:

Day is done.
Gone the sun..
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar..
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night..

Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh

I too have felt the chills while listening to ‘The Last Post’. But I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn’t even know there was more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn’t know if you had either so I thought I’d pass it along. I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before. Remember Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country. Also Remember Those Who Have Served And Returned; And for those presently serving in the Armed Forces.

Wayne Fitzgerald
Editor at An Cosantóir

Picture from the AWM Site

Orange Volunteers or OVF

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Apr 112015
 

Northern Ireland The Forgotten War

gallery_20_2_11495 (1)

These posts are not to promote any paramilitary group

it is merely showing incidents that the RGJ might have been caught up in during their tours.

Orange Volunteers 1972

The Orange Volunteers (OV) was a loyalist vigilante group with a paramilitary structure active in Northern Ireland during the early year of the 1970s. It took its name from the Orange Order, from which it drew the bulk of its membership.

The group was established in 1972 as a paramilitary movement for members of the Orange Order. Many of its members had previously served in the British Army. Full details of its early membership are sketchy, although its strength was estimated at between 200 and 500 members, most of whom were concentrated east Belfast and Sandy Row, with some outlying groups in north north Down and east Antrim. The group was close to the Ulster Vanguard and provided security at some of its rallies, a task generally undertaken by the Vanguard Service Corps. Following their formation the group was endorsed by leading Orangeman George Watson but the Rev. Martin Smyth was not prepared to fully associate the Orange Order with a paramilitary group and so the OV did not receive the official public endorsement of the Orange Order.

The leader of the group was Bob Marno, who was also an active figure in the Loyalist Association of Workers. Marno represented the OV on the Ulster Army Council following the establishment of that group in 1973.

According to Steve Bruce the group carried out a bombing a Belfast pub in 1973 but otherwise did little publicly of note. The movement however was involved in stockpiling weapons and stashing them in Orange halls. The group also enjoyed a close relationship with the much larger Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and some of its more militant members were eventually absorbed into that group. In the April of 1973 their name was attached, along with those of the UVF, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Red Hand Commando (RHC), to a series of posters that appeared in loyalist west Belfast threatening violence to racketeers, particularly those claiming to be paramilitaries.

Its members were active during the Ulster Workers’ Council strike of 1974. Around this time it experienced a rush of members and grew in strength to as many as 3,000 men, allowing it to play a leading role in the roadblocks and intimidation that accompanied the strike. During the strike itself the OV was part of a faction of minor loyalist paramilitary groups, represented by the Ulster Special Constabulary Association, Ulster Volunteer Service Corps, Down Orange Welfare and themselves, who pushed for Bill Craig to take a leading role in the running of the strike. The UDA and UVF had hoped to exclude politicians from the conduct of the strike as much as possible but ultimately acquiesced and allowed both Craig and Ian Paisley to play prominent public roles in the stoppage.

Following the strike the group helped to form the Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee, which replaced the Ulster Army Council in 1974. The group was still in existence in 1977 and supported the United Ulster Unionist Council strike that year. This stoppage, which attempted to replicate the successes of 1974, had little impact. The OV disbanded at an unknown time after this and was certainly defunct by the 1980s.

A separate organisation calling itself the Orange Volunteers emerged in 1998 although members of the original OV disassociated themselves from this new group, claiming that, apart from the name, there was no connection.

Orange Volunteer Force (OVF) 1998

The Orange Volunteers (OV) or the Orange Volunteer Force (OVF) is a small Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1998 by loyalists who opposed the Belfast Agreement and the loyalist ceasefires. Over the following year it carried out a wave of bomb and gun attacks on Catholics and Catholic-owned property in rural areas, but since 2000 has been relatively inactive. The group has been associated with elements of the Orange Order and has a Protestant fundamentalist ideology. Its original leader was Pastor Clifford Peeples. The OV is designated as a terrorist organization.

Origins

The OV emerged during the 1998 Drumcree conflict when the Royal Ulster Constabulary and British Army prevented members of the Portadown Orange Order and their supporters from returning to the town centre down the Garvaghy road. However there is evidence to suggest that they had been actively recruiting and training members since as early as 1985. The group is believed to be made up of dissident loyalists who disapprove of the Northern Ireland peace process and also of the more militant members of the Orange Order, including former members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association. David Ervine, at the time a leading member of the Progressive Unionist Party, described the group as little more than a gang of Protestant fundamentalists and drug-dealers.

Activities

In 1998 and 1999, the Orange Volunteers were led by Clifford Peeples, a Protestant pastor from Belfast. One of the group’s first actions was a synchronized attack on 11 Catholic churches. Peeples defended the attack on the grounds that the churches were “bastions of the Antichrist”.

On the 27th of November 1998, eight masked OV members brandishing guns and grenades staged a “show of strength” for a local journalist. The gunmen began the meeting with a Bible reading and ended it with prayers. They produced a “covenant” that said: “We are defenders of the reformed faith. Our members are practicing Protestant worshipers”. They went on to state: “We are prepared to defend our people and if it comes to the crunch we will assassinate the enemies of Ulster. Ordinary Catholics have nothing to fear from us. But the true enemies will be targeted, and that’s a lot wider than just Sinn Féin and the IRA”. They vowed to target IRA prisoners released as part of the Belfast Agreement and claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on nationalist-owned businesses a month beforehand.

Timeline

1998

31st October 1998: The OV claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Catholic-owned pub on Colinglen Road, Belfast.

17th December 1998: The OV claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack on a pub on Ballyganniff Road near Crumlin, County Antrim. It said it was an attempt to kill a senior IRA member.

17th December 1998: The OV claimed responsibility for throwing a grenade and firing shots at the home of a known republican in Castledawson, County Londonderry.

In the December of 1998: The OV claimed responsibility for a gun and bomb attack on the home of a Catholic civilian in Knockcloghrim, County Londonderry.

1999

19th January 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on a house in Loughinisland, County Down. The man who lived there was wounded. The OV claimed that he was a “PIRA commander in South Down”.

6th January 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a booby-trap bomb attack on builders working on a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Magherafelt, County Londonderry. A Catholic builder was injured.

8th February 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on a Catholic-owned pub near Toome, County Antrim.

9th February 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for an attack on a Catholic-owned pub in Castledawson, County Londonderry. It also claimed responsibility for planting a pipe bomb outside a pub in Crumlin.

1st March 1999: A bomb was found on the windowsill of a Catholic-owned house in Coalisland, County Tyrone. It is believed the OV were responsible.

3th March 1999: The United Kingdom designated the OV, along with the Red Hand Defenders (RHD), as terrorist organizations.

23rd March 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a booby-trap bomb attack at a scrapyard on Station Road, Castlewellan, County Down. One man was injured.

24th March 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on the Derryhirk Inn near Aghagallon, County Antrim.

26th March 1999: The OV were blamed for planting a pipe bomb outside the home of a Catholic family in Randalstown, County Antrim.

10th April 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on a pub near Templepatrick, County Antrim. One man was injured.

25th Apr 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on a house in the Legoneil area of Belfast.

28th April 1999: The OV claimed responsibility for a pipe bomb attack on the Ramble Inn pub in County Antrim. Several cars were damaged.

In the Autumn of 1999, In a series of police raids aimed at dissident loyalists, eight arrests were made while weapons and ammunition were found during a search of Stoneyford Orange Hall in County Antrim. Police also found military files containing the personal details of over 300 republicans from south Armagh and Belfast.

2000

In the June of 2000, The OV threatened to kill GAA officials in the run-up to the Ulster Gaelic football championships.

29th August 2000: The OV claimed responsibility for burning-down Brennan’s Bar in west Belfast.

28th Sepember 2000: The OV declared that it had ceased all “military activity”.

2001

In the July of 2001, The OV claimed responsibility of killing Catholic 19 year old Ciaran Cummings in a shooting in County Antrim. However, the Red Hand Defenders (paramilitary with strong links with OV) also claimed responsibility. In 2007 an inquest heard that the Red Hand Defenders and the OV may have worked together in the killing.

6th December 2001: The United States designated the OV and Red Hand Defenders (RHD) as “terrorist organizations”.

27th December 2001: The OV declared that it would be ceasing “military operations” after the 31st of December 2001. It is understood the group decided to go on ceasefire after a plea by a senior clergyman.

2002

2nd August 2002: Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey, the new Lord Mayor of Belfast, was sent a bullet in the post. The death threat has been attributed to the OV. It arrived at City Hall in Belfast only hours before Maskey was to take part in a rally against sectarianism.

In the September of 2003, The OV were believed to have been responsible for a number of attacks on Catholic-owned houses and the Catholic church in Stoneyford.

2004

10th February 2004: Two men boarded a bus in the loyalist Milltown Estate near Lisburn and severely beat the Catholic driver, warning him that he would be shot by the OV if he returned to the area.

2008

26th September 2008: The OV were believed to have been behind an arson arrack on St Johns GAA club near Castlewellan, County Down. It is believed that the attack was revenge for attacks on Orange halls in the area.

8th November 2008: The OV claimed responsibility for burning-down Edendork GAA hall in County Tyrone. It claimed that it was revenge for attacks on Orange halls.

In the November of 2008, Sinn Féin claimed that the OV was responsible for planting a pipe bomb near the home of a Sinn Féin councillor in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

2nd December 2008: Sinn Féin minister Conor Murphy claimed to have been told by the Police Service of Northern Ireland of a recent attempt on his life by the OV in the Newry area.

2009

9th March 2009: The OV claimed responsibility for planting a pipe bomb at Sinn Féin’s office on Burn Road in Cookstown, County Tyrone. It claimed that the attack was revenge for the Massereene Barracks shooting.

18th August 2009: In retaliation for attacks on Orange halls, the OV claimed responsibility for attacks on Catholic and nationalist owned businesses in Garvagh, Rasharkin, Dunloy and Ballymoney.

24th August 2009: The OV claimed responsibility for planting a bomb at the back of a house on Smith Street, Moneymore, County Londonderry. It claimed it was retaliation for “republican attacks on Protestant property and churches” in the area. The bomb was made safe by the security forces.
In addition to the attacks listed above, the OV have also sent numerous death threats to members of Sinn Féin. These include Gerry Adams, Alex Maskey, Gerry Kelly, Francie Molloy, Caitríona Ruane, Cara McShane and Mary McArdle.

Police crackdown

In a series of police raids aimed at dissident loyalists in the Autumn of 1999, eight arrests were made, weapons, pipe bombs and ammunition were recovered and a search of Stoneyford Orange Hall in County Antrim uncovered military files containing the personal details of over 300 republicans from South Armagh and Belfast. Peeples and another loyalist were arrested by the RUC after their car was stopped on the outskirts of Dungannon and two hand grenades and a pipe bomb were discovered. In 2001 he was jailed for ten years for possession of the weapons. He was released in 2004 and became the minister of a Pentecostal church on the Shankill Road in Belfast. Four other members of the group were convicted of a range of terrorist offences, including possession of an automatic rifle, in the December of 2000.

Sourced from Wikipedia

Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) 1966 to 2013

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Apr 112015
 

Northern Ireland The Forgotten War

gallery_20_2_11495 (1)

These posts are not to promote any paramilitary group

it is merely showing incidents that the RGJ might have been caught up in during their tours.

Events of the

Ulster Volunteer Force

actions

1966 to 2013

Timeline of actions by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group formed in 1966. It includes actions carried out by the Red Hand Commando (RHC), a group integrated into the UVF shortly after their formation in the year 1972. It also includes attacks claimed by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), a covername used by the UVF. Most of these actions took place during the conflict known as “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

The UVF’s declared goal was to destroy Irish republican paramilitary groups. However, most of its victims were all Irish Catholic civilians, who were often chosen at random. Whenever it claimed responsibility for its attacks, the UVF usually claimed that those targeted were Provisional Irish Republican Army members or IRA sympathizers. At other times, attacks on Catholic civilians were claimed as “retaliation” for IRA actions, since the IRA drew most of its support from majority-Catholic areas. Such retaliation was seen as both collective punishment and an attempt to weaken the IRA’s support. Many retaliatory attacks on Catholics were claimed using the PAF covername.

Attacks resulting in at least three deaths are marked in bold.

1966
6th April 1966: UVF members petrol bombed a Catholic primary school—Holy Cross Girl’s School—in Belfast. The attack happened two days before Terence O’Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, was to address a Catholic-Protestant reconciliation meeting there.

7th May 1966: UVF members petrol bombed a Catholic-owned pub on Upper Charleville Street, in the Shankill district of Belfast. Fire also engulfed the house next door, badly burning the elderly Protestant widow who lived there. She died of her injuries on 27 June.

21st May 1966: The UVF issued a statement:
From this day, we declared war against the Irish Republican Army and its splinter groups. Known IRA men will be executed mercilessly and without hesitation. Less extreme measures will be taken against anyone sheltering or helping them, but if they persist in giving them aid, then more extreme methods will be adopted… we solemnly warn the authorities to make no more speeches of appeasement. We are heavily armed Protestants dedicated to this cause.

27th May 1966: Gusty Spence sent four UVF members to kill a man they believed to be an Irish Republican Army volunteer. When they arrived at his house on Baden Powell Street in Belfast, he was not at home. The men then drove around the Falls district in search of a Catholic. They shot John Scullion, a Catholic civilian, as he walked home. He died of his wounds on 11th June. 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”.

26th June 1966: The UVF shot three Catholic civilians as they left a pub on Malvern Street, Belfast. One of them was killed.

28th June 1966: The UVF was declared illegal.

1969

March to April 1969, members of the UVF and Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV) bombed water and electricity installations in Northern Ireland. The loyalists hoped the attacks would be blamed on the dormant IRA and on elements of the civil rights movement, which was demanding an end to discrimination against Catholics. The loyalists intended to bring down Ulster Unionist Party Prime Minister Terence O’Neill, who had promised some concessions to the civil rights movement. At the time, the bombings were indeed blamed on the IRA, and British soldiers were deployed to guard installations.

On 30th March 1969, loyalists bombed an electricity substation just outside Belfast, causing blackouts across much of the city’s south and east.

On 4th April 1969, they bombed a water pipeline at Dunadry.

On 20th April 1969, they bombed Silent Valley Reservoir and an electricity pylon in Kilmore.

On 24th April 1969, they again bombed the water pipeline at Dunadry.

On 26th April 1969, they bombed a water pipeline at Annalong, cutting off the water supply to much of Belfast.

On 28th April 1969, Terence O’Neill resigned and was replaced by fellow Ulster Unionist James Chichester-Clark.

5th August 169: A bomb damaged the front of the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook, Dublin. The UVF claimed responsibility. This was its first attack in the Republic of Ireland.

12th to 17th August 1969: Northern Ireland riots of 1969: fierce clashes erupted across Northern Ireland, between Irish nationalists and unionists, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Eight people were killed, hundreds were wounded, and hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed (the majority owned by Catholics and nationalists). The British Army were deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland. The Irish Army also set up field hospitals near the Irish border.

12th October 1969: UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle during street violence in the loyalist Shankill area of Belfast. Loyalists “had taken to the streets in protest at the Hunt Report, which recommended the disbandment of the B Specials and disarming of the RUC. A Catholic officer was standing next to Constable Arbuckle when he was shot”. Arbuckle was the first RUC officer to be killed during the Troubles.

19th October 1969: Thomas McDowell, a member of the UVF and UPV, was badly burnt while planting a bomb at a power station near Ballyshannon in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The bomb had exploded prematurely and he died of his injuries the next day. This is when it was realized that the earlier bombings had also been carried out by loyalists, not republicans. The UVF issued a statement saying the attempted attack was a protest against the Irish Army units “still massed on the border in Co Donegal”. The statement added: “so long as the threats from Éire continue, so long will the volunteers of Ulster’s people’s army strike at targets in Southern Ireland”.

31st October 1969: The UVF claimed responsibility for bombing the memorial to Wolfe Tone (leader of the United Irishmen) in Bodenstown, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland.

26th December 1969: The UVF was believed to have been responsible for bombing the Daniel O’Connell monument on O’Connell Street, Dublin. Little damage was done to the statue but the blast smashed windows in a half-mile radius.

28th December 1969: A car bomb exploded outside the Garda Síochána central detective bureau in Dublin. Gardaí believed that the UVF was responsible and said that the nearby telephone exchange headquarters may have been the target.

1970

January 1970: The UVF began bombing Catholic-owned businesses in Protestant areas of Belfast. It issued a statement vowing to “remove republican elements from loyalist areas” and stop them “reaping financial benefit therefrom”. During 1970, 42 Catholic-owned licensed premises in Protestant areas were bombed, mainly by the UVF.

8th February 1970: It is believed that the UVF was responsible for exploding a bomb at the home of Sheelagh Murnaghan, a Catholic Ulster Liberal Party MP. This was the beginning of a campaign against critics of militant loyalism.

18th February 1970: The UVF bombed a TV relay station near Raphoe in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The mast transmitted television and radio signals from RTÉ, (the Irish national broadcaster), which could be received in Northern Ireland.

7th March 1970: The UVF claimed responsibility for exploding a bomb at the home of Nationalist Party MP Austin Currie, a founder of the civil rights movement. It was also believed to have bombed St Aquinas Hall (a Catholic students’ hostel). On the 2nd July, shots were fired through the livingroom window of Currie’s house while he and his wife and children were inside.

26th March 1970: A bomb damaged an electricity substation in Tallaght, near Dublin. An anonymous letter claimed responsibility on behalf of the UVF.

28thg April 1970: It is believed that the UVF was responsible for exploding a bomb at the home of liberal Ulster Unionist MP Richard Ferguson.

2nd July 1970: A bomb damaged the main Dublin-Belfast railway line at Baldoyle in north Dublin. Gardaí believed it was the work of the UVF.

10th August 1970: It is believed that the UVF was responsible for exploding a bomb at the home of liberal Ulster Unionist politician Anne Dickson.

16th September 1970: A bomb exploded in a classroom of Trentaghmucklagh National School in St Johnston, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The school was empty at the time. It is believed the UVF were responsible.

1971

15th January 1971: It is believed that the UVF was responsible for exploding a bomb at a Catholic church in the Whitehouse area of Newtownabbey.

26th January 1971: A bomb destroyed the Customs & Excise station at Lifford, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. No warning had been given. It is believed the UVF were responsible.

January to February 1971: The UVF bombed two monuments in Dublin: the Daniel O’Connell monument in Glasnevin Cemetery, and the Wolfe Tone statue in St Stephen’s Green.

18th March 1971: It is believed that the UVF was responsible for exploding a bomb at St Malachy’s College, a Catholic school in Belfast.

9th October 1971: The UVF exploded a bomb at the Catholic-owned Fiddler’s House Bar in Belfast. It killed a Protestant civilian.

16th September 1971: UVF member Samuel Nelson was found shot dead in a car on Downing Street, Belfast. He had been killed by other UVF members, who believed he was an informer.

4th December 1971: McGurk’s Bar bombing – without warning, the UVF exploded a time bomb at Tramore Bar (aka McGurk’s Bar) on North Queen Street, Belfast. The pub was frequented by members of the Catholic and Irish nationalist community. Fifteen Catholic civilians were killed and seventeen wounded. The UVF team had been ordered to bomb an IRA-run pub nearby, but decided that the Tramore Bar was an easier target. It was the highest death toll from a single incident in Belfast during the Troubles, and was the second-highest death toll caused by a UVF attack.

18th December 1971: Without warning, the UVF exploded a bomb at the Catholic-owned Murtagh’s Bar in Belfast. It killed a Catholic civilian.

1972

8th February 1972: The “Red Hand Commando” claimed responsibility for killing a member of the Catholic Ex-Servicemen’s Association in a drive-by shooting on Crumlin Road, Belfast.

13th March 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Ravenhill Avenue, Belfast.

15th April 1972: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian in a drive-by shooting on Crumlin Road, Belfast.

13th to 14th May 1972: The UVF engaged the IRA in a series of gun battles in the interface area between Springmartin and Ballymurphy. A total of seven people were killed, five of whom were civilians.

28th May 1972: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian in a drive-by shooting on Springfield Road, Belfast.

29th May 1972: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian in a drive-by shooting at Millfield, Belfast.

4th June 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his shop on Annesley Street, Belfast.

23th June 1972: The UVF carried out a drive-by shooting on a group of Catholics standing outside a bank at the corner of Antrim Road and Atlantic Avenue, Belfast. One Catholic civilian was killed and another wounded.

3rd July 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian and dumped his body off Twickenham Street, Belfast.

5th July 1972: The UVF shot a Catholic civilian on Waterford Street, Belfast. He died on 8th of July 1972.

11th/12th July 1972: UVF and UDA members shot dead a 15-year-old Catholic civilian in his home on Southport Street, Belfast. They also sexually assaulted his mother.

22nd July 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in a car on Liffey Street, Belfast.

16th August 1972: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in the Long Bar, Belfast.

20th August 1972: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian and dumped his body on Glencairn Road, Belfast.

26th August 1972: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians in Belfast. One was found on Agnes Street and another was found on Benwell Street.

14th September 1972: The UVF exploded a car bomb outside the Imperial Hotel on Cliftonville Road, Belfast. It killed three civilians.

16th September 1972: The British Army shot dead a UVF member during a riot in Larne.

26th September 1972: The UVF exploded a car bomb outside a social club on Upper Library Street, Belfast. A Catholic civilian died of his injuries the following day.

28th September 1972: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at his home on Glenvarlock Street, Belfast.

29th September: The UVF shot dead a Protestant milkman while carrying out a robbery at a farmhouse in Ballynure, County Antrim.

30th September: The UVF exploded a car bomb at Conlon’s Bar, Belfast. It killed two Catholic civilians.

4th October: A Catholic civilian was killed when the UVF threw a grenade into his house in Portadown. His mother and brother were wounded. The grenade was of a type made in the United Kingdom “for use by the British Armed Forces” and the attack has been linked to the Glenanne gang.

7th October 1972: The UVF exploded a car bomb at the Long Bar on Leeson Street, Belfast. It killed a Catholic civilian.

29th October 1972: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian in a drive-by shooting on Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

31th October 1972: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace on Lisburn Road, Belfast.

11th November 1972: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian at his shop on Crumlin Road, Belfast.

21st November 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Sandhill Drive, Belfast.

27th November 1972: The UVF shot dead a 14-year-old Catholic civilian as he was travelling in a car on Ariel Street, Belfast.

1st December 1972: Two car bombs exploded in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. One exploded at 7:58 p.m on Eden Quay and one exploded at 8:16 p.m on Sackville Place. A man with an English accent sent a telephoned warning to a Belfast newspaper just a few minutes before the first explosion. Two civilians were killed and 127 wounded. Although no group initially claimed responsibility, the UVF has since done so. It is alleged that members of the British security forces were involved.

14th December 1972: The UVF exploded a car bomb at Dolan’s Bar in Killeter, County Tyrone. It killed a Catholic civilian.

20th December 1972: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian in a drive-by shooting at Clonmore, County Armagh.

21st December 1972: A Catholic civilian was killed in a drive-by shooting on Clandeboye Road, Bangor. He had been waiting for his regular lift to work. It is thought the “Red Hand Commando” was responsible.

28th December 1972: Loyalists associated with the UVF detonated three bombs in the Republic of Ireland within thirty minutes of each other. A car bomb exploded without warning outside the post office in Belturbet, County Cavan. Two civilians were killed and eight wounded. Another car bomb exploded without warning in Clones, County Monaghan, wounding a further two civilians. The other bomb exploded without warning outside a pub in Mulnagoad, near Pettigo, County Donegal. There were no injuries.

30th December 1972: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in his car near his workplace on Lichfield Avenue, Belfast.

1973

18th January 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian after he left a pub in Portadown.

20th January 1973: After issuing an inadequate warning, the UVF exploded a car bomb on Sackville Place, Dublin. It killed one Scottish civilian and wounded 14 others.

4th February 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace, a filling station on Ballysillan Road, Belfast.

7th February: The UVF (as part of the United Loyalist Council) held a one-day strike to “re-establish some sort of Protestant or loyalist control over the affairs of the province”. Loyalist paramilitaries forcibly stopped many people going to work and closed many businesses that had opened. There were eight bombings and thirty-five arsons. The British Army shot dead a UVF member during a riot on Albertbridge Road, Belfast.

18th February 1973: The UVF killed two Catholic civilians in a drive-by shooting on Divis Street, Belfast.

19th February 1973: A Protestant civilian was found shot dead at Wolfhill Quarry on the edge of Belfast. The UVF killed him as an alleged informer.

1st March 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic taxi driver in his car on Mansfield Street, Belfast.

2nd March 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic bus driver as he stopped at a bus stop on Woodvale Road, Belfast.

4th March 1973: A British Army soldier died four weeks after being shot by the UVF during a riot on Newtownards Road/Welland Street, Belfast.

15th March 1973: A Catholic civilian was killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at his house in Jordanstown.

14th April 1973: The UVF killed a Protestant Official IRA volunteer in a drive-by shooting on McClure Street, Belfast.

22nd April 1973: A UVF member was found dead in his cell at Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast. It is believed he was poisoned by fellow UVF prisoners as part of an internal dispute.

11th May 1973: The UVF shot a Catholic civilian on Raglan Street, Belfast. He died on 14th May 1973.

17th May 1973: The UVF carried out a gun and grenade attack on the Jubilee Arms pub on Lavinia Street, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killed.

17th May 1973: An Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier shot a UVF member as he tried to steal a car on Shankill Road, Belfast. He died on 19th May 1973.

31st May 1973: The UVF were blamed for a gun and grenade attack on Muldoon’s Bar in Belfast. An English seaman was killed.

31st May 1973: The UVF were blamed for a bomb attack at McGlade’s Bar in Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killed.

3rd June 1973: The UVF shot dead two Protestant civilians in a house on Druse Street, Belfast.

6th July 1973: The UVF killed an Official IRA volunteer in a drive-by shooting on Falls Road, Belfast.

21st July 1973: The UVF shot a Protestant civilian during a robbery of Horseshoe Bar, Belfast. He died on 24th July 1973.

22nd July 1973: The UVF shot dead a German seaman and dumped his body in an alleyway of Klondyke Street, Belfast.

5th August 1973: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their farmhouse at Broughadoey near Moy. Their two-year-old son was also wounded by gunfire.[39] The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

9th August 1973: The UVF killed a Presbyterian civilian from County Donegal when it shot at his company van on the motorway near Templepatrick.

11th August 1973: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

15th August 1973: The UVF exploded a car bomb at Sportsman’s Inn, Belfast. It killed a Catholic civilian.

20th August 1973: A Catholic civilian was killed when the UVF threw a grenade into his house on Grampian Avenue, Belfast.

25th August 1973: The UVF exploded a bomb at a garage on Cliftonville Road, Belfast. It then shot dead the three Catholic civilians who worked there.

28th September 1973: A car bomb exploded outside a grocery shop and house in Pettigo, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. No warning was given and a number of people were injured. It is believed that loyalists associated with the UVF were to blame, and a Garda report suggested that British soldiers may have been involved. The bomb exploded yards across the border. The British Army had been scheduled to patrol the border in the area that night but did not arrive.

1st October 1973: UVF gunmen hijacked a taxi at Annadale Embankment in Belfast and shot dead the passenger, who was a Catholic civilian.

28th October 1973: A Catholic civilian was wounded by a booby trap bomb planted by the UVF on a farm at Carnteel. He died on 8th November 1973. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

29th October 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Banbridge. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

1st November 1973: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he drove out of his workplace on Dayton Street, Belfast.

1st November 1973: The UVF exploded a bomb at Avenue Bar, Belfast. It killed a Catholic civilian.

9th November 1973: The UVF exploded a bomb at Sunflower Bar, Belfast. It killed a Protestant civilian.

17th–18th November 1973: A UVF member was killed when his bomb prematurely exploded at a farmhouse in Desertmartin. A 500 lb UVF bomb destroyed shops and flats in the Catholic Newington area of north Belfast.

18th November 1973: The UVF leadership declared a ceasefire to allow the political process to develop.

28th December: The British Army shot dead a UVF member during a fight outside Bayardo Bar, Belfast. Hours later, UVF and UDA snipers shot dead a Catholic RUC officer on Forthriver Road, Belfast. They had robbed a supermarket to lure his police patrol to the scene. The attack was thought to be a retaliation for the killing of the UVF member.

1974

10th January 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian near his workplace on Milltown Row, Belfast.

14th January 1974: The body of a Protestant civilian was found in a field near Carrowdore. It is believed he was shot by the UVF.

17th January 1974: The UVF launched a gun attack on Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh. Two gunmen entered the pub and opened fire indiscriminately on the customers. A Catholic civilian was killed and three others wounded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

30th January 1974: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at his home on Gosford Place, Belfast. It believed he was an informer.

4th February 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian outside his garage on Whiterock Gardens, Belfast.

19th February 1974: A Catholic and Protestant civilian were killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at Trainor’s Bar near Blackwatertown. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”. In 1981 a serving UDR soldier, a former UDR soldier and a former UVF member were convicted of the murders.

28th February 1974: The UVF exploded a bomb at Red Star Bar, Belfast. It killed a Protestant civilian.

11th March 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in an attack on Bunch Of Grapes Bar, Belfast.

5th March 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

24th March 1974: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian near his home on Spruce Street, Belfast.

29th March 1974: Two Catholic civilians were killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at Conway’s Bar, Belfast.

1st April 1974: The UVF shot dead one of its own members, Jim Hanna, on Mansfield Street in Belfast. It claimed that the victim, the organisation’s commander, was an informer.

6th April 1974: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian as she walked with her boyfriend on Shankill Road, Belfast.

16th April 1974: A UVF member died when his bomb prematurely exploded in a house on Union Street, Portadown.

21st April 1974: The UVF shot dead civilian Sinn Féin member James Murphy at his garage at Corravehy, near Derrylin.

2nd May 1974: Six Catholic civilians were killed and eighteen wounded when the UVF exploded a bomb at Rose & Crown Bar on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

7th May 1974: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians near their home at Congo Road, outside Dungannon. As they were driving home, a man in British Army uniform stopped their car and opened fire on them. Their daughter was also wounded. A UDR soldier was convicted for the killings and the attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

14th May 1974: The UVF, along with Sinn Féin, were declared legal following the passing of legislation at Westminster.

15th May 1974: The Ulster Workers’ Council strike began in protest at the Sunningdale Agreement. For the next fourteen days, loyalist paramilitaries forcibly tried to stop many people going to work and to close any businesses that had opened.

17th May 1974: Dublin and Monaghan bombings – 33 civilians were killed and 300 wounded when the UVF exploded three car bombs in Dublin and one in Monaghan (both in the Republic of Ireland). No warning had been given. This was the highest number of casualties in a single incident during “The Troubles”. It has been alleged that members of the British security forces were involved. The UVF did not claim responsibility until 15th of July 1993.

18th May 1974: A UDA member shot dead a UVF member during a fight in North Star Bar, Belfast.

24th May 1974: Two Catholic civilians were shot dead in their pub, the Wayside Halt, during a joint UVF/UFF operation to shut down Catholic-owned pubs in and around Ballymena.

28th May 1974: The Ulster Workers’ Council strike ended.

12th July 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Bangor.

16th July 1974: A Catholic civilian was killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at Sunflower Bar, Belfast.

11th September 1974: There was an attempted car bomb attack in Blacklion, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland. Three masked gunmen in British military uniform had hijacked the car, placed a time bomb inside and forced the owner to drive it into the village. They claimed to be from the UVF and threatened to attack his family if he did not comply. The driver parked the car in the middle of the village and alerted the Irish Army and Garda. The village was evacuated and the Army carried out a controlled explosion on the car. They estimated that the bomb would have destroyed most of the village.

16th September 1974: The UVF left a booby-trap bomb in a parcel outside a factory in Pomeroy which killed the owner, a Catholic civilian.

18th September 1974: The UVF killed a member of the Official IRA youth section in a drive-by shooting on Clifton Street, Belfast.

25th September 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Limestone Road, Belfast.

30th September 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace, a bakery on Orby Road, Belfast.

4th October 1974: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian near his workplace on Moonstone Street, Belfast. He was mistaken for his Catholic workmate.

10th October 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at a house in Newtownabbey.

11th October 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian as he walked to work along Brougham Street, Belfast.

13th October 1974: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian and dumped his body in a quarry on Hightown Road, Belfast.

18th October 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for exploding a bomb outside a Catholic school in Belfast, injuring twelve people (including children).

18th October 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting two Catholic street-sweepers in Belfast.

21st October 1974: The UVF killed two Catholic civilians in a drive-by shooting on Falls Road, Belfast. Billy Hutchinson was later convicted for his part in these killings. Hutchinson was to become a leading spokesman for the Progressive Unionist Party.

27th October 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian, whose body was found at the back of a farmhouse at Mullantine, near Portadown. He had been beaten, strangled and then shot by UVF members after taking a lift from Lurgan to Portadown, together with a friend who managed to escape. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

8th November 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian who was found shot dead in a derelict bakery on Byron Street, Belfast. This was claimed as retaliation for the Guildford pub bombings.

9th November 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead two Catholic civilians in Templepatrick.

12th November 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at St Mary Youth Centre on Carolan Road, Belfast.

15th November 1974: The UVF shot a Catholic civilian in Maguire’s Bar, Larne. He died on the 20th of November 1974.

20th November 1974: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for a gun attack at Falls Bar in Aughnamullen, near Clonoe. A Catholic civilian (the pub owner) was killed and a customer was wounded. This was claimed as retaliation for the killing of an RUC officer in Craigavon earlier that day. A British Army UDR soldier was later convicted for the attack, which has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

23rd November 1974: A Catholic civilian was found dead in a car on Hightown Road, near Belfast. He had been kidnapped and shot in the head by the UVF.

29th November 1974: The UVF bombed McArdle’s Bar in Crossmaglen. Six people were wounded and one, a Catholic civilian, died of his wounds almost a year later on 15th November in 1975. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

29th November 1974: The UVF bombed Hughes Bar in Newry. Many people were wounded and one, a Catholic civilian, died of his wounds on 15th of December 1974. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

1975

10th January 1975: The UVF claimed responsibility for shooting dead Provisional IRA volunteer John Francis Green at a farmhouse in Tullynageer, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. It has been alleged that British Army captain Robert Nairac was involved.

6th February 1975: A Catholic civilian was found shot dead in a field beside Killyglen Road, Larne. The court heard she had been “sentenced to death” by an organization for allegedly passing information to the IRA. She had four children and was once a member of the Women’s Royal Army Corps. Two men were convicted for her killing: one a UVF member and the other a UDR lance-corporal.

8th February: 1975 The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Lesley Street, Belfast. He was a former internee.

10th February 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he worked sweeping the street at Cooke Place, Belfast.

10th February 1975: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians in a gun attack on Hayden’s Bar in Gortavale, near Rock. Four others were wounded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

14th February 1975: The UVF shot a Catholic civilian in Coleraine, County Londonderry. He died on 24th of February 1975.

20th February 1975: The UVF exploded a bomb at Railway Bar on Shore Road, Newtownabbey. A Catholic civilian was killed.

28th February 1975: The UVF killed a Catholic civilian and wounded another in a drive-by shooting on lower Antrim Road near Camberwell Terrace, Belfast.

In the March of 1975: A feud began between the UVF and Ulster Defence Association (UDA)/Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), the other main loyalist group.

8th March 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Clifton Drive, Belfast.

9th March 1975: Loyalists firebombed a fleet of fishing trawlers at Greencastle, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. Fourteen boats were damaged. Both the UVF and UDA claimed responsibility, with the UDA making “the unlikely claim that the fleet had been used to ferry arms ashore for the IRA after a rendezvous with a Russian submarine”.

13th March 1975: The UVF carried out a gun and grenade attack on Conway’s Bar in Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killed and a UVF member wounded when the bomb he was planting exploded prematurely. He died on 28th of April 1975.

15th March 1975: The UVF shot dead two UDA members in Alexandra Bar, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

16th March 1975: A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was killed by a UVF bomb outside Ormeau Arms Bar in Bangor.

21st March 1975: A Protestant civilian died four months after being shot by the UVF during a bank robbery on Crumlin Road, Belfast.

1st April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian and wounding her Protestant husband as they walked through a park near Garvaghy Road, Portadown. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

3dr April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian near his home at Ballyoran Park, off the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

5th April 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he walked home at Etna Drive, Belfast.

5th April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for bombing McLaughlin’s bar in Belfast. Two Catholic civilians were killed.

7th April 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at Carnmoney Road North in Newtownabbey as he walked to work.

7 thApril 1975: The UVF kidnapped and shot dead two UDA members. Their bodies were found buried in a field near Whitehead on the 1st of September 1975.

11th April 1975: The British Army shot dead a UVF member immediately after he had carried out a gun and bomb attack on a pub on Lavinia Street, Belfast.

12th April 1975: The “Red Hand Commando” claimed responsibility for a gun and bomb attack on the Strand Bar, Anderson Street, Belfast. Six Catholic civilians were killed.

12th April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting a Catholic civilian at his home in Glencull near Aughnacloy. He died of his wounds on the 22nd April 1975. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

21st April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing three Catholic civilians with a booby trap bomb in Killyliss, near Granville. The bomb had been planted in a house that was being renovated. One of those killed was 8 months pregnant. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

27th April 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Catholic-frequented social club in Bleary. Gunmen burst into the club and opened fire indiscriminately, killing three Catholic civilians and wounding ten other people. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

14th May 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for an attempted bomb attack on the Catholic-owned Hill Tavern in Belfast. A 15 lb bomb was thrown into the pub but the security guard kicked it outside before it exploded. Seven were hurt by the blast.

18th May 1975: UVF members stabbed-to-death a Provisional IRA volunteer in Castlewellan.[60]
21 May: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for blowing-up the Christian Brothers Past Pupils Union building on Antrim Road, Belfast.

22nd May 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian on Hightown Road, Newtownabbey. He was killed by a booby-trap bomb hidden in a flask at the building site where he was working.

23rd May 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead two Catholic civilians in a flat in Mount Vernon, Belfast. The two brothers had been playing cards with Protestant friends. The gunmen told them to lie face-down and shot them in the back of the head.

24th May 1975: Masked gunmen exploded a bomb at the home of a Catholic family in Moy. Much of the house was destroyed and six children were injured. In 1981 a serving UDR soldier, a former UDR soldier and a former UVF member were convicted of the attack, which has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

25th May 1975: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Lettercor Road, near Gortin.

27th May 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he drove along the road at Scallen, near Irvinestown.

27th May 1975: A Catholic civilian died nearly three months after being wounded in a UVF gun and bomb attack on Bush Bar, Leeson Street, Belfast.

10th June 1975: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member in his shop on Crumlin Road, Belfast.

12th June 1975: Two UVF members were killed when their bomb prematurely exploded as they drove along Great Patrick Street, Belfast.

19th June 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian in north Belfast. He was killed by a bomb left in an oil can at a filling station on Great Patrick Street.

20th June 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Ballymena Street, Belfast.

22nd June 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian who was found shot dead on the road to the Knockagh Monument, near Greenisland.

22nd June 1975: The UVF tried to derail a train by planting a bomb on the railway line near Straffan, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. The train was carrying 300 members of the Official republican movement to a commemoration at Bodenstown. A civilian tried to stop the UVF members, and was stabbed-to-death. However, his actions delayed the explosion enough to let the train pass safely.

28th June 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian outside Throne Hospital, Belfast.

13th July 1975: The UVF shot dead a UDA member in Taughmonagh, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

27th July 1975: The UVF shot dead Mid-Ulster brigadier Billy Hanna outside his home in Lurgan. He was also a captain in the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).

31st July 1975: Miami Showband killings – UVF members (some of whom were also UDR soldiers) shot dead three members of an Irish showband at Buskhill, near Loughbrickland. The gunmen staged a bogus British Army checkpoint, stopped the showband’s minibus and ordered the musicians out. Two UVF men then hid a time bomb in the bus, but it exploded and they were killed. The other gunmen then opened fire on the musicians and fled. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

1st August 1975: Two Catholic civilians were killed and several wounded when gunmen opened fire on a minibus near Gilford. The bus had been returning from a bingo session when it was stopped at a bogus UDR checkpoint. The UVF were believed to have been responsible and attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

13th August 1975: The Provisional IRA carried out a gun and bomb attack on the Bayardo Bar, Shankill Road, Belfast. A UVF member and four Protestant civilians were killed.

16th August 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he sat in his car on Glenbank Place, Belfast.

22nd August 1975: The UVF launched a gun and bomb attack on McGleenan’s Bar on Upper English Street, Armagh. One gunman opened fire while another planted the bomb. It exploded as they ran to a getaway car, causing the building to collapse. Three Catholic civilians were killed (one of whom died on the 28th August 1975) and many more were wounded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

24th August 1975: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for kidnapping and shooting dead two Catholic civilians near Newtownhamilton. The two men were driving home from a Gaelic football match in Dublin when they were stopped at a fake military checkpoint by men in British Army uniform. They were found shot dead a short distance away. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

27th August 1975: A Protestant civilian was shot dead at his home at The Crescent off Erinvale Drive, Belfast. Although the Sutton Database blames republicans, Lost Lives states that the man, John Barry, was killed by the UVF.

29th August 1975: The UVF carried out a drive-by shooting on people standing outside the Rose & Crown pub on Ormeau Road, Belfast. A 15-year-old Catholic civilian was killed.

1st September 1975: The UVF shot dead civilian Social Democratic and Labour Party member Denis Mullen at his home in Collegeland. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

1st September 1975: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in a scrapyard near Newtownabbey. The Catholic owners were the intended targets.

3rd September 1975: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their farmhouse on Hightown Road near Belfast.

4th September: The UVF launched a gun and bomb attack on McCann’s Bar in Ballyhegan. Eleven people were wounded and a Catholic civilian died from her wounds on the 22nd of  September 1975. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

7th September 1975: The UVF shot dead one of its own members on a farm near Templepatrick. It claimed he was an informer.

2nd October 1975: The UVF shot dead four Catholic civilians at their workplace, Casey’s Bottling Plant, in Belfast.

2nd October 1975: A Catholic civilian was killed by a UVF booby-trap bomb at his photography shop on Cranburn Street, Belfast.

2nd October 1975: A Catholic civilian was killed in a UVF gun and grenade attack on McKenna’s Bar near Aldergrove Airport.

2nd October 1975: A Protestant civilian was killed in a UVF bomb attack on Anchor Bar, Killyleagh.

2nd  October 1975: Four UVF members were killed when their bomb prematurely exploded as they drove along a road in Farrenlester, near Coleraine.

3rd October 1975: The UVF was again declared a ‘proscribed’ (illegal) organisation.

8th October 1975: A Catholic civilian died six weeks after being shot by the UVF on Shore Road, Belfast.

14th October 1975: The UVF shot dead one of its own members and dumped his body off Aberdeen Street, Belfast. Internal dispute.

17th October 1975: The UVF shot dead a Protestant taxi driver as he arrived to pick up a passenger on Cavehill Road, Belfast. They mistakenly assumed he was a Catholic.

23rd October 1975: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their home in Listamlet. A contemporary newspaper article reported that “(British) Army issue ammunition” had been used. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

29th October 1975: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Lurgan.

25th November 1975: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been beaten, his throat slit, and his body dumped on Bisley Street.

29th November 1975: The UVF shot dead one of its own members in a car on Downing Street, Belfast. Internal dispute.

30th November 1975: The UVF shot dead one of its own members in a car on Nixon Street, Belfast. Internal dispute.

19th December 1975: A car bomb exploded without warning at Kay’s Tavern in Dundalk, County Louth, Republic of Ireland. Two civilians were killed and twenty wounded. A short time later, gunmen attacked Donnelly’s Bar and filling station in Silverbridge, less than ten miles away in County Armagh. They fired at people outside the building, then fired on the customers and threw a bomb inside. Three Catholic civilians were killed and six wounded. The “Red Hand Commando” claimed both attacks and it is believed they were co-ordinated. They have been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

26th December 1975: The UVF bombed the Catholic-owned Vallelly’s Bar at Ardress. A Catholic civilian died of his wounds on the 30th of December 1975. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

1976

4th January 1976: Reavey and O’Dowd killings – the UVF shot dead six Catholic civilians in County Armagh. UVF men broke into a Catholic-owned house in Whitecross and shot dead three brothers. About 20 minutes later, UVF men entered another Catholic-owned house in Ballydougan. There they shot dead another three men, all of whom were members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. At least one officer of the Royal Ulster Constabulary’s Special Patrol Group was involved in the attacks, which have been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

10th January 1976: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

17th January 1976: The UVF launched a no-warning bomb attack on Sheridan’s Bar at New Lodge Road, Belfast. Two Catholic civilians were killed and 26 wounded.

22th January 1976: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Ballyutoag Road, Belfast. They believed he was a Catholic.

25th January 1976: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Union Street, Portadown.

7th February 1976: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been beaten, his throat slashed, and his body dumped on Forthriver Way.

9th February 1976: The “Shankill Butchers” shot dead two Protestant civilians on Cambrai Street, Belfast, believing they were Catholics.

14th February 1976: A bomb exploded without warning on the main street of Swanlinbar, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

19th February: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Manderson Street, Belfast. They believed he was a Catholic.

22nd February 1976: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been beaten, his throat slashed, and his body dumped on Mayo Street.

27th February 1976: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member outside Victor’s Bar, Belfast.

7th March 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb at Three Star Inn, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. One civilian was killed and several others wounded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

9th March 1976: The UVF attacked a restaurant, Golden Pheasant Inn, between Annahilt and Baileysmill. Gunmen shot dead the two Catholic owners and then exploded bombs inside, destroying the building.

13th March 1976: The UDA beat-to-death a UVF member on Aberdeen Street, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

17th March 1976: Four Catholic civilians (including two children) were killed and twelve wounded when the UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb at the Hillcrest Bar on Donaghmore Road, Dungannon. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

9th April 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning bomb at Divis Castle Bar on Springfield Road, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killed.

9th April 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning bomb at Lenny’s Bar on Railway Street, Armagh. A Catholic civilian was killed and fourteen others were wounded.

24th April 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb outside Shamrock Bar in Hilltown. A Catholic civilian was killed and at least two others wounded.

24th April 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning bomb at Ulster Bar in Warrenpoint. A Catholic civilian died of his wounds on 27 April. The bomb was detonated electronically.

2nd May 1976: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian in Thistlecross, County Louth.

15th May 1976: The UVF carried out two attacks on pubs in Charlemont. A bomb attack on Clancy’s Bar left three Catholic civilians dead and others wounded. Shortly after, a gun attack on the nearby Eagle Bar led to the death of another Catholic civilian and the wounding of many others. Locals claimed that the UDR had been patrolling the village for a number of nights beforehand, but were absent the night of the attacks. A UDR soldier was later convicted for taking part in the attacks, which have been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

15th May 1976: Two more Catholic civilians were killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at Avenue Bar in Belfast.

27th May 1976: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Allworthy Avenue, Belfast.

2nd June 1976: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Protestant civilian in Comber. A Catholic civilian was the intended target.

5th June: Three Catholic and two Protestant civilians were killed in a UVF gun attack on the Chlorane Bar on Gresham Street, Belfast.

5th June 1976: The UVF launched a gun and bomb attack on the Rock Bar near Keady. Gunmen shot a Catholic civilian in the street outside, then fired at customers through the windows and threw a nail bomb inside, but it only partially exploded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang” – three RUC officers were convicted of carrying out the attack and a fourth was convicted for withholding knowledge about it.

5th June 1976: A Catholic civilian was killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at International Bar in Portaferry.

18th June 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning bomb at Conway’s Bar in Newtownabbey. A Catholic civilian was killed.

26th June 1976: A Catholic civilian was found stabbed-to-death off Brookvale Street, Belfast. His father said the man had once been an Official IRA sympathizer but had never joined the organization. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

2nd July 1976: Six civilians were killed in a UVF gun attack on Ramble Inn on the Antrim–Ballymena Road near Antrim. The pub was targeted because it was owned by Catholics. Five of the dead were Protestant and one was Catholic.

25th July 1976: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Ardress. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

29th July 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning bomb at Whitefort Inn on Andersonstown Road, Belfast. Three Catholic civilians were killed (one of whom died on the 8th of September 1976) and 30 were wounded.

2nd August 1976: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been hacked-to-death with a hatchet and his body dumped on Manor Street.

16th August 1976: The UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb outside the Step Inn in Keady. Two Catholic civilians were killed and 22 were wounded. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

18th August 1976: The UFF shot dead a UVF member and left his body on Flush Road, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

11th October 1976: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his farm in Cornascriebe near Portadown.

9th October 1976: A Catholic civilian was found beaten-to-death and on fire in Ballymena. He was left sixty yard from the shop where a Protestant civilian had died in a firebomb attack earlier that day. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

13th October 1976: The UVF shot dead a Scottish man and left his body on Hemsworth Street, Belfast.

17th October 1976: A Catholic civilian was found shot and beaten on Richmond Street, Belfast. He had been in a pub with links to loyalist paramilitaries. Detectives said his Fermanagh accent may have drawn attention and a witness said the murder was purely sectarian.

28th October 1976: The “Red Hand Commando” and “Ulster Freedom Fighters” claimed responsibility for killing former Sinn Féin vice-president Máire Drumm. She was shot dead by gunmen dressed as doctors in Mater Hospital, Belfast. She had retired a short time before her killing and had been in the hospital for an operation. A UVF member ( who was formerly a soldier), who worked as a security officer at the hospital, was among a number of men jailed.

30th October 1976: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been beaten, shot, and his body dumped on Forthriver Road.

30th October 1976: The UVF kidnapped and shot dead two Catholic civilians in Belfast. Their bodies were found on Glenbank Place.

5th November 1976: The UVF shot a 15-year-old Catholic civilian as she stood outside a friend’s home on Newington Street, Belfast. She died the following day. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

6th November 1976: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian outside his workplace, a pub in Whiteabbey.

6th December 1976: The UVF launched a gun attack on a Catholic-owned house at Mountainview Gardens, Belfast. Gunmen knocked at the door and, as a 14-year-old girl peered through the blinds, they opened fire. She died on the 8th of December 1976. The house was in a mixed area.

20th December 1976: The UVF killed a suspected UDA member on Forthriver Road, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

1977

31st January 1977: The UVF beat-to-death a UDA member on Adela Street, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

3rd February 1977: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been beaten, his throat slashed, and his body dumped on Forthriver Road.

25th February 1977: The UVF shot dead a Catholic RUC officer outside the RUC base in Cushendall. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang”.

27th February 1977: Two UVF members died when their bomb prematurely exploded on Exchange Street, Belfast.

7th March 1977: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Craigavon.

25th March 1977: A civilian from County Monaghan was killed by a UVF booby-trap bomb on his minibus in Greenisland.

30th March 1977: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He had been shot, his throat slashed, and his body dumped in Highfern Gardens.

10th April 1977: The “Shankill Butchers” exploded a bomb during a republican parade on Beechmount Avenue, Belfast. It killed a ten-year-old boy.

19th April 1977: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his shop in Ahoghill. The attack has been linked to the “Glenanne gang” and two RUC Special Patrol Group officers were later convicted for taking part.

20th April 1977: Two Catholic civilians were killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at the funeral of a Provisional IRA volunteer on Etna Drive, Belfast.

23rd April 1977: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian outside Legahory Inn, Craigavon.

3rd May 19077: The United Unionist Action Council (UUAC) strike began. Loyalist paramilitaries forcibly tried to stop many people going to work and to close any businesses that had opened.

10th May 1977: An off-duty British Army UDR soldier was killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at a petrol station on Crumlin Road, Belfast. It was attacked for staying open during the loyalist strike.

10th May 1977: The “Shankill Butchers” kidnapped and tortured a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He was found in an alleyway off the Shankill Road after the gang had beaten and stabbed him, and slashed his wrists.
13th May 1977: The UUAC strike ended. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) reported that 3 people had been killed, 41 RUC officers injured, and 115 people charged with offences committed during the strike.

1978

11th February 1978: Two Catholic civilians were killed when the UVF exploded a bomb at their home on Oldpark Avenue, Belfast.

8th March 1978: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead an Irish National Liberation Army volunteer and a Catholic civilian in Portadown.

14th April 1978: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at his home in Rathcoole.

17th June 1978: A Catholic civilian was found beaten-to-death on a rubbish tip off Glencairn Road, Belfast. A detective said the motive was sectarian. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

8th September 1978: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in Lawnbrook Social Club, Belfast.

1979

17th February 1979: The UVF bombed two pubs frequented by Catholics in Glasgow, Scotland. Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. It claimed the pubs were used for republican fundraising. In June, nine UVF members were convicted of the attacks.

20th February 1979: Eleven members of the UVF known as the “Shankill Butchers” were sentenced to life in prison for 19 murders. The infamous group was named for their practice of torturing and mutilating their victims with butcher’s knives.

20th June 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Bombay Street, Belfast.

28th July 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Obins Street, Portadown.

28th August 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Ashton Street, Belfast.

1st September 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in a shop on Antrim Road, Belfast.

12th September 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Springfield Road, Belfast.

3rd October 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at her home on Rodney Drive, Belfast.

5th October 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian near his home in Camlough.

6th October 1979: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at the junction of Laganbank Road and Albertbridge Road, Belfast.

1980

2nd February 1980: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Rugby Avenue, Belfast.

29th February 1980: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Clonard Street, Belfast.

2nd April 1980: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Leoville Avenue, Belfast.

30th December 1980: The “Loyalist Prisoners Action Force” (believed to be a UVF covername) claimed responsibility for shooting dead an off-duty Prison Officer in Knocknagoney Park, Belfast.

1981

23rd February 1981: The UVF shot dead a Provisional IRA volunteer at his home on Rodney Drive, Belfast.

19th September 1981: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

15th October 1981: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at her home on Stewart Street, Belfast.

14th November 1981: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Oldpark Avenue, Belfast.

15th November 1981: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Thompson Street, Belfast.

17th November 1981: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Lurgan.

1982

5th May 1982: The UVF stabbed and shot dead a Protestant civilian during a robbery of her post office in Killinchy.

12th May 1982: A Catholic civilian was killed in a UVF gun attack on a Catholic-owned shop on Antrim Road, Belfast.

16th July 1982: Lenny Murphy (leader of the “Shankill Butchers”) was released from prison.

17th July 1982: Members of the “Shankill Butchers” beat-to-death a Protestant civilian with a learning disability at a Loyalist club. They dumped his body on waste ground near Alliance Road, Belfast.

5th September 1982: The UVF shot dead one of its own members on Crimea Street, Belfast. Internal dispute.

30th September: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in a petrol station on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

22nd October: Lenny Murphy (leader of the “Shankill Butchers”) and another UVF man kidnapped, tortured and killed a Catholic civilian in Belfast. His mutilated body was found behind a house on Brookmount Street nearly three days later.

24th October 1982: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for killing a Catholic civilian in Belfast. He was kidnapped and beaten-to-death in an alley off Brookmount Street.

25th October 1982: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead civilian Sinn Féin member Peter Corrigan in Armagh.

16th November 1982: The Provisional IRA shot dead Lenny Murphy (leader of the “Shankill Butchers”) on Forthriver Park, Belfast.

20th November 1982: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian in Dundonald. This was claimed as retaliation for the killing of Lenny Murphy, one of the “Shankill Butchers”. It vowed to kill another three Catholics to avenge his death.

1983

16th March 1983: A UVF member was shot dead by the RUC while driving a stolen car on Elmwood Avenue, Belfast.

11th April 1983: In a ‘supergrass’ trial in Belfast, 14 UVF members were jailed for a total of 200 years. Their convictions were quashed on the 24th of December 1984.

23rd April 1983: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for exploding bomb in the Hole-in-the-Wall pub in Belfast, which was frequented by Catholics. There were no injuries.

30th April 1983: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in a robbery of a school on Pirrie Park, Belfast.

26th May 1983: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian while he delivered milk on Elimgrove Street, Belfast.

29th October 1983: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead civilian Workers’ Party member David Nocher on Mill Road, Belfast.

8th November 1983: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian in Armagh. In 1986, four members of the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment – the “UDR Four” – were convicted of the murder.

24th November 1983: A Protestant civilian was found shot dead at a building site in Broughshane. He had been kidnapped by the UVF in September 1982.

25th November 1983: A Catholic civilian was beaten-to-death on Old Portadown Road in Lurgan after leaving an Irish National Foresters hall. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

5th December 1983: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead an Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) volunteer in Newtownabbey.

1984

27th January 1984: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Lurgan.

12th April 1984: The UVF planted a time bomb on the windowsill of a Catholic-owned house on University Street, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killed along with an RUC officer who had come to investigate.

17th May 1984: The UVF shot and wounded Jim Campbell, then Northern editor of the Sunday World newspaper, at his home in north Belfast.

9th July 1984: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in the Millfield area of Belfast.

31st October 1984: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Mountainview Drive, Belfast.

23rd November 1984: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead civilian Sinn Féin member William McLaughlin in Newtownabbey.

1985

18th February 1985: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian and left his body in a rubbish dump on Ballygomartin Road, Belfast.

1st June: The UVF shot dead one of its own members at Annadale Flats, Belfast. Internal dispute.

1986

14th January 1986: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at a Working Men’s Club in Ligoniel, Belfast.

31st January 1986: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Bawnmore Park, Belfast.

15th March 1986: The UVF beat-to-death a Catholic civilian behind a school on Ballysillan Road, Belfast.

7th May 1986: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at her home on Kilcoole Gardens, Belfast. Her Catholic husband was the intended target.

10th July 1986: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian on Snugville Street, Belfast.

14th July 1986: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian in Ligoniel, Belfast.

19th July 1986: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian on Antrim Road, Belfast.

28th August 1986: A Protestant civilian was found shot dead on waste ground behind Boys’ Model School, off Ballysillan Road, Belfast. He was killed by the UVF, allegedly because it believed he was an informer.

14th September 1986: The Provisional IRA shot dead UVF member John Bingham at his home on Ballysillan Crescent, Belfast.

16th September 1986: A number of Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politicians attended the funeral of leading UVF member John Bingham.

16th September 1986: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian in the grounds of Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church on Crumlin Road, Belfast. his was claimed as retaliation for the killing of UVF member John Bingham two days before.

17th September 1986: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian in Smithfield, Belfast.

1987

11th February 1987: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in Ballybogy.

2th April 1987: The UVF shot dead a Provisional IRA volunteer at his home in Ardoyne, Belfast.

3rd April 1987: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian in a robbery on York Road, Belfast.

28th April 1987: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member as he stood outside the Progressive Unionist Party office on Shankill Road, Belfast.

7th May 1987: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

25th June 1987: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Springfield Road, Belfast.

30th June 1987: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Wheatfield Drive, Belfast. He was living with a Protestant woman and her children.

1988

15th January 1988: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Upper Meadow Street, Belfast.

15th May 1988: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for a gun attack on Avenue Bar, Union Street, Belfast. Three Catholic civilians were killed.

12th June 1988: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian outside his friend’s home on Cavehill Road, Belfast. He worked for the Department of Environment and had been following his usual Sunday routine.

15th June 1988: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member at his shop on Woodstock Road, Belfast.

25th July 1988: The UVF shot dead a Provisional IRA volunteer at his home on Friendly Way, Belfast.

8th August 1988: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead two Catholic civilians in Belfast.

10th August 1988: The UVF shot dead one of its own members and left his body in a field near Coleraine. Internal dispute.

17th August 1988: The INLA shot dead an ex-UVF member at his shop on Shankill Road, Belfast.

18th August 1988: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

24th November 1988: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Coagh. He was at the home of his brother, who was a Sinn Féin member.

1989

18th January 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace in Smithfield, Belfast.

9th February 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Smithfield, Belfast.

14th February 1989: The UVF shot dead civilian Sinn Féin member John Davey at his home in Gulladuff.

10th March 1989: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian security guard outside Orient Bar on Springfield Road, Belfast.

16th March 1989: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member at his home on Skegoneill Avenue, Belfast.

17th March 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Glengormley.

19th March 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Alliance Avenue, Belfast.

4th April 1989: The UVF shot dead Provisional IRA volunteer Gerard Casey at his home in Rosnashane near Rasharkin. It is alleged by the Provisional IRA and Father Raymond Murray that the security forces were involved in the killing.

19th April 1989: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at Victoria Park/Park Avenue in Belfast. He was a nephew of loyalist supergrass Joe Bennett.

15th May 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in Rathcoole.

23rd July 1989: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Fallswater Street, Belfast. It claimed he was a well-known republican activist.

2nd September 1989: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian on Crumlin Road, Belfast. Immediately afterward, one of the UVF men was shot dead by the British Army.

29th November 1989: A Provisional IRA volunteer and a Catholic civilian were killed in a UVF gun attack on Battery Bar in Moortown.

1990

7th January 1990: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian taxi driver. He was found dead in his car at Aghacommon, near Lurgan.

7th March 1990: The UVF shot dead a former Provisional IRA volunteer in Lurgan.

4th April 1990: The UVF shot dead a former Provisional IRA volunteer in Rathcoole.

25th April 1990: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at Limehill Grove, Belfast. They believed he was a Catholic.

4th June 1990: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Annaghmore.

6th October 1990: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at Oxford Island, County Armagh.

23rd October 1990: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member outside Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

24th October 1990: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian taxi driver near Moy, County Tyrone. This was claimed as retaliation for the killing of Protestant taxi driver in Belfast.

26th October 1990: The UVF shot dead Sinn Féin member Thomas Casey at his home in Kildress.

7th November 1990: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Spamount Street, Belfast.

8th November 1990: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace in Stewartstown.

29th November 1990: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace on Duncairn Gardens, Belfast.

1991
5th January 1991: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Magheralin.

24th February 1991: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Bawnmore Park, Belfast.

3rd March 1991: The UVF shot dead three Provisional IRA volunteers and a Catholic civilian outside Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh. The volunteers arrived in a car as a UVF gang waited in ambush. The UVF fired at the car (killing the volunteers) then fired through the window of the pub (killing the civilian).

4th March 1991: The UVF shot dead a Catholic taxi driver in his car on Heather Street, Belfast.

18th March 1991: A Catholic civilian was found stabbed-to-death behind a leisure centre at Warren Park, Lisburn. He had been stabbed 62 times. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

28th March 1991: The “Protestant Action Force” claimed responsibility for shooting dead three Catholic civilians in an attack on a mobile shop in Craigavon. This was claimed as retaliation for the alleged shooting and wounding of a Protestant woman.

29th April 1991 The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) (acting on behalf of all loyalist paramilitaries) announced a ceasefire lasting until 4 July. This was to coincide with political talks between the four main parties (the Brooke-Mayhew talks).

19th July 1991: The UVF shot dead a Catholic taxi driver in his car on Divis Street, Belfast.

10th August 1991: The “Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group” (believed to be a UVF or RHC covername) claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his shop on Donegall Road, Belfast. It was targeted for selling republican newsletter An Phoblacht.

16th August 1991: The UVF shot dead an Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO) member at his home on Ardmoulin Terrace, Belfast.

24th August 1991: The UVF beat-to-death a Catholic civilian and left his body in the River Lagan by Queen’s Road, Lisburn.

10th September 1991: The Provisional IRA shot dead a UVF member at his home on Donegall Road, Belfast.

13th September 1991: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Ligoniel Road, Belfast.

28th September 1991: The “Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group” (believed to be a UVF or RHC covername) claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his shop on St James Road, Belfast. It was targeted for selling republican newsletter An Phoblacht.

13th October 1991: The UVF shot dead a former Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) volunteer on Ormeau Road, Belfast.

25th October 1991: The UVF shot dead a former Provisional IRA volunteer at his home in Pomeroy.

14th November 1991: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians and a Protestant civilian at the Carbet Road-Carn Road junction near Craigavon. The men were shot in their car after being stopped at an illegal UVF checkpoint. The UVF later apologised for killing the Protestant man.

24th November 1991: A UVF prisoner was killed when the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb in a dining hall of Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast.

1992

3rd January 1992: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their shop in Moy.

24th February 1992: The UVF stabbed-to-death a Catholic civilian and left her body on Ballarat Street, Belfast.

4th March 1992: A UVF sniper shot dead a Catholic civilian while driving his lorry in Cornascriebe, near Portadown.

29th March 1992: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Bann Street, Portadown.

1st April 1992: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian at his home in Lurgan. It claimed he was an informer.

29th April 1992: The UVF shot dead an Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO) member at his workplace on Conneywarren Lane, Belfast.

13th May 1992: The UVF shot a Catholic workman in north Belfast. It may have been a case of mistaken identity.

5th July 1992: A Catholic civilian was found beaten-to-death on North Howard Street, Belfast. The court heard that two rival groups of men had been taunting each other in the area. It is believed UVF members were responsible.

5th September 1992: The UVF shot dead a Protestant civilian on Solway Street, Belfast. It claimed he was a criminal.

7th September 1992: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their home near Moy.

9th October 1992: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Protestant civilian on Mersey Street, Belfast. It claimed he was an informer.

16th October 1992: The UVF shot dead civilian Sinn Féin member Sheena Campbell in York Hotel, Belfast.

19th November 1992: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian in a gun attack on Thierafurth Inn, Kilcoo.

20th November 1992: A Catholic workman was hurt by a UVF bomb at a building site in Coleraine.

13th December 1992: The UVF fired a rocket at Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast. It was aimed at the canteen used by republican prisoners, but missed its target.[160]

20th December 1992: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Upper Crumlin Road, Belfast.

1993

1st January 1993: The “Red Hand Commando” claimed responsibility for shooting two Catholic civilians on Manor Street, Belfast. The two men were cleaning a car when they were shot at from a passing vehicle. The RHC claimed it was retaliation for the killing of a British soldier in the area two days before.

3rd January 1993: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their shop in Lisnagleer near Dungannon. Patrick Shields, killed with his son Diarmuid, was said by the writer Ed Moloney to have been a member of the IRA in the 1970s, but had long since left.[165] A month later, Diarmuid Shields’ girlfriend committed suicide because she was unable to come to terms with his death.

17th January 1993: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at a house on Shore Road, Belfast.

28th January 1993: A Catholic civilian was killed by a UVF booby-trap bomb in a house he was renovating at Kildress. The owner of the house was the intended target.

2nd February 1993: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Ballyronan.

11th February 1993: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his home on Derrymagown Road near Loughgall.

30th March 1993: The UVF planted a bomb under a car in the Rathenraw estate near Antrim. A British Army officer lost his hand while trying to defuse it.

30th May 1993: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian in Dundonald.

26th June 1993: Loyalists rioted when the RUC prevented an Orange Order march near a peace line in the Springfield area of Belfast. On Ainsworth Avenue, a UVF member was wounded when the grenade he was holding exploded prematurely. Eighteen people were wounded. He died three days later.

2nd July 1993: The UVF claimed responsibility for shooting a Sinn Féin election worker at Hollywell Hospital, Antrim. There was serious rioting in Belfast, Bangor and Lurgan after the funeral of UVF member Brian McCallum.

15th July 1993: The UVF issued a statement admitting sole responsibility for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17th May 1974.

11th August 1993: A Catholic civilian was found beaten-to-death on wasteground off Sherbrook Way, Belfast. He had suffered brain damage in a sectarian attack six years before. He was killed 700 yards from Mater Hospital with a brick and a plank with nails in it. It is believed the UVF was responsible.

25th August 1993: The “Red Hand Commando” announced that it would attack bars or hotels where Irish folk music is played.

1st September 1993: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace on Chadolly Street, Belfast.

1st September 1993: The UVF shot dead a prison officer at his home on Joanmount Park, Belfast. It threatened to kill more prison officers unless there were improvements in conditions for loyalist prisoners.

13th September 1993: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian in Carrowdore.

6th October 1993: The UVF planted a car bomb outside the Sinn Féin press center in west Belfast. It failed to explode.

12th October 1993: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian as he drove his van to work on Sydenham Road, Belfast. Four of his co-workers were hurt.

25th October 1993: The UVF claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his home in Newtownabbey. It stated that its members had spent over an hour interrogating him beforehand.

28th October 1993: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians at their home in Bleary.

24th November 1993: Weapons being shipped to the UVF were intercepted by British police at Teesport, England. It included 300 assault rifles, thousands of bullets, 4,400 pounds of explosives, and detonators, and had originated in Poland.

1994

25th January 1994: The UVF claimed responsibility for exploding a video cassette bomb at the home of a Catholic family in Lurgan. Two family members were hurt.

27th January 1994: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian and wounded his wife at their home in Ballymena.

1st February 1994: The UVF exploded a bomb at the home of a Catholic family in Portadown. An RUC officer was wounded.

3rd February 1994: The UVF fired shots at a minibus used by relatives of Republican prisoners in Belfast. The driver and a passerby were both wounded.

17thFebruary 1994: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead a Catholic civilian in a house on Skegoneill Avenue, Belfast.

11th March 1994: A Catholic civilian was killed when a UVF booby-trap bomb exploded under his lorry in Portadown.

7th April 1994: A Protestant woman was beaten and then shot dead by a group of men at a house on Donegal Avenue, Belfast. The men, who were members of the “Red Hand Commando”, assumed the woman was a Catholic.

12th April 1994: The UVF shot dead one of its own members, claiming he was involved in the killing of 7th April.

12th April 1994: The UVF and UDA issued a joint statement that they won’t stop their attacks until nationalists accept Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.

28th April 1994: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian, James Brown, in his shop on Garmoyle Street, Belfast. Former IRA member Gerry Bradley subsequently claimed in a book that in the 1970s Brown had been the second-in-command of the IRA in Belfast. His family have denied the allegation.

8th May 1994: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian at a house on Cullenramer Road, near Dungannon. It has been alleged her nephew was the target. Her nephew had served a jail sentence for possession of explosives. On the 27th of July 1994 a neighbour discovered in a nearby field two security force surveillance cameras pointing at the house. There were subsequent claims of collusion between the security forces and UVF, and an inquest was ordered in 2009.

16th May 1994: The UVF shot a Catholic deliveryman in the Woodvale area of north Belfast.

17th May 1994: The UVF shot dead two Catholic civilians on a building site on North Queen Street, Belfast.

18th May 1994: The UVF opened fire on a crowded taxi depot on Lower English Street, Armagh. Two Catholic civilians were killed.

21st May 1994: A UVF team shot dead Provisional IRA volunteer Martin Doherty as he attempted to prevent them from leaving The Widow Scallans Bar, Pearse Street, Dublin after they had planted a bomb which subsequently failed to detonate properly. A Sinn Féin meeting was taking place at the time. Another man was wounded in the attack.

23rd May 1994: The UVF exploded a bomb at the Sinn Féin office in Belfast City Hall. Two workmen were wounded.

9th June 1994: The UVF claimed responsibility for shooting dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace, Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast.

10th June 1994: The UVF claimed responsibility for bombing the home of a Catholic civilian in Armagh. She was the mother of a Sinn Féin councillor.

16th June 1994: Three UVF members were shot dead by the INLA on Shankill Road, Belfast.

17th June 1994: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian taxi driver in Carrickfergus.

17th June 1994: The UVF shot dead two Protestant civilians at a building site in Newtownabbey. They were believed to be Catholics.

18th June 1994: Loughinisland massacre – the UVF opened fire on a crowd gathered in the Heights bar in Loughinisland. Six Catholic civilians were killed and five were wounded. There have been allegations of security force collusion.

2nd August 1994: A meeting was held by representatives of the UVF and UFF. At that meeting it was decided that loyalist paramilitaries would continue attacking Catholic civilians regardless of any future Provisional IRA ceasefire.

5th August 1994: A Protestant civilian was found shot dead on Ballyhill Lane near Crumlin. The UVF were believed to be responsible.

7th August 1994: The UVF shot dead a Catholic civilian, who was pregnant, at her home in Greencastle, County Tyrone.

31st August 1994: The UVF kidnapped and shot dead a Catholic civilian in County Antrim. His body was found in a car off Old Ballynoe Road, near Antrim.

31st August 1994: The Provisional IRA announced a ceasefire.

4th September 1994: The UVF exploded a car bomb near a Sinn Féin office on Falls Road, Belfast.

12th September 1994: The UVF planted a 1.5 kg bomb on the Belfast–Dublin train. It partially exploded as the train neared Dublin Connolly railway station, wounding two people.

23rd September 1994: The UVF was blamed for trying to kill a republican in the Lower Falls area of Belfast.

13th October 1994: The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) issued a statement which announced a ceasefire on behalf of all loyalist paramilitaries. The statement noted that “The permanence of our cease-fire will be completely dependent upon the continued cessation of all nationalist/republican violence”.

1995

14th March 1995: Prison officers at Maze Prison carried out searches for “illicit material” which sparked rioting by 150 UVF prisoners.

28th September 1995: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead one of its own members in Bangor. Internal dispute.

1996

21st March 1996: The UVF shot dead one of its own members in Towers Tavern, Ballymena. Internal dispute.

7th July 1996: Members of a Portadown-based UVF unit shot dead a Catholic taxi driver and then burnt his car in Aghagallon. It was thought to be a response to the Drumcree parade dispute.

On 2nd August 1996, the UVF stood-down the “breakaway unit” that had killed the taxi driver. This unit, led by Billy Wright, would become the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF).

29th October 1996: The UVF shot dead one of its own members on Benview Avenue, Belfast. Internal dispute.

1997
3rd March 1997: A bomb was found outside a Sinn Féin office in Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. The bomb was defused by the Irish Army. It is thought UVF members were to blame.

18th May 1997: A Catholic civilian was found beaten-to-death on Mount Vernon Walk, Belfast. It is thought UVF members were to blame.

8th July 1997: Amid the Drumcree parade dispute, the UVF and UDA staged a joint “show of strength” which was recorded and broadcast by Ulster Television. They claimed that the display was intended to “reassure and calm Protestants”.

13th September 1997: Loyalists held a parade on Belfast’s Shankill Road with 70 bands taking part. Four UVF members appeared during the parade and posed with weapons before slipping away into the crowd.

26th September 1997: A UDA member was found beaten to death at Kiltonga Nature Reserve near Newtownards in County Down. He had been missing since the 19th of August 1997. It is thought he was killed by UVF members as part of a loyalist feud.

25th October 1997: A Protestant civilian was killed by a booby-trap bomb on his car as he drove through Bangor. It is thought to have been part of a loyalist feud.

9th November 1997: A Protestant civilian was found beaten-to-death in a quarry near Newtownabbey. It is thought he was killed by UVF members as part of a loyalist feud.

27th November 1997: Jackie Mahood, an ex-PUP politician, was shot and wounded at his taxi depot in north Belfast. It is thought he was killed by UVF members as part of a loyalist feud.

1998

3rd July 1998: The UVF shot dead one of its former members at his home in Bangor. Internal dispute.

12th July 1998: Jason (aged 8), Mark (aged 9) and Richard Quinn (aged 10) were burnt-to-death when loyalists firebombed their home in Ballymoney. The attack was likely a response to the Drumcree parade dispute. The boys’ mother was a Catholic and the house was in a mainly Protestant area. It is thought UVF members were to blame.

1999

17th March 1999: The UVF shot dead a member of the “Red Hand Commando”. Internal dispute.

2000

10th January 2000: The LVF shot dead a UVF member on Derrylettiff road near Portadown. He was also a member of the Orange Order. This was a loyalist feud.

19th February 2000: Two Protestant civilians were found stabbed to death on Druminure Road near Tandragee. It was revealed that the UVF were to blame and that the killings were part of a loyalist feud, although the victims had not been part of any paramilitary group.

26tgh May 2000: The LVF shot dead a UVF member at Silverstream Park, Belfast. Loyalist feud.

12th July 2000: The UDA shot dead a UVF member attending “Eleventh night” celebrations in Larne. This was a loyalist feud.

21st August 2000: The UVF shot dead two men one a UDA member and the other a UVF member sitting in a jeep on Crumlin Road, Belfast. This was a loyalist feud.

23rd August 2000: The UFF shot dead a UVF member on Summer Street, Belfast. This was a loyalist feud.

28th October 2000: The UVF shot dead a UDA member on Mountcollyer Street, Belfast. This was a loyalist feud.

31st October 2000: The UDA shot dead a Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) member on Canning Street, Belfast. This was a loyalist feud.

31st October 2000: The UVF shot dead a Tommy English, a UDA member, in Newtownabbey. This was a loyalist feud.

1st November 2000: The UDA shot dead a UVF member in Newtownabbey. This was a loyalist feud.

15th December 2000: The UVF and UDA issued a statement to announce an “open-ended and all-encompassing cessation of hostilities”. This marked the end of the loyalist feud which had begun in the July.

2001
14th March 2001: The UVF shot dead an LVF member in Conlig. This was a loyalist feud.

11th April 2001: The LVF shot dead a UVF member in Tandragee. He was also a member of the Orange Order.  This was a loyalist feud.

2002

13th September 2002: The “Red Hand Commando” shot dead an LVF member in Newtownards. This was a loyalist feud.

2003

8th May 2003: A member of the “Red Hand Commando” was shot dead in Crawfordsburn. This was a loyalist feud.

8th November 2003: A Protestant man died a few hours after being shot in a UVF “punishment attack” in Ballyclare.

2004

18th May 2004: The UVF shot dead an LVF member on Alanbrooke Road, Belfast. This was a loyalist feud.

2005

1st July 2005: The UVF shot dead a Protestant man in his lorry on Lower Newtownards Road, Belfast. Also believed to be part of a loyalist feud.

11th July 2005: The UVF shot dead a Protestant man at Dhu Varren Park, Belfast. Also believed to be part of a loyalist feud.

31st July 2005: The UVF shot dead a Protestant man on Wheatfield Crescent, Belfast. Also believed to be part of a loyalist feud.

15th August 2005: The UVF shot dead a Protestant man on Sandy Row, Belfast. Also believed to be part of a loyalist feud.

2007

3rd May 2007: The UVF and Red Hand Commando issued a statement declaring an end to its armed campaign. The statement noted that they would retain their weapons but put them “beyond reach”.

2009

27th June 2009: The UVF and Red Hand Commando state that all of their weapons and explosives have been decommissioned and put “totally and irreversibly beyond use”.

2010

28th May 2010: Bobby Moffet, who had links with the UVF and RHC, was shot dead by two gunmen on the Shankill Road in Belfast on a busy Friday afternoon. The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) claimed that the UVF were responsible for the killing. It is thought that Moffet was in a personal feud with a leading UVF member in west Belfast. The IMC concluded that the murder did not violate the UVF ceasefire but put their 2009 claims of weapons decommissioning under scrutiny.

2011

20th–22nd June: 2011 Northern Ireland riots: The East Belfast UVF were blamed by the PSNI for orchestrating attacks on Catholic homes in the nationalist Short Strand enclave in East Belfast. Alleged UVF members fired five gunshots at suspected republicans in Short Strand, who fired back.

2012

6th January 2012: UVF members were blamed for assaulting and seriously injuring a Catholic teenager involved in the making of a film in South Belfast.

18th February 2012: Suspected UDA members were blamed for attempting to shoot dead the East Belfast UVF leader Stephen ‘Mackers’ Matthews in a row over his involvement in the drugs trade.

9th March: 2012 East Belfast UVF members were blamed for exploding two bombs on the property of a man they had given death threats to in East Belfast. No one was injured. The leader of the East Belfast UVF was arrested in connection with the incident.

2nd–4th September: 2012 North Belfast riots: The PSNI claimed that UVF members took part in the nights of violence between loyalists and nationalists which left over 60 PSNI officers injured.

10th October 2012: Prosecutors revealed that 26 incidents—including death threats, criminal damage, assaults, and discharge of firerarms—in the Ballycraigy estate were linked to a new loyalist feud between UVF and LVF members.

3rd December-: 2012-2013 Northern Ireland protests – In the aftermath of a vote to fly the Union flag only on designated days at Belfast City Hall. The UVF were blamed for playing a large role in the weeks of violence following the decision in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, targeting PSNI officers, Catholic homes in East Belfast (East Belfast UVF blamed) and Alliance Party offices. Leaving over 150 PSNI officers injured in riots across Northern Ireland, and the riots continued into the January of 2013.

2013

20th May 2013: The National Union of Journalists revealed that the UVF issued death threats to two journalists from Northern Ireland, and a third from the Republic of Ireland after they had written an article about a UVF controlled drinking den in South Belfast where a young Catholic woman and her Protestant friends were beaten up. The death threats were condemned by the PUP.

3rd October 2013: The policing board announced that the UVF was still heavily involved in gangsterism despite its ceasefire. Assistant chief constable Drew Harris in a statement said “The UVF are subject to an organized crime investigation as an organized crime group. The UVF very clearly have involvement in drug dealing, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the community.”  The announcement came one month after the UVF were blamed for seriously wounding a 24 year old care worker in East Belfast after shooting her five times.

Sourced from Wikipedia

 Posted by on 11/04/2015  Tagged with:

Irish National Liberation Army actions 1974 to 2013

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Apr 112015
 

Northern Ireland The Forgotten War

gallery_20_2_11495 (1)

These posts are not to promote any terror groups

it is merely showing incidents that the RGJ might have been caught up in during their tours.

Timeline of

Irish National Liberation Army

actions

1974 to 2013

1974

10th December 1974 : The INLA, along with its political wing the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) was founded at the Spa Hotel in the village of Lucan near Dublin.

1975

25th February 1975: The INLA shot dead Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA) volunteer Sean Fox in the Divis Flats area of Belfast. This was part of a feud between the two republican groups.

6th April 1975 : The Official IRA shot dead INLA volunteer Daniel Loghran on Albert Street, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

12th Apri 1975l: The INLA shot dead Official IRA volunteer Paul Crawford on Falls Road, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

28th April 1975: The INLA shot dead Official IRA volunteer Liam McMillen on Falls Road, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

24th May 1975: A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was killed by an INLA booby trap bomb left in a car in Ballinahone, near Maghera, County Londonderry.

5th June 1975: The Official IRA shot dead INLA volunteer Brendan McNamee on Stewartstown Road, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

26th July 1975: An INLA sniper shot dead an RUC officer shortly after he left his Armoured Personnel Carrier in Dungiven, County Londonderry.

10th October 1975: A British soldier died two weeks after being shot by an INLA sniper while on patrol on Iniscarn Road, Derry.

2nd December 1975: Two civilians were shot dead while sitting in the Dolphin Café on Strand Road, Derry. Gunmen carrying pistols picked them out and opened fire without warning. The INLA later admitted responsibility and claimed it thought the two men were members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

1976

7th February 1976: A fourteen-year-old was killed when he triggered a booby-trap bomb hidden behind a row of derelict cottages on Derryall Road, near Portadown. It is believed to have been left by the INLA for use against the security forces.

3rd August 1976: An INLA sniper shot dead a British soldier on patrol in Dungiven.

14th September 1976: INLA and IRA prisoners in Maze Prison began the blanket protest.

25th September 1976: The INLA launched a gun attack on a house at Ormonde Park, Finaghy. Gunmen opened fire in the hallway, killing two civilians. A detective said that it was thought to be a case of mistaken identity. In the Belfast Street Directory the man who lived there was described as a “chief inspector” and it was assumed the gunmen thought he was an RUC officer. In fact he had been a chief inspector of bank branches until two months before his death.

25th November 1976: The INLA shot dead a British soldier when he arrived at the scene of an armed robbery at Monagh Post Office, Belfast.

22th December 1976: The INLA killed an RUC officer with a booby-trap bomb attached to his car in Maghera.

29th December 1976: A civilian security guard was shot dead as he tried to stop an INLA bomb attack on The Tavern Bar in Portadown. He was also a member of the Orange Order.

1977

23rd January 1977: An INLA sniper shot dead a British soldier on patrol on Eliza Street, Belfast
1st March : The INLA shot a magistrate on Thomas Street, Portadown. He died of his wounds on the 29th of June 1977. He was a member of Prince of Wales Orange Lodge and brother of a former Unionist Party Convention member. The INLA volunteer who shot him was only 16-years-old at the time and his mother and brother had died in separate loyalist attacks.

5th October 1977 : INLA founder and leader Seamus Costello was shot dead by the Official IRA in Northbrook Avenue, Dublin. Part of a republican feud.

12th December 1977: Undercover British Army soldiers shot dead INLA volunteer Colm McNutt in Derry.

1978

8th March 1978: The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shot dead INLA volunteer Thomas Trainor and a civilian as they walked along Armagh Road in Portadown.

1979

6th March 1978: The INLA exploded a booby-trap bomb underneath the car of a Ulster Defence Regiment soldier on West Street, Portadown. He died on 13th March 1978.

30th March 1978: Airey Neave, British Conservative Party Member of Parliament and adviser to Margaret Thatcher, was killed when the INLA exploded a booby-trap bomb underneath his car at the House of Commons, London.

19th Apri 1978 : The INLA shot dead a prison officer during a sniper and grenade attack outside Armagh Prison.

27th July 1978 : A former RUC officer was killed when the INLA exploded a booby-trap bomb underneath his car on Corcrain Drive, Portadown. He was also a member of the Orange Order.

31st July 1978: The INLA shot dead an RUC officer in a drive-by shooting outside Armagh courthouse.

7th November 1978: The INLA shot dead a man employed by the Northern Ireland Prison Service at a bus stop near Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast.

1980

13th January 1980: A civilian died seven months after being shot during the robbery of his post office in Blackwatertown.

9th August 1980: An INLA sniper accidentally shot dead a civilian during an attack on a British Army patrol on Shaw’s Road, Belfast.

29th August 1980: A civilian died when he triggered a booby-trap bomb hidden in a hedgerow at Carnagh, near Keady. It is believed to have been left by the INLA for use against the security forces.

15th October 1980: The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) shot dead INLA leader Ronnie Bunting and INLA volunteer Noel Little at Bunting’s home in Downfine Gardens, Belfast. Suzanne Bunting was also wounded in the attack. The IRSP and INLA maintain that British Intelligence was involved in the killings.

19th November 1980: The INLA shot dead a civilian outside his workplace, Ulster Bank on Boucher Road, Belfast. It emerged that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. The intended target had been an RUC reservist who worked at the bank. The reservist had sold a car to him two weeks earlier. He had taken the precaution of changing the vehicle’s registration number but the gunmen had identified the car by its make and colour.

10th December 1980: The INLA shot dead a British Army UDR soldier on Fox Row, Belfast.

28th December 1980: The INLA shot dead a British soldier outside his home at Umgola Villas, Armagh.

1981

8th January : The INLA fired shots at an RUC patrol on Great Victoria Street, Belfast. One RUC officer was wounded and died on the 14th January 1981.

8th February 1981: The INLA shot dead an RUC officer on My Lady’s Road, Belfast.

1st March 1981: A republican hunger strike began in the Maze Prison. Four INLA and nineteen IRA prisoners would join.

27th March 1981: The INLA shot dead a British Army UDR soldier on Cromac Street, Belfast.

27th April 1981: The INLA killed an RUC officer with a booby-trap bomb hidden in a lorry in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.

7th May 1981: INLA volunteer James Power was killed in a premature bomb explosion at a house on Friendly Street, Belfast.

12th May 1981: A British Army sniper shot dead INLA volunteer Emmanuel McClarnon from Divis Tower, Belfast.

21st May 1981: INLA prisoner Patsy O’Hara died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison.

31st July 1981: The INLA shot dead an ex-RUC officer at a house in Strabane.

1st August 1981: INLA prisoner Kevin Lynch died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison.

20th August 1981: INLA prisoner Michael Devine died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison.

29th September 1981: The INLA shot dead a British Army UDR soldier on Springfield Road, Belfast.

16th October 1981: The INLA shot dead a member of the UDA outside his home on Denmark Street, Belfast.

28th October 1981: A civilian was found shot dead at a rubbish dump in the Shantallow area of Derry. The INLA claimed he was an informer.

24th November 1981: The INLA claimed responsibility for exploding a bomb outside the British Consulate in Hamburg, West Germany.

25th November 1981: The INLA claimed responsibility for exploding a bomb at a British Army base in Herford, West Germany. One British soldier was hurt.

1982

29th January 1982: The INLA shot dead leading loyalist figure John McKeague at his shop on Albertbridge Road, Belfast.

20th February 1982: The INLA shot dead a Garda Síochána officer at a house in Tallaght, County Dublin.

2nd June 1982: A sixteen-year-old was killed when he triggered an INLA booby-trap bomb attached to a motorcycle on Rugby Road, Belfast.

4th June 1982: The INLA shot dead Official IRA volunteer James Flynn on North Strand Road, Dublin. Part of a republican feud.

1st September 1982: The INLA shot Billy Dickson, then a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) member of Belfast City Council. Dickinson survived the attack.

16th September 1982: The INLA exploded a remote-control bomb hidden in a drainpipe as a British patrol passed Cullingtree Walk, Belfast. A British soldier and two children were killed.

20th September 1982: The INLA claimed responsibility for bombing a radar station on Mount Gabriel in County Cork. Five INLA volunteers hijacked a car carrying an engineer to the station. They forced their way inside, tied-up several workers and planted the bombs. The INLA said it attacked the radar station because the station was linked to NATO.

26th September 1982: The INLA shot dead a civilian at his home on Harland Walk, Belfast.

27th September 1982: The INLA killed a British soldier with a booby-trap bomb attached to a security barrier on West Circular Road, Belfast.

7th October 1982: An INLA sniper killed a British Army UDR soldier and a female Prison Officer in Kilmore. The soldier had been shot while driving his car. The car then went out of control and crashed into the Prison Officer’s car, killing her.

16th October 1982: A civilian died three weeks after being shot by the INLA outside a church hall on Albertbridge Road, Belfast.

19th October 1982: The INLA exploded a bomb at the headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on Glengall Street, Belfast. The building was badly damaged by the blast.

16th November 1982: The INLA shot dead two RUC officers at a security barrier in Markethill.

30th November 1982: An incendiary parcel bomb exploded in the 10 Downing Street offices of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. An official who opened the letter was burned. The INLA claimed responsibility.

6th December 1982: Droppin Well bombing – The INLA killed 11 British soldiers and 6 civilians when it exploded a time bomb at a disco in Ballykelly, County Londonderry. The disco was frequented by British soldiers.

12th December 1982: Undercover RUC officers shot dead unarmed INLA volunteers Seamus Grew and Rodney Carroll at a checkpoint at Mullacreevie Park, Armagh.

1983

2nd February 1983: Undercover British soldiers shot dead INLA volunteer 23 year old Eugene Cornelius (Neil) McMonagle at Leafair Park, Derry.

7th May1983 : The INLA shot dead one of its own members near Killeen. It claimed he was an informer.

26th May1983 : The INLA shot dead an RUC officer outside the RUC base in Cookstown.

4th June 1983: A British Army UDR soldier was killed by an INLA booby-trap bomb attached to a digger near Eglish.

13th July 1983: Two civilians were found shot dead in a car near Crossmaglen. It is believed the INLA was responsible.

13th August 1983: Undercover RUC men shot dead two INLA volunteers, James Mallon and Brendan Convery, as they were about to attack RUC officers in Dungannon.

6th September 1983: The INLA shot dead an RUC officer outside his home at Dukes Grove, Armagh.

26th October 1983: The INLA shot dead one of its own members near Redhills, County Cavan. It claimed he was an informer.

5th December 1983: The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shot dead INLA volunteer Joseph Craven on Church Road, Newtownabbey.

1984

20th January 1984: The INLA shot dead a British Army UDR soldier at his home on Sunnymede Avenue, Dunmurry.

13th April 1984: The INLA shot dead a man at his home on Thornhill Crescent, Belfast. It claimed he was a local criminal.

15th June 1984: An RUC officer and an INLA volunteer were killed in a gun battle on Lenadoon Avenue, Belfast. The RUC had surrounded an INLA unit who had taken up position in a house.

1985

24th February 1985: The INLA shot dead an ex-member of the British Army on Glenvale Road, Derry.

20th April 1985: The INLA claimed responsibility for firebombing a store in Dublin which was selling South African goods in protest against the apartheid regime. There were no injuries as the building had been cleared following a telephone warning.

9th May 1985: The INLA killed an ex-member of the organisation in Paris, France. His body has never been recovered.

27th June 1985: A Garda officer was killed during the robbery of a post office in Ardee, County Louth. It is believed the INLA was responsible.

9th September 1985: An INLA member was found shot dead in Killeen. The INLA claimed it shot him because he was an informer.

1986

28th August 1986: The INLA claimed responsibility for bomb attacks across Northern Ireland: two car bombs exploded outside the RUC bases in Newry and Downpatrick, a third bomb exploded in a disused factory in Derry and a fourth was found under an RUC officer’s car in Antrim.

18th September 1986: The INLA claimed responsibility for an attempted bombing in Downpatrick. INLA members planted a 40 pounds (18 kg) suitcase bomb outside a closed pub and then sent a telephone warning. An RUC officer carried the bomb to a field about 80 yards (73 m) away, where it exploded 15 minutes later.

21st December 1986: The Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO) shot dead INLA volunteer Thomas McCartan on Commedagh Drive, Belfast. This was part of a feud between the two republican groups.

1987

8th January 1987: The INLA claimed responsibility for shooting unionist politician David Calvert as he got into his car near Portadown. He was shot in the head and stomach.

20th January 1987: The IPLO shot dead INLA volunteers Thomas ‘Ta’ Power and John O’Reilly in Rossnaree Hotel, Drogheda, County Louth.

31st January 1987: Mary McGlincehy, an INLA activist and the wife of INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey was shot dead at her home in Dundalk, County Louth. It is not known who was responsible.

5th February 1987: The INLA shot dead an IPLO member in Middletown. Part of a republican feud.

7th February 1987: A civilian died five weeks after being shot by the INLA at her home in Markethill. The intended target of the attack was her son, who was a British soldier.

18th February 1987: The IPLO shot dead INLA volunteer Michael Kearney in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

7th March 1987: The INLA shot dead a member of the IPLO near Forkill. Part of a republican feud.

14th March 1987: The INLA shot dead IRSP member Fergus Conlon near Forkill. Part of a republican feud.

15th March 1987: The INLA attacked the car of IPLO member Gerard Steenson in Ballymurhpy, Belfast. Steenson and his passenger were killed. Part of a republican feud.

21st March 1987: The IPLO shot dead INLA volunteer Emmanuel Gargan in the Hatfield Bar, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.

22nd March 1987: The IPLO shot dead INLA volunteer Kevin Duffy in Armagh. Part of a republican feud.

4th October 1987: The INLA shot dead an alleged criminal and left his body in a car near Crossmaglen.

26th November : INLA volunteer Martin Bryan was shot dead by the Gardaí at a checkpoint in Urlingford, County Kilkenny.

8th December 1987: A civilian was found shot dead at a deserted farm in Castleblayney, County Monaghan. He had been kidnapped several months beforehand by the INLA. It is believed the killing was related to the INLA/IPLO feud.

1988

10th August 1988: The British Army shot dead INLA volunteer James McPhilemy during a gun battle at a vehicle checkpoint in Clady, County Tyrone.

17th August 1988: The INLA shot dead an ex-member of the UVF at his shop on Shankill Road, Belfast.

1990

22nd November : Undercover British soldiers shot dead INLA volunteer Alex Patterson as he tried to assassinate an off-duty soldier in Strabane.

1991

29th June 1991: The INLA shot dead one of its own members in Ballymurhpy, Belfast. It claimed he was an informer.

21st December : The INLA unintentionally shot dead the son of an ex-RUC officer during a gun attack in Moy intended to kill his father.

1992 

13th April 1992: The INLA shot a British soldier outside a recruiting office in Derby, England. He died of wounds the following day.

1993

14th January 1993: The INLA claimed responsibility for attempting to kill prominent loyalist John “Bunter” Graham. He was hit by rifle shots fired through the window of his home in the Shankill area of Belfast.

21st January 1993: The INLA shot dead a civilian at his home on Rosewood Street, Belfast. The INLA said it killed him because he was a UDA member, a claim which was denied by his family. It was reported that he had recently bought a car from a leading loyalist in the Shankill area and thus it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

17th June 1993: The INLA shot dead an ex-member of the RUC inside York Hotel on Botanic Avenue, Belfast.

1994

10th February 1994: Dominic McGlinchey, the INLA’s former Chief of Staff, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Drogheda.

24th February : The INLA shot dead a security guard outside Bob Cratchits Bar on Lisburn Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed he was linked to the UDA/UFF.

27th April 1994: The INLA shot dead a civilian at his shop in Northcott Shopping Centre, Glengormley.

3rd May 1994: The INLA shot dead a civilian outside his workplace, Northern Ireland Electricity Headquarters on Stranmillis Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed he was a high-ranking loyalist.

16th June 1994: The INLA shot dead three UVF members in a gun attack on Shankill Road, Belfast.
References for this year:

1996

30th January 1996: The INLA shot dead one of its leaders, Gino Gallagher, inside Department of Health and Social Services office on Falls Road, Belfast. Internal dispute.

5th March 1996: INLA volunteer John Fennell was beaten to death by other INLA volunteers in Bundoran, County Donegal. Internal dispute.

15th March 1996: The INLA shot dead a civilian in Ashfield Gardens, Belfast. Her relative was the intended target. Internal dispute.

25th May 1996: INLA volunteer Dessie McCleery was shot dead by other INLA volunteers on Bankmore Street, Belfast. Internal dispute.

9th June 1996: INLA volunteer Francis Shannon was shot dead by other INLA volunteers in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast. Internal dispute.
3rd September 1996: INLA volunteer Hugh Torney was shot dead by other INLA volunteers in Lurgan. Internal dispute.
References for this year:

1997

9th May 1997: The INLA shot dead an RUC officer in the Parliament Bar, Belfast.

4th June 1997: INLA volunteer John Morris was shot dead by the Gardaí during an armed robbery in Inchicore, Dublin.

7th July 1997: INLA gunmen fired on British soldiers in Ardoyne, Belfast as part of the widespread violence that followed Mo Mowlam’s decision over the Drumcree parade. See 1997 nationalist riots in Northern Ireland.

27th December 1997: INLA prisoners shot dead Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader and fellow prisoner Billy Wright inside Maze Prison.

1998

1st January 1998: A home in Newtownbutler belonging to a member of the RUC was sprayed with gunfire by an INLA unit.

19th January 1998: The INLA shot dead UDA leader Jim Guiney at his carpet shop in Dunmurry.

28th February 1998: INLA volunteers launched a hand grenade attack on RUC officers at Hazelwood Integrated College, Belfast.

27th March 1998: The INLA shot dead an ex-member of the RUC on Dobbin Street Lane, Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order.

8th April 1998: The INLA shot dead Trevor Deeny, an ex-member of the UVF and Derry leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force outside his home in Derry.

17th April 1998: The INLA shot dead an ex-member on Shaws Road, Belfast.

24th June 1998: The INLA exploded a 200 lb car bomb in the centre of Newtownhamilton. The group issued a 50 minute warning about the bomb but six people were wounded.

22nd August 1998: After a twenty-four year campaign, the INLA declared a ceasefire.

1999

8th August 1999: The INLA stated that “There is no political or moral argument to justify a resumption of the campaign”.

10th October 1999: INLA volunteer Patrick Campbell was killed in a confrontation with a criminal gang in Dublin. The event dubbed the “Ballymount Bloodbath” saw the INLA tie up and torture a criminal gang before associates of the gang entered armed with machetes to free them. During this attack, Patrick Campbell was stabbed and bled to death.

2000
29th April 2000: The INLA shot dead a man in Inchicore, County Dublin. The INLA claimed he was part of the gang responsible for killing INLA volunteer Patrick Campbell.

2001

12th December 2001: A man died several hours after being shot in the legs by the INLA near Forkill.

2007

3rd June 2007: The INLA claimed responsibility for the shooting dead of drug dealer Brian McGlynn in Derry.

2009

15th February 2009: The INLA shot dead drug dealer Jim McConnell in Derry.

19th August 2009: The INLA shot and wounded a man in Derry. The INLA claimed that the man was involved in drug dealing although the injured man and his family denied the allegation. However, in a newspaper article on 28 August the victim retracted his previous statement and admitted that he had been involved in small scale drug-dealing but has since ceased these activities.

11th October 2009: Speaking at the graveside of one of its founding members in Bray, the INLA formally announced an end to its armed campaign, stating that the current situation allows it pursue its goals through peaceful political means.

2010

8th February 2010: It was announced that the INLA had put its weapons out of commission.

2013

21st March 2013: Sinn Féin blamed elements close to the INLA for shooting two men in the legs in Derry, and urged those close to the INLA to pass on any information they have.

Sourced from Wikipedia

History of Gibraltar

 Articles  Comments Off on History of Gibraltar
Apr 092015
 

1975 to 1977
1988 to 1991

The SAS Execute IRA Members in Gibraltar

Gibraltar more than just a rock

The_Rock_of_Gibraltar_______________________________

There But Not There Project

Picture from The Sun

This time line history of Gibraltar portrays of how, The Rock gained an importance and a reputation far exceeding its size, influencing and shaping the people who came to reside here over the centuries.

Prehistoric Times

Evidence of hominid inhabitation of the Rock dates back to the Neanderthals. A Neanderthal skull was discovered in Forbes’ Quarry in 1848, prior to the “original” discovery in the Neander Valley. In 1926, the skull of a Neanderthal child was found in Devil’s Tower.

Mousterian deposits found at Gorham’s Cave, which are associated with Neanderthals in Europe, have been dated to as recently as 28,000 to 24,000 BP, leading to suggestions that Gibraltar was one of the last places of Neanderthal habitation. Modern humans apparently visited the Gibraltar area in prehistoric times after the Neanderthal occupancy.

While the rest of Europe was cooling, the area around Gibraltar back then resembled a European Serengeti. Leopards, hyenas, lynxes, wolves and bears lived among wild cattle, horses, deer, ibexes, oryxes and rhinos – all surrounded by olive trees and stone pines, with partridges and ducks overhead, tortoises in the underbrush and mussels, limpets and other shellfish in the waters. Clive Finlayson, evolutionary biologist at the Gibraltar Museum said “this natural richness of wildlife and plants in the nearby sandy plains, woodlands, shrublands, wetlands, cliffs and coastline probably helped the Neanderthals to persist.” Evidence at the cave shows the Neanderthals of Gibraltar likely used it as a shelter “for 100,000 years.” Cro-Magnon man took over Gibraltar around 24,000 BCE.

Ancient Times

The Phoenicians are known to have visited the Rock circa 950 BC and named the Rock “Calpe”. The Carthaginians also visited. However, neither group appears to have settled permanently. Plato refers to Gibraltar as one of the Pillars of Hercules along with Jebel Musa or Monte Hacho on the other side of the Strait.

The Romans visited Gibraltar, but no permanent settlement was established. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar was occupied by the Vandals and later the Goths kingdoms. The Vandals did not remain for long although the Visigoths remained on the Iberian peninsula from 414 to 711. The Gibraltar area and the rest of the South Iberian Peninsula was part of the Byzantine Empire during the second part of the 6th century, later reverting to the Visigoth Kingdom.

Muslim rule

711 – 30th of April – The Umayyad general Tariq ibn Ziyad, leading a Berber-dominated army, sailed across the Strait from Ceuta. He first attempted to land on Algeciras but failed. Upon his failure, he landed undetected at the southern point of the Rock from present-day Morocco in his quest for Spain. It was here that Gibraltar was named. Coming from the Arabian words Gabal-Al-Tariq (the mountain of Tariq). Little was built during the first four centuries of Moorish control.

1160 – The Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mu’min ordered that a permanent settlement, including a castle, be built. It received the name of Medinat al-Fath (City of the Victory). On completion of the works in the town, the Sultan crossed the Strait to inspect the works and stayed in Gibraltar for two months. The Tower of Homage of the castle remains standing today (Moorish Castle).

1231 – After the collapse of the Almohad Empire, Gibraltar was taken by Ibn Hud, Taifa emir of Murcia.

1237 – Following the death of Ibn Hud, his domains were handed over to Mohammed I ibn Nasr, the founder of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. Therefore, Gibraltar changed hands again.

1274 – The second Nasrid king, Muhammed II al-Faqih, gave Gibraltar over to the Marinids, as payment for their help against the Christian kingdoms.

1309 – While the King Ferdinand IV of Castile laid siege on Algeciras, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (known to the Spanish records as Guzmán el Bueno) was sent to capture the town. This was the First Siege of Gibraltar. The Castilians took the Upper Rock from where the town was bombarded. The garrison surrendered after one month. Gibraltar then had about 1,500 inhabitants.

1310 -31st of January – Gibraltar was granted its first Charter by the king Ferdinand IV of Castile. Being considered a high risk town, the charter included incentives to settle there such as the offering of freedom from justice to anyone who lived in Gibraltar for one year and one day.
This fact marked the establishment of the Gibraltar council.

1316 – Gibraltar was unsuccessfully besieged by the Nasrid caid Yahya (Second Siege of Gibraltar).

1333  June – A Marinid army, led by Abd al-Malik, the son of Abul Hassan, the Marinid sultan, recovered Gibraltar, after a five-month siege (Third Siege of Gibraltar).
King Alfonso XI of Castile attempted to retake Gibraltar aided by the fleet of the Castilian Admiral Alonso Jofre Tenorio. Even a ditch was dug across the isthmus. While laying the siege, the king was attacked by a Nasrid army from Granada. Therefore, the siege ended in a truce, allowing the Marinids to keep Gibraltar (Fourth Siege of Gibraltar).

1344 March – After the two-year Siege of Algeciras (1342-1344), Algeciras was taken over by the Castilian forces. Therefore, Gibraltar became the main Marinid port in the Iberian Peninsula. During the siege, Gibraltar played a key role as the supply base of the besieged.

1349 – Gibraltar was unsuccessfully besieged by the Castilian forces led by the king Alfonso XI.

1350 – The siege was resumed by Alfonso XI. It was again unsuccessful, mainly due to the arrival of the Black Death, which decimated the besiegers, causing the death of the king (Fifth Siege of Gibraltar).

1369 – As the Civil War in Castile came to an end, with the murder of king Peter I by the pretender Henry (to be known as Henry II), the Nasrid king of Granada, Muhammad V, former ally of Peter, took over Algeciras after the 3-day Siege of Algeciras (1369). Ten years later the city was razed out to the ground, and its harbour made unusable. This fact increased again the importance of Gibraltar, yet in Marinid hands, in the strait trade. A subsequent truce was signed between Muhammad and Henry, preventing the Christian kings from attempting to recover the city.

1374 – Following a period of internal instability in the Marinid Sultanate of Fez, Abu al-Abbas Ahmad of Fez, ask for Muhammad V of Granada help. Possibly as a condition of the alliance or as reward for Muhammad’s successful expedition to Africa, Gibraltar was handed over to the Nasrids of Granada.

1410 – The garrison in Gibraltar mutinied against the king of Granada and declared for the king of Fez, Fayd. Fayd sent his brother Abu Said over to Gibraltar to take possession of the city. He also took over other Nasrid ports such as Marbella and Estepona.

1411 – The son of Yusuf III of Granada, Ahmad, recovered Marbella and Estepona. Next, it laid siege to Gibraltar (Sixth Siege of Gibraltar) and recovered the city for the kingdom of Granada.

1436 – Enrique de Guzmán, second Count of Niebla, with large estates in Southern Andalusia, assaulted Gibraltar. However, his attack was repelled and Castilian forces suffer heavy losses (Seventh Siege of Gibraltar).

Castilian / Spanish rule 

1462 – 20th of August – Castilian forces captured Gibraltar (Eighth Siege of Gibraltar). An immediate dispute broke out between the House of Medina Sidonia (the Guzmán family) and the House of Arcos (the Ponce de León family) about the possession of the town. Finally, the initiative of Juan Alonso de Guzmán, 1st Duke of Medina Sidonia, succeeded and he took possession of the town as personal property. However, the King of Castile, Henry IV, declared Gibraltar to be Crown property and not the personal property of the Guzman family. Henry IV restored the charter granted to Gibraltar in 1310 and took two additional measures: the lands previously belonging to Algeciras (destroyed in 1369) were granted to Gibraltar; and the status of collegiate church was solicited from the pope Pius II and granted to the parish church of Saint Mary the Crowned (Spanish: iglesia parroquial de Santa María la Coronada), now the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, on the site of the old main Moorish Mosque. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, whose feast falls on the 20th of August, became the Patron Saint of Gibraltar.

1463 – In a tour through Andalusia, Henry IV was the first Christian monarch to visit Gibraltar.

1467 July – In the midst of a nobility revolt against the King, the forces of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, after a 16-month siege, took Gibraltar. Alfonso of Castile, half-brother of Henry IV and puppet pretender handled by the nobility, granted him the Lordship of Gibraltar (Ninth Siege of Gibraltar).

1469 – 3rd of June – After the death of Alfonso de Castilla and the 1st Duke of Medina Sidonia, his son and heir Enrique de Guzman, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidonia changed side and in reward, saw the status of Gibraltar, as part of the domains of the Duke, confirmed by the Queen Isabella I of Castile.

1470 – 20th of December – A new charter was granted to the town of Gibraltar, now a nobiliary town, based in the Antequera charter.

1478 – 30th of September – The Catholic Monarchs granted the title of Marquis of Gibraltar to the Duke of Medina Sidonia.

1479 – 20th of January – Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon – the Catholic Monarchs, jointly rule the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, including Gibraltar.

1492 – 31st of March – After conquering Granada, the Catholic Monarchs sign the Alhambra decree ordering the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, to be take effect from the 31st of July 1492. Many passed through Gibraltar on their way into exile in North Africa.

1492 Summer – After the death of the former Duke, his son and heir, Juan Alfonso Perez de Guzman, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia saw his lordship over Gibraltar reluctantly renewed by the Catholic Monarchs.

1497 – Gibraltar became the main base in the conquest of Melilla by the troops of the Duke of Medina Sidonia.

1501 – 2nd of December – Acknowledging the importance of the town, the Catholic Monarchs asked the Duke of Medina Sidonia for the return of Gibraltar to the domains of the crown. The Duke accepted the Royal request and ceded the town to the monarchs.

1502 – 2nd of January – Garcilaso de la Vega took possession of the town on behalf of the Queen Isabella I of Castile.

1502 – 10th of July – By a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo by Isabella I of Castile, Gibraltar was granted its coat of arms: “An escutcheon on which the upper two thirds shall be a white field and on the said field set a red castle, and below the said castle, on the other third of the escutcheon, which must be a red field in which there must be a white line between the castle and the said red field, there shall be a golden key which hangs by a chain from the said castle, as are here figured”. The Castle and Key remain the Arms of Gibraltar to this day.

1506 – Alleging a false donation by the king Philip I of Castile, the Duke of Medina Sidonia attempted to recover Gibraltar by besieging the town. The siege was unsuccessful and the Duke was admonished by the Regency and forced to pay a fee to the town. The town received the title of “Most Loyal City” (Tenth Siege of Gibraltar).The Duke died in 1507.

1516 – 14th of March – Spain becomes a united kingdom under Charles I.

1540 – 8th of September – Corsairs from the Barbary Coast (ruled by Barbarossa) landed at Gibraltar in sixteen galleys, looting the town and taking away many captives.

1552 – After the requests from the inhabitants of the town, Charles I of Spain (the Emperor Charles V) sent the Italian engineer Giovanni Battista Calvi to strengthen the defences of the town. A wall was built (nowadays known as Charles V Wall); also a ditch by the wall of the town and a drawbridge at the Landport (Puerta de Tierra).

1567 – Juan Mateos turned his large house in the Upper Town into a hospital. It was Gibraltar’s first hospital, and remained on the same site serving the people of Gibraltar for almost four and a half centuries.

1606 – The Moriscos (the descendants of the Muslim inhabitants in Spain) were expelled from Spain by King Philip III. Many passed through Gibraltar on their way into exile in North Africa.

1607 – 25th of April – During the Eighty Years’ War between the United Provinces and the King of Spain, a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar (Battle of Gibraltar).

1621 – Second battle of Gibraltar on which a Spanish squadron crushed the VOC at the strait of Gibraltar – Battle of Gibraltar (1621).

1649 – Typhoid epidemic in the town.

1656 – In a letter to Councillor General Montagu (afterwards Earl of Sandwich), General-at-sea and one of the Protector’s personal friends, Cromwell mentioned the necessity of securing a permanent base at the entry of the Mediterranean, preferably Gibraltar (the first suggestion for the occupation of Gibraltar as a naval base had been made at an English Council of War held at sea on the 20th of October 1625).

The War of the Spanish Succession

1700 – 1st of November – King Charles II of Spain died leaving no descendants. In the autumn he had made a will bequeathing the whole of the Spanish possessions to Prince Philip of Bourbon, a grandson of Louis XIV backed by France. The other pretender, an Austrian Habsburg, Archduke Charles, supported by the Holy Roman Empire, England and the Netherlands did not accept Charles II’s testament.

1701 September – England, the Netherlands and Austria signed the Treaty of The Hague. By this treaty, they accepted Philippe of Anjou as King of Spain, but allotted Austria the Spanish territories in Italy and the Spanish Netherlands. England and the Netherlands, meanwhile, were to retain their commercial rights in Spain. Later (in 1703), Portugal, Savoy and some German states joined the alliance.

1702 May – Formal beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession.

1703 – 12th of February – The Archduke Charles was proclaimed king of Castile and Aragon in Vienna. He took the name of Charles III.

The Gibraltar capture

(There is a common discrepancy in the chronology between Spanish and British sources, the reason being that England still used the Julian calendar. By 1704 the Julian calendar was eleven days behind the Gregorian, and the siege thus began on the 21st of July according to the Julian.)

1704 – 1st of August (New Style): (21st of July (Old Style)) – During the War of the Spanish Succession, and when returning from a failed expedition to Barcelona, an Anglo-Dutch fleet, under the command of Sir George Rooke, chief commander of the Alliance Navy, began a new siege (the eleventh siege of the town). They demanded its unconditional surrender and an oath of loyalty to the Habsburg pretender to the Spanish throne, the Archduke Charles. The Governor of Gibraltar, Diego de Salinas, refused the ultimatum. A brigade of Dutch Royal Marines and Royal Marines, 1,800 strong, under the command of Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, chief commander of the Alliance Army in Spain, began to besiege Gibraltar, in the name of the Archduke Charles. A small group of Spaniards, mainly Catalans, were integrated in the troops of the Prince of Hesse.

1704 night of the 3rd and 4th of August – Heavy shelling targeted the castle and the town.

1704 – 4th of August – The Governor Diego de Salinas surrendered the town to Prince George of Hesse, who took it in the name of Archduke, as Charles III, king of Castile and Aragon. This was the end of the Eleventh Siege of Gibraltar.

The exact beginning of the English/British control of Gibraltar is hard to determine. From the eighteenth century, Spanish sources reported that immediately after the takeover of the city, Sir George Rooke, the British admiral, on his own initiative caused the British flag to be hoisted, and took possession of the Rock in name of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, whose government ratified the occupation. On the other hand, even the British or the Gibraltarians sometimes date the beginning of British sovereignty in 1704 (for instance, in its speech at the United Nations in 1994, the Gibraltar Chief Minister at the time, Joe Bossano, stated that Gibraltar has been a British colony ever since it was taken by Britain in 1704. Also, some British sources have accounted the flag story (He (Rooke) had the Spanish flag hauled down and the English flag hoisted in its stead; Rooke’s men quickly raised the British flag … and Rooke claimed the Rock in the name of Queen Anne; or Sir George Rooke, the British admiral, on his own responsibility caused the British flag to be hoisted, and took possession in name of Queen Anne, whose government ratified the occupation.

However, it is claimed by present-day historians, both Spanish and British, that this version is apocryphal since no contemporary source accounts it. Isidro Sepúlveda, William Jackson and George Hills explicitly refute it (Sepúlveda points out that if such a fact had actually happened, it would have caused a big crisis in the Alliance supporting the Archduke Charles; George Hills explains that the story was first accounted by the Marquis of San Felipe, who wrote his book “Comentarios de la guerra de España e historia de su rey Phelipe V el animoso” in 1725, more than twenty years after the fact; the marquis was not an eye-witness and cannot be considered as a reliable source for the facts that took place in Gibraltar in 1704. As Hills concludes: “The flag myth … may perhaps be allowed now to disappear from Anglo-Spanish polemics. On the one side it has been used to support a claim to the Rock ‘by right of conquest’; on the other to … pour on Britain obloquy for perfidy”.

What does seem nowadays proved is that the British troops who had landed on the South Mole area raised their flag to signal their presence to the ships, and avoid being fired upon by their own side.
However, whatever the exact events of the time, Gibraltar ceased being under the rule of Philip V of Spain in 1704. A statue to Sir George Rooke was erected in 2004 as part of the tercentenery celebrations.

1704 – 4th –7th of August. After the surrender, despite the efforts of the senior officers to maintain order, the civil population of Gibraltar suffered at the hands of the troops. Homes were plundered, there were cases of rape, churches were ransacked, religious symbols destroyed, and Catholic churches pressed into service for use as stores or for other military uses. The townspeople took reprisals, murdering Dutchmen and Englishmen and throwing their corpses to wells and cesspits. When discipline was restored, in spite of assurances that Spaniards who wished to remain would enjoy freedom of religion and full civil rights, almost all villagers decided not to run the risk of staying and left in exile.

1704 – 7th of August. A dejected procession, numbering some 4,000 according to most of the sources, such as Hills or Jackson filed out of the Land Port with Queen Isabella’s banner at their head, and led by the Spanish Governor, Diego de Salinas, the Spanish garrison, with their three brass cannon, the religious orders, the city council and all those inhabitants who did not wish to take the oath of allegiance to Charles III as asked by the terms of surrender. They took with them the symbols and objects of Spanish Gibraltar’s history: the council and ecclesiastical records, including the historical documents signed by the Spanish Catholic Monarchs in 1502, granting Gibraltar’s coat of arms, and the statue of the Saint Mary the Crowned. Most of them took refuge in the proximity of the nearby Chapel of San Roque, possibly hoping for a rapid reconquest of Gibraltar, which never materialised. There, a new settlement was formed, being granted a council two years later (1706), with the name of San Roque, and being considered by the Spanish Crown as the heir to the lost town of Gibraltar (historical objects and records predating 1704 were subsequently taken to San Roque where they remain to this day.) King Philip V of Spain dubbed San Roque as My city of Gibraltar resident in its Campo. Others settled down in what today is Los Barrios or even further away, in the ruins of the abandoned city of Algeciras. Only about seventy people remained in the town, most of them religious, people without family or belonging to the Genoese trader colony.

1704 – 24th of August – The Alliance fleet, under the command of Rooke, set sail from Gibraltar and intercepted a joint Spanish-French fleet that attempted to recover Gibraltar by the coast of Málaga (Battle of Vélez-Málaga). The result was uncertain, with heavy losses on both sides, but the Spanish-French fleet was stopped and prevented from arriving at Gibraltar.

The first Spanish siege (Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar)

1704 – 5th of September – Troops of France and Spain under the marquis of Villadarias, General Captain of Andalusia, started to besiege Gibraltar to try to recover it (this one would be the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar). In the town, the Marine brigade, still under the command of the British admiral Sir John Leake, and the governor, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt (who had commanded the land forces in August), and reinforced shortly before by a further 400 Royal Marines, held the fortress against repeated attacks.

1704 – 11th of November – A notable incident during the siege: 500 Spanish volunteer grenadiers tried to surprise the garrison after being led up a concealed path to the top of The Rock by a Spanish goatherd from Gibraltar, Simón Susarte. Captain Fisher of the Marines with 17 of his men successfully defended the Round Tower against their assault. A contemporary report of this noted defence says, “Encouraged by the Prince of Hesse, the garrison did more than could humanly be expected, and the English Marines gained an immortal glory”.

1705 January – Philip V replaced Villadarias with the Marshal of France de Tessé.

1705 – 7th of February – The last assault before the arrival of de Tessé was executed. The Gibraltar wall was damaged, but French troops refused to go on until the arrival of de Tessé (who arrived the day after). The assault becomes unsuccessful.

1705 – 31st of March – The Count de Tessé gave up the siege and retired.

During the rest of the war

Although nominally in the hands of the Archduke Charles, and garrisoned with both English and Dutch regiments within, Britain began to monopolize the rule of the town. Even if the formal transfer of sovereignty would not take place until the signature of the Treaty of Utrecht, the British Governor and garrison become the de facto rulers of the town.

1705 – 2nd of August – The Archduke Charles stopped over in Gibraltar on his way to the territories of the Crown of Aragon. The Prince of Hesse joined him, thus leaving the town (he would die one month later in the siege of Barcelona). The English Major General John Shrimpton was left as governor (appointed by the Archduke Charles on the recommendation of Queen Anne).

1706 – 17th of February – Queen Anne though not yet the legal ruler of the territory, declared Gibraltar a free port (upon request of the Sultan of Morocco, who wanted Gibraltar being given this status in return for supplying the town).

1707 – 24th of December – The first British Governor directly appointed by Queen Anne, Roger Elliott, took up residence in the Convent of the Franciscan friars.

1711 – The British government, then in the hands of the Tories, covertly ordered the British Gibraltar governor, Thomas Stanwix, to expel any foreign (not British) troops (to foster Great Britain’s sole right to Gibraltar in the negotiations running up between Britain and France). Although he answered positively, he allowed a Dutch regiment to stay. It remained there until March of 1713.

British rule
Treaty of Utrecht

11th of April 1713 – The territory was subsequently ceded to the Crown of Great Britain in perpetuity by Spain under article X of the Treaties of Utrecht. Despite some military attempts by the Spanish to retake it in the 18th century, most notably in the Great Siege of 1779–1783, the Rock has remained under British control ever since.

In that treaty, Spain ceded Great Britain “the full and entire propriety of the town and castle of Gibraltar, together with the port, fortifications, and forts thereunto belonging … for ever, without any exception or impediment whatsoever.”

The Treaty stipulated that no overland trade between Gibraltar and Spain was to take place, except for emergency provisions in the case that Gibraltar is unable to be supplied by sea. Another condition of the cession was that “no leave shall be given under any pretence whatsoever, either to Jews or Moors, to reside or have their dwellings in the said town of Gibraltar.” This was not respected for long and Gibraltar has had for many years an established Jewish community, along with Muslims from North Africa.

Finally, under the Treaty, should the British crown wish to dispose of Gibraltar, that of Spain should be offered the territory first.

Until the Peninsular Wars

Between 1713 and 1728, there were seven occasions when British ministers was prepared to bargain Gibraltar away as part of his foreign policy. However, the Parliament frustrated always such attempts, echoing the public opinion in Britain.

1721 March – Philip V of Spain requested the restitution of Gibraltar to proceed to the renewal of the trade licences of Great Britain with the Spanish possessions in America.

1721 – 1st of June – George I sent a letter to Philip V promising “to make use of the first favourable Opportunity to regulate this Article (the Demand touching the Restitution of Gibraltar), with the Consent of my Parliament”. However, the British Parliament never endorsed such promise.

1727 February–June – Second of the sieges by Spain tried to recapture Gibraltar (Thirteenth Siege of Gibraltar). Depending on the sources, Spanish troops were between 12,000 and 25,000. British defenders were 1,500 at the beginning of the siege, increasing up to about 5,000. After a five-month siege with several unsuccessful and costly attempts, Spanish troops gave up and retired.

1729 – At the end of the Anglo-Spanish War of 1727–1729, the Treaty of Seville confirming all previous treaties (including the Treaty of Utrecht) allowed Great Britain to keep Menorca and Gibraltar.

1730 – A Belgian Engineer, the Marquis of Verboom, Chief Engineer of the Spanish Royal Engineer Corps, who had taken part in the 1727 siege, arrived in San Roque commissioned by the Spanish government to design a line of fortifications across the isthmus. Fort San Felipe and Fort Santa Barbara were built. The fortifications, known to the British as the Spanish Lines, and to Spain as La Línea de Contravalación were the origin of modern-day town of La Línea de la Concepción.

1749–1754 – Lieutenant General Humphrey Bland is the Governor of Gibraltar. He compiles the twelve “Articles” or regulations that ruled the administration of Gibraltar for over sixty years. First article, dealing with property, establishes that only Protestants may own property. In 1754 the population settled at around 6,000 people, with the garrison and their dependants constituting about three-quarters of it. The civilian population comprised mainly Genoese and Jews.

1776 – 23rd of February – One of the heaviest storms ever recorded in Gibraltar. The lower part of the town was flooded. Linewall was breached along 100 m.

1779 June – In the midst of the American Revolutionary War, Spain declared war against Great Britain (as France had done the year before).

1779 July – Start of the Great Siege of Gibraltar (fourteenth and last military siege). This was an action by French and Spanish forces to wrest control of Gibraltar from the established British Garrison. The garrison, led by George Augustus Eliott, later 1st Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar, survived all attacks and a blockade of supplies.

1782 – 13th of September – Start of an assault involving 100,000 men, 48 ships and 450 cannon. The British garrison survived.

1783 February. By now the siege was over, and George Augustus Eliott was awarded the Knight of the Bath and was created 1st Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar. The Treaties of Versailles which ceded Minorca and Florida to Spain, reaffirmed previous treaties in the rest of issues, thus not affecting to Gibraltar.

In 1782, work on the Great Siege Tunnels started. The tunnels became a great and complex system of underground fortifications which nowadays criss-crosses the inside of the Rock. Once the Siege was over, the fortifications were rebuilt and, in the following century, the walls were lined with Portland limestone. Such stone gave the walls their present white appearance.

The successful resistance in the Great Siege is attributed to several factors: the improvement in fortifications by Colonel (later General Sir) William Green in 1769; the British naval supremacy, which translated into support of the Navy; the competent command by General George Augustus Elliot; and an appropriately sized garrison. As in the early years of the British period, during the Siege the British Government considered to exchange Gibraltar for some Spanish possession. However, by the end of the Siege the fortress and its heroic response to the siege was now acquiring a sort of cult status amongst the population in Britain and no exchange however attractive, was likely to be acceptable.

1800 – Malta is taken over by Great Britain. The possession of Malta (confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1814, increased the attractiveness of Gibraltar since controlling both Gibraltar and Malta meant the effective mastery of the Mediterranean Sea by the Royal Navy.

1802 – Several mutinies among some regiments garrisoned in Gibraltar.

1802 – The first merchant token to bear the name Gibraltar (albeit spelt Gibralter) was issued by Robert Keeling in order to alleviate a shortage of copper.

1803 June – Admiral Nelson arrived in Gibraltar as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean.

1804 – Great epidemic of “Malignant Fever” broke out. Although traditionally labelled as “Yellow Fever” now it is thought to have been typhus. Nearly 5,000 people died.

1805 January – The great epidemic ended. Over a third of the civilian population (5,946 people) died.

1805 – 21st of October – Battle of Trafalgar.

1805 – 28th of October – HMS Victory was towed into Gibraltar bringing Nelson’s body aboard. The Trafalgar Cemetery still exists today in Gibraltar.

1806 – Gibraltar was made a Catholic Apostolic Vicariate (until then Gibraltar belonged to the See of Cadiz). Since 1840 the vicar has always been the Bishop of Gibraltar.

1810 – Britain and Spain became allies against Napoleon.

1810 February – The Governor of Gibraltar removed the Spanish forts of San Felipe and Santa Barbara, located on the northern boundary of the neutral ground. Fearing that the forts might fall into French hands, Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell instructed Royal Engineers to blow the forts up. Such a task was carried out on the 14th of February together with the demolition of the rest of the fortifications of the Spanish Lines.

( According to George Hills, there are no primary sources that could explain whether such a demolition was requested or authorized by any Spanish or British authority. According to him, over time, three different theories have emerged: (a) Campbell ordered the demolition on his own authority (b) under instructions from the British Government (c) upon request of Spanish General Castaños, who was at the time in Cádiz. Spanish authors from 1840 have usually favoured theory (b) while British ones have supported (c). As long as there is no contemporary source or dispatch on the topic, Hills does not personally discard (a) considering it the most likely possibility).

During the Peninsular War, contingents from the Gibraltar Garrison were sent to aid Spanish resistance to the French at Cádiz and Tarifa. As William Jackson describes, Gradually Gibraltar changed from being the objective of the San Roque garrison into the supply base and refuge in time of trouble for the Spanish forces operating in Southern Andalusia.

Until the Second World War

1814 – Outbreak of malignant fever.

1815 – The civilian population of Gibraltar was about 10,000 people (two and a half times the size of the garrison). Genoese constituted about one-third of the civilian population (a large number of immigrants had arrived from Genoa at the beginning of the century). The rest were mainly Spaniards and Portuguese fled from the war, and Jews from Morocco.

1817 – The first civil judge was established.

1830 – The British government changes the status of Gibraltar from The town and garrison of Gibraltar in the Kingdom of Spain to the Crown Colony of Gibraltar. Thus, the responsibility for its administration is transferred from the War Office to the new Colonial Office.

Legal institutions and the Gibraltar Police Force were established.

1832 – The Church of the Holy Trinity, built for the needs of Anglican worshippers among Gibraltar’s civil population, is completed. (Ten years later it will become the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity).

1842 – 21st of August – The Church of England Diocese of Gibraltar was founded by Letters Patent and took over the pastoral care of the chaplaincies and congregations from Portugal to the Caspian Sea. George Tomlinson is enthroned as the first Bishop of Gibraltar. The Church of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar becomes Cathedral for the Diocese.

1842 – Official Coins of the Realm were struck for Gibraltar by the Royal Mint. Coins were issued in ½, 1 and 2 Quart denominations.

1869 – The Suez Canal was opened. It heavily increased the strategic value of the Rock in the route from the United Kingdom to India. Gibraltar economy, mainly based on commercial shipping and import-export trade, takes a new income source with the opening of a coaling station for the new steam ships.

1891 – 17th of March – America-bound steamer Utopia slammed in heavy weather into the iron-plated British battleship HMS Anson and sank in the Bay of Gibraltar; 576 people died.

1894 – The construction of the dockyards started.

1908 – 5th of August – The British Ambassador in Madrid informed the Spanish Minister of State ‘as an act of courtesy’, of the British Government’s intention to build a fence along the line of British sentries on the isthmus to prevent smuggling and reduce sentry duty. According to the British government, the fence was erected 1 metre inside British territory. Spain currently does not recognize the fence as the valid border, since it claims the fence was built on Spanish soil. Even though Spain, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar are all part of the European Union, the border fence is still relevant today since Gibraltar is outside the customs union. The border crossing is open 24-hours a day as required by EU law.

1921 – Gibraltar was granted a City Council status in recognition for its contribution to the British war efforts in World War I. The council had a small minority of elected persons. First elections held in Gibraltar.

1936–1939 – After the United Kingdom recognised the Franco’s regime in 1938, Gibraltar had two Spanish Consulates, a Republican one and a Nationalistic one. Several incidents took place during the Spanish Civil War which affected Gibraltar. In May 1937, HMS Arethusa had to tow HMS Hunter into port after Hunter hit a mine off Almeria that killed and wounded several British sailors. In the June of 1937, the German pocket battleship Deutschland arrived in Gibraltar with dead and wounded after Republican planes bombed it in Ibiza in retaliation for the Condor Legion’s bombing of Guernica.

In the August of 1938, the Republican destroyer Jose Luis Diez took refuge in Gibraltar after taking casualties from the guns of the National cruiser Canarias. The one incident that resulted in the death of Gibraltarians occurred on the 31st of January 1938 when the insurgent submarine General Sanjurjo sank the SS Endymion, a small Gibraltar-registered freighter taking a cargo of coal to Cartagena, which was chartered by the Republican government. Eleven members of her crew were killed.

Second World War and after

The history of Gibraltar from the Second World War is characterized by two main elements: the increasing autonomy and self-government achieved by Gibraltarians and the re-emergence of the Spanish claim, especially during the years of the Francoist dictatorship.

During World War II (1939–1945) the Rock was again turned into a fortress and the civilian residents of Gibraltar were evacuated. Initially, in the May of 1940, 16,700 people went to French Morocco. However, after the French-German Armistice and the subsequent destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria by the British Navy in July 1940, the French-Moroccan authorities asked all Gibraltarian evacuees to be removed. 12,000 went to Britain, while about 3,000 went to Madeira or Jamaica, with the rest moving to Spain or Tanger. Control of Gibraltar gave the Allied Powers control of the entry to the Mediterranean Sea (the other side of the Strait being Spanish territory, and thus non-belligerent). The Rock was a key part of the Allied supply lines to Malta and North Africa and base of the British Navy Force H, and prior to the war the racecourse on the isthmus was converted into an airbase and a concrete runway constructed (1938). The repatriation of the civilians started in 1944 and proceeded until 1951, causing considerable suffering and frustration. However, most of the population had returned by 1946.

1940 – 4th of July – French bombers, based in French Morocco, carried out a retaliatory air raid over Gibraltar as a reprisal for the destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, by the Force H (about 1,300 French sailors were killed and about 350 were wounded in the action against the French fleet).

1941 – Germany planned to occupy Gibraltar (and presumably hand it over to Spain[citation needed]) in “Operation Felix” which was due to start on the 10th of January 1941. It was cancelled because the Spanish government were reluctant to let the Wehrmacht enter Spain and then attack against the Rock, its civilians or the British Army from Spanish soil, because Franco feared that it may have been impossible to remove the Wehrmacht afterwards. In any case, Hitler was too busy elsewhere in Europe to give this much priority.

1940–1943 – Gibraltar harbour was attacked many times by Italian commando frogmen operating from Algeciras. Underwater warfare and countermeasures were developed by Lionel Crabb.

1942 September – A small group of Gibraltarians, who remained in the town serving in the British Army, joined a mechanic official, Albert Risso, to create ‘The Gibraltarians Association’, the starting point of what became the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (officially established in December that year), the first political party in Gibraltar. Joshua Hassan (a young lawyer then, later Sir and Chief Minister) was among the leading members of the association. The AACR was the dominant party in Gibraltar politics for the last third of the 20th century.

1942 – 8th of November – Operation Torch launched with support from Gibraltar.

1944 April – The situation in Gibraltar is considered safe and the first of the evacuees return to Gibraltar.

1946 – The United Kingdom inscribed Gibraltar in the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories kept by the UN Special Committee on Decolonization.

1950 – Gibraltar’s first Legislative Council was opened.

1951 – The return process of the evacuees finishes. It was delayed due to an initial shortage of shipping and then of housing. The evacuation was a key element in the creation of the national conscience of Gibraltarians. The experience of evacuation had bonded the Gibraltarian together as a nation.

1951 – 27th of April – The RFA Bedenham explodes while docked in Gibraltar, killing 13, damaging many buildings in the town and delaying the housing program essential for repatriation.

1954 – This was the 250th anniversary of its capture. Queen Elizabeth II visited Gibraltar, which angered General Franco, who renewed its claim to sovereignty, which had not been actively pursued for over 150 years. This led to the closure of the Spanish consulate and to the imposition of restrictions on freedom of movement between Gibraltar and Spain. By the 1960s, motor vehicles were being restricted or banned from crossing the border, while only Spanish nationals employed on the Rock being allowed to enter Gibraltar.

1955 – At the United Nations, Spain, which had just been admitted to membership, initiated a claim to the territory, arguing that the principle of territorial integrity, not self-determination, applied in the case of the decolonization of Gibraltar, and that the United Kingdom should cede sovereignty of the Rock to Spain. Madrid gained diplomatic support from countries in Latin America, with the UN General Assembly passing resolutions (2231 (XXI), “Question of Gibraltar” and 2353 (XXII), “Question of Gibraltar”.

1965 April – The British Government published a White Paper dealing with the question of Gibraltar and the Treaty of Utrecht.

1966 – In response, the Spanish Foreign Office Minister Fernando Castiella, published and presented to the Spanish Courts the “Spanish Red Book” (named so because of its cover; its reference is “Negociaciones sobre Gibraltar. Documentos presentados a las Cortes Españolas por el Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores”, Madrid, 1967)

1967 – The first sovereignty referendum was held on 10 September, in which Gibraltar’s voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government. Over 99% voted in favour of remaining British.

1968 A group of six Gibraltarian lawyers and businessmen, calling themselves the palomos or ‘doves’, advocated a political settlement with Spain in a letter published in the Gibraltar Chronicle, and met with Spanish Foreign Office officials (a meeting was even held with the Spanish Foreign Office Minister) to try and bring this about. This provoked widespread public hostility in Gibraltar (with attacks on their homes and properties and civil unrest). Things quickly calmed down, although today the term retains a negative meaning in Gibraltar politics.

1969 – 30th of May – A new constitution for Gibraltar was introduced by the United Kingdom Parliament, under the initiative of the British Government (Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969). Under it, Gibraltar attained full internal self-government, with an elected House of Assembly. The City Council and the Legislative Council disappeared. The preamble to the Constitution stated that:
“Her Majesty’s Government will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.”

1969 – 8th of June – In response, Spain closed the border with Gibraltar, and severed all communication links. For about 13 years, the land border was closed from the Spanish side, to try to isolate the territory. The closure affected both sides of the border. Gibraltarians with families in Spain had to go by ferry to Tangier, Morocco, and from there to the Spanish port of Algeciras, while many Spanish workers (by then about 4,800; sixteen years before, about 12,500 Spanish workmen entered Gibraltar every day) lost their jobs in Gibraltar.

1969 – Major Robert (later Sir Robert) Peliza of the Integration with Britain Party (IWBP) was elected Chief Minister in alliance with the independent group led by Peter Isola.

1971 – The United Kingdom Government led by Heath considered the possibility of exchanging sovereignty for a 999-year lease on Gibraltar, as it was felt it had ceased to be of any military or economic value. The proposals remained secret until 2002.

1972 – Joshua Hassan of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (AACR) was returned to power. AACR rebrands as GLP/AACR (Gibraltar Labour Party / AACR) in an attempt to develop a more clearly working class image.

1972 – Gibraltar TGWU hold a 6-day General Strike, pressing the Ministry of Defence, Gibraltar’s largest employer, for better pay and conditions for workers. The strike ends successfully with a £1.85 increase in basic pay rates, and is seen as a catalyst for increased working class solidarity in the pursuit of social, economic and political change. TGWU claims a rise of overall union density within the labour market to around 55% following the strike.

1973 – Gibraltar joined the European Economic Community alongside the United Kingdom.

1975 – The British Foreign Office Minister Roy Hattersley ruled out integration with the UK, and stated that any constitutional change would have to involve a ‘Spanish dimension’. This position was reaffirmed the following year when the British government rejected the House of Assembly’s proposals for constitutional reform (Hattersley Memorandum). The IWBP broke up and was succeeded by the Democratic Party of British Gibraltar (DPBG), led first by Maurice Xiberras, formerly of the IWBP, and subsequently by Peter Isola.

1975 – Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco died, but nothing changed in relation to Gibraltar.

1980 – 10th of April – The British and Spanish ministers of Foreign Affairs, Lord Carrington and Marcelino Oreja signs the Lisbon Agreement regarding ‘The Gibraltar Problem’ stating that the communications between Gibraltar and Spain would be re-established, and restating both Governments positions. The measures agreed were not implemented.

1980 July – The Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar is amalgamated with the Jurisdiction of North and Central Europe to become the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltar remains Anglican Cathedral for the Diocese.

1981 – The British Nationality Act 1981 effectively made Gibraltar a Dependent Territory and removed the right of entry into the UK of British Dependent Territory Citizens. After a short campaign Gibraltarians were offered full British citizenship (History of nationality in Gibraltar). The act was ratified in 1983.

1982 – 15th of December – The re-opening of the border was initially delayed due to the war between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Upon the change in the Spanish government, with the Socialist Party in power, the border was partially re-opened (only pedestrians, resident in Gibraltar or Spanish nationals were allowed to cross the border by Spain; only one crossing each way per day was allowed). Restrictions on the land border continued until 2006, although there are still occasionally issues related to the crossing.

1984 – Spain applied to join the European Community, succeeding in 1986. Under the Brussels Agreement (27th of November 1984) signed between the governments of the United Kingdom and Spain, the former agreed to enter into discussions with Spain over Gibraltar, including by first time the “issues” of sovereignty. The border was fully reopened.

1987 – 2nd of December – A proposal for joint control of Gibraltar Airport with Spain met with widespread local opposition which was expressed in a protest march to The Convent. Chief Minister Sir Joshua Hassan resigned at the end of the year and was succeeded by Adolfo Canepa.

1988 – Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) leader Joe Bossano was elected as Chief Minister, and firmly ruled out any discussions with Spain over sovereignty and shared use of the airport.

1988 – 7th of March – The Special Air Service of the British Army shot dead three unarmed members of the Provisional IRA walking towards the frontier, claiming they were making “suspicious movements” (Operation Flavius). A subsequent search led to the discovery of a car containing a large amount of Semtex explosive in Spain, which they had planned to use to bomb the Changing of the Guard ceremony a few days later .

1991 – The British Army effectively withdrew from Gibraltar, leaving only the locally recruited Royal Gibraltar Regiment, although the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy remain. Spain made various proposals involving the sovereignty of Gibraltar, which were rejected by all parties in the Gibraltar House of Assembly.

1991 – The Spanish Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) government of Felipe González proposed joint sovereignty over Gibraltar with the United Kingdom. A similar proposal was advocated by Peter Cumming, formerly of the Gibraltar Social-Democrats (GSD), in which the Rock would become a self-governing condominium (or “Royal City”), with the British and Spanish monarchs as joint heads of state.

1995 – GSLP government lost popular support as a result of tobacco smuggling activity.[citation needed] To prevent this activity the fast launches were made illegal and confiscated. This resulted in a riot in July 1995.

1996 – In a general election, Joe Bossano was replaced by Peter Caruana of the GSD, who while favouring dialogue with Spain, also ruled out any deals on sovereignty.

1997 – The Partido Popular Spanish Foreign Minister, Abel Matutes made proposals under which Gibraltar would be under joint sovereignty for fifty years, before being fully incorporated into Spain, as an autonomous region, similar to Catalonia or the Basque Country, but these were rejected by the British Government.

2000 — An agreement was reached between the UK and Spain over recognition of ‘competent authorities’ in Gibraltar. Spain had a policy of non-recognition of the Government of Gibraltar as a ‘competent authority’, therefore refusing to recognise Gibraltar’s courts, police and government departments, driving licences, and identity cards. Under the agreement, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London would act as a ‘post box’, through which Gibraltar’s police and other government departments could communicate with their counterparts in Spain. In addition, identity documents issued by the Government of Gibraltar now featured the words ‘United Kingdom’.

2000 May to 2001 May – Following an incident at sea the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless (S88) was repaired in Gibraltar causing diplomatic tension with Spain. Before consenting to the repair, the Government of Gibraltar insisted on a full safety assessment.

Twenty-first century

2001 — The UK Government announced plans to reach a final agreement with Spain over the future of Gibraltar, which would involve shared sovereignty; however agreement was not reached due to the opposition of the Gibraltarians.

2002 — On the 12th of July the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in a formal statement in the House of Commons, said that after twelve months of negotiation the British Government and Spain are in broad agreement on many of the principles that should underpin a lasting settlement of Spain’s sovereignty claim, which included the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar. Political commentators saw this as an attempt by Britain to get Spain to help counterbalance France and Germany’s domination of the European Union. Straw visited Gibraltar to explain his ideas and was left in no doubt they had no support.

2002 – In the November the Government of Gibraltar called Gibraltar’s second sovereignty referendum on the proposal, it achieved a turnout of 88% of which 98.97% of the electorate did not support the position taken by Mr Straw.

The actual voting was as follows: 18,176 voted representing 87.9% of the electorate. There were 89 papers spoilt of which 72 were blank 18,087 of which 187 Voted YES, and 17,900 voted NO.
The Referendum was supervised by a team of international observers headed by the Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, who certified that it had been held fairly, freely and democratically.

2002 – The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 made provision for the renaming of British Dependent Territories as British Overseas Territories, which changed the status of Gibraltar to an Overseas Territory. This act granted full British citizenship to British Overseas Territories, which was already available to Gibraltarians since 1983.

2004 August – Gibraltar celebrated 300 years of British rule. Spanish officials labelled this as the celebration of 300 years of British occupation.

Despite this, Gibraltar celebrated its Tercentenary, with a number of events on the 4th of August, including the population encircling the rock holding hands, and granting the Freedom of the City to the Royal Navy.

2004 – 18th of November – A joint commission (Comisión mixta de Cooperación y Colaboración) was established between the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Comarca del Campo de Gibraltar (the Council Association of the Campo de Gibraltar, the historic Spanish county that surrounds Gibraltar) and the Government of Gibraltar.

2004 – 28th of October – The governments of the United Kingdom and Spain agreed to allow the Government of Gibraltar equal representation in a new open agenda discussion forum (so called Tripartite Talks).

2005 July – First Tripartite Talks took place in Faro, Portugal.

2006 August – The following was announced:

The three participants confirm that the necessary preparatory work related to agreements on the airport, pensions, telephones and fence/border issues, carried out during the last 18 months, has been agreed. Accordingly, they have decided to convene in Spain the first Ministerial meeting of the Tripartite Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar on the 18th of September 2006.

2006 – 18th of September Córdoba agreement – The British and Spanish foreign ministers and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar met at the Palacio de Viana, Córdoba and announced the following:

1. Spain agrees to recognise Gibraltar’s international dialling code (350) and allow mobile roaming.

2. Spanish restrictions on civil flights at the airport will be removed. A new terminal building will also be constructed, allowing a direct passage to/from the north side of the fence/frontier (in order to overcome problems of terminology relating to references to the words “frontier” or “fence”, the phrase “fence/frontier” is used in the documents).

3. There will be normality of traffic flow at the fence/frontier.

4. Britain agrees to pay uprated pensions to those Spanish citizens who lost their livelihoods when the border was unilaterally closed by Francisco Franco in 1969.

5. A branch of the Instituto Cervantes will be opened in Gibraltar.

This agreement is seen as a major milestone in Gibraltar’s history.

2006 November – The new constitution was drafted and later approved by the people of Gibraltar in a referendum. It was described as non-colonial in nature by Britain and Gibraltar. However, UK Europe Minister Jim Murphy, told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons said that new Constitution but he stated that “he has never described it as an end to the colonial relationship.” Although others have.

2006 -16th of December – The first passenger carrying Iberia aircraft landed in Gibraltar flying directly from Madrid, and a daily scheduled service started. The service was later reduced in frequency and terminated in September 2008.

2007 – 10th of February — Spain lifted restrictions on Gibraltar’s ability to expand and modernise its telecommunications infrastructure. These included a refusal to recognise International Direct Dialling (IDD) code which restricted the expansion of Gibraltar’s telephone numbering plan, and the prevention of roaming arrangements for Gibraltar’s GSM mobile phones in Spain.

2007 – 1st of May GB Airways began scheduled flights between Madrid and Gibraltar which were later withdrawn in September.

2007 – 29th of June – With a unanimous vote in the Gibraltar Parliament, local MPs approved new legislation that removes the phrases ‘the Colony’ and ‘UK possession’ from Gibraltar’s laws

2007 – 11th of October The Gibraltar Social Democrats were returned to Government for a fourth term after a General Election.

2008 – 18th of June – In the annual UN Special Committee on Decolonization meeting on the Gibraltar question, Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of Gibraltar stated that he would not attend future meetings as the Gibraltar Government is of the opinion that “there is no longer any need for us to look to the Committee to help us bring about our decolonisation”. The Committee agreed that the Question of Gibraltar would be discussed again next year.

2008 – 22nd of September – It was announced that the remaining Iberia flights to Madrid would cease operation at the end of September 2008 due to “economic reasons”, namely, lack of demand.

2008 – 10th of October – The bulk carrier MV Fedra ran aground on rocks at Europa Point, and broke in two. The crew were safely rescued, but some of the fuel oil escaped in the very bad weather. The Captain was later arrested.

2009 – in May there were a number of Spanish incursions into British Waters around Gibraltar leading to intervention by the Police and a diplomatic protest by the UK.

2009 – 7th of December four armed Civil Guard officers are detained after three landed in Gibraltar in pursuit of two suspected smugglers, who were themselves arrested. The Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba personally telephoned Chief Minister Peter Caruana to apologise, stating that there were “no political intentions” behind the incident. The Chief Minister was prepared to accept it had not been a political act. Spanish officers were released by the Police the following day, who said that “Enquiries established that the Guardia Civil mistakenly entered Gibraltar Territorial Waters in hot pursuit and have since apologised for their actions”.

2009 – 12th of December Miss Gibraltar Kaiane Aldorino wins the title Miss World in Johannesburg. Her homecoming five days later is a major public event in Gibraltar.

2009 – 17th of December A ferry service restarts between Gibraltar and Algeciras after a gap of 40 years.

2010 In order to overcome budget problems which follow the departure and arrest of the previous mayor, the mayor of La Linea de la Conception proposes to charge a toll for entry to Gibraltar and to tax telephone lines to Gibraltar. The proposals are opposed by the Spanish Government[100] and the Gibraltar government has dismissed concerns.

2011 GSLP / Liberal Alliance returned to power in the 2011 General Election, bringing to an end 15 years of GSD Government. Fabian Picardo becomes Chief Minister.

Sourced from Wikipedia

Picture from The Sun .co.uk

Sourced From You Tube (PublicEnquiry)

The Regimental Postings

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Apr 082015
 

1st Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1944.06 NW Europe 71 Infantry Brigade
1945 Germany 13 Infantry Brigade
1946.08 Trieste: Rossetti Barracks 13 Infantry Brigade
1947.01.31 Pola 13 Infantry Brigade
1947.04 Germany: 13 Infantry Brigade
. Dec 47: Germany 4 Armoured Brigade
. Jul 48: Germany: Border Barracks, Gottingen 31 Lorried Infantry Brigade
. 5 Aug 48: amalgamated on the Rhine with 2nd Battalion without change of title .
1949.05 England: UK Depot Bn .
1949.08? Eritrea:?? .
1951 Cyprus 2 Infantry Brigade
1951.10 Egypt: Canal Zone 2 Infantry Brigade
1953 England: .
1953.07 Germany: Belfast Barracks, Osnabruck 61 Lorried Infantry Brigade
 1956: Belfast Barracks, Osnabruck 21 Indep Infantry Brigade Group

1956.07 England: 
1956.08 Cyprus: Nicosia (moved into a newly made camp) 50 Infantry Brigade
. Dec 56: Cyprus: Gibraltar Camp, Limassol .
1958.11? England: Tidworth? .
. 7th Nov 58: Renamed 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) .
. . .
. 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
. . .
1944.06 NW Europe 6 Airborne Division
1945 England: 6 Air-Landing Brigade
. May – Aug 45: Norway 6 Air-Landing Brigade
1945.10 Palestine: 6 Air-Landing Brigade
. 1946: Palestine 31 Infantry Brigade
1947.03 UK: .
. 5th Aug 1945: amalgamated on the Rhine with 1st Battalion

1st Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps
. . .
1945.03 Italy 6 Armoured Division
1945 Austria .
1945.09.16 Italy .
1947 England: Bn HQ and HQ went Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot,

A and D Coys to Bramley, near Basingstoke and B and C Coys to Bordon .
. 1947: Converted back to infantry .
1948.02 England: Barton Stacey Basic Training role
1951.01 Germany: Dempsey Barracks, Sennelager 33 Armoured Brigade
1955.06 England: Tidworth .
1955.09 Libya: East and West Barracks, Derna 10 Armoured Division
. 27th Oct 55 – Jan 56: Sharjah (C Coy) .
. Jan – Mar 56: Sharjah (D Coy) .
. Mar – May 56: Bahrain (D Coy) joined by a 2nd Coy .
. Dec 57: Libya: Gialo Barracks, Tripoli .
. 7th Nov 58: Renamed 2nd Green Jackets (The King’s Royal Rifle Corps) .
2nd Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps
. . .
1945 Germany
1945 UK .
1945.10.27 Libya: Gialo Barracks, Tripoli .
1946.10 Egypt .
1946.11 Palestine .
1948.05 Egypt .
1948.06 England: Barton Stacey Joined 1st Battalion
11th Sep 48: Disbanded at Barton Stacey .
1951.03.01 Began reforming at Winchester .
1951.03 England: Winchester .
1951.10 England: Assaye Barracks, Tidworth .
1952.03 Germany: Oxford Barracks, Munster 20 Armoured Brigade
1956.12 England: Assaye Barracks, Tidworth .
. 31st Dec 57: Disbanded (PSA)

1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)
. . .
1944.06 NW Europe 22 Armoured Brigade
1945 Germany: Gluckstadt 22 Armoured Brigade
Jan 1947: Germany: Osnabruck 7 Armoured Brigade
1947.12 Germany: Elizabeth Barracks, Minden 7 Armoured Brigade
1951.04 Germany: Trenchard Barracks, Celle 7 Armoured Brigade
1953.10 England: Bulford .
Sailed from Liverpool on the Georgic .
1954.11 Kenya 39 Infantry Brigade
1956.06 Malaya 18 Infantry Brigade
Aug 56: Wardieburn Camp, Kuala Lumpur .
1957.10 England: Tidworth .
.7th Nov 58: Renamed 3rd Green Jackets (The Rifle Brigade) .
. . .
2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) 
. . .
1944.04 Italy 6 Armoured Division
1945.05 Austria .
1945 Germany: Buxtehude? .
1947: Germany: Buxtehude? Hamburg Sub Area
11th Sept 48: disbanded.

1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets Postings

1966 to 1967
Germany, Berlin

1967 to 1970
UK, Tidworth

1967 to 1968
United Nations Tour Cyprus

1969
Northern Ireland
(Province Wide)

1970 to 1974
Germany, Celle

1971
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1972
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1973
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1974 to 1978
UK, Dover

1974 to 1975
Northern Ireland, South Armagh

1976
Cyprus, United Nations / ESBA

1977
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1978 to 1980
Hong Kong

1980 to 1981
UK Hounslow

1981
Northern Ireland, South Armagh

1981 to 1983
Northern Ireland, Aldergrove
Ops Province wide

1983 to 1987
UK, Tidworth

1984 to 1985
Falkland Islands

1986
Northern Ireland
Ops Province wide

1987 to 1992
Germany, Osnabrùck

1987

Northern Ireland, Armagh

1990 to 1991
1st Gulf War (Coy)

1991 to 1992
Northern Ireland,Tyrone

25th of July 1992
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Green Jackets merged into two battalions.
2 RGJ and 3 RGJ Battalions re-designated as 1 RGJ and 2RGJ, Battalions

1 RGJ

1992 to 1993
Northern Ireland, Omagh
Ops Province wide

1993 to 1996
Cyprus, Dhekelia

1994
Falklands (Coy)

1995
Falklands (Coy)

1996 to 1999
UK, Bulford

1996
Bosnia

1999 to 2002
Northern Ireland, Belfast
Ops Province wide

2002 to 2007
UK Weeton

2001
Sierre Leone

2002
1992 to 1993
N.I Omagh
Ops Province wide

1993 to 1996
Cyprus, Dhekelia
1994
Falklands (Coy)
1995
Falklands (Coy)

1996 to 1999
UK Bulford
1996
Bosnia

1999 to 2002
Northern Ireland, Belfast
Ops Province wide

2002 to 2007
UK Weeton
2001
Sierre Leone
2002
Northern Ireland, Belfast
2003
Iraq
2004
Northern Ireland, South Armagh
2005
Kosovo
2006
Iraq
2003
Iraq
2004
Northern Ireland, South Armagh
2005
Kosovo
2006
Iraq

2nd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets Postings

1966 to 1967
Malaya Penang

1966
Borneo

1967 to 1971
Germany Munster

1971 to 1973
Northern Ireland, BallyKelly
Ops Province wide

1973 to 1975
UK, Catterick
1973 to 1974
Belize
1974
Northern Ireland, South Armagh

1974 to 1975
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1975 to 1977
Gibraltar

1977 to 1979
UK, Tidworth
1977 to 1978
Northern Ireland, South Armagh
1979
Northern Ireland, South Armagh

1980 to 1986
Germany Minden
1981 to 1982
Northern Ireland, Belfast
1985 to 1986
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1986 to 1988
UK, Warminster

1988 to 1991
UK, Dover
1989
Northern Ireland, Fermanagh
1991
1st Gulf War (Band)

1991 to 1992
Northern Ireland, Omagh
Ops Province wide

25th of July 1992
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Green Jackets merged into two battalions.
2 RGJ and 3 RGJ Battalions re-designated as 1 RGJ and 2RGJ, Battalions.

3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets Postings

1966 to 1967
UK, Felixstowe

1966
Borneo

1967 to 1968
Germany, Iserlohn

1968 to 1970
Germany, Celle

1970 to 1971
UK, Tidworth

1971
3RGJ reduced
to representative
Company

UK, Netheravon

1971
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1972
3RGJ reformed

1972 to 1975
Shoeburyness

1972
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1973
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1974
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1975 to 1977
Germany, Berlin

1977 to 1978
UK, Caterham

1978 to 1979
Northern Ireland, Londonderry
Ops Province wide

1979 to 1982
UK, Oakington
1980
Cyprus (United Nations)

1982 to 1987
Germany, Celle
1984 to 1985
Northern Ireland, Belfast

1987 to 1989
UK, Colchester
1987 to 1988
Falkland Islands (Coy)

1988 to 1991
Gibraltar
1989 to 1990
Northern Ireland, (Platoons)

1991 to 1992
Northern Ireland, South Armagh

25th of July 1992
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Green Jackets merged into two battalions.
2 RGJ and 3 RGJ Battalions re-designated as 1 RGJ and 2RGJ, Battalions.

2RGJ

1992 to 1995
UK Dover

1995-1997
Northern Ireland, Belfast
Ops Province wide

1997-2001
Germany, Paderborn
1999 to 2000
Kosovo

2001
Bosnia

2001 to 2003
UK, Warminster

2003 to 2005
Northern Ireland, Ballykinler
Ops Province wide

2005 to 2007
UK, Bulford

1st of February 2007
Formation of

The Rifles
1st and 2nd Royal Green Jackets redesignated 2 and 4 RIFLES

IMG_9706

Sourced from a picture taken by MAP

in The Royal Green Jackets ( RIFLES) Museum

November 2014

National Service

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Apr 072015
 

Former Riflemen of the Antecedent regiments would have been called up to serve their Sovereign and Country

The National Service Act of 1948 was an Act of Parliament which extended the British conscription of World War II into peacetime, in the form of National Service. After a first version of the act had been approved in 1947, to be implemented on the 1st of January 1949, the Cold War and the Malayan Emergency caused a revised and extended version to be approved in December 1948, only days before it came into force.

The act was a modified version of the National Service Act of September, 1939, which it superseded, and mainly aimed to address whether National Service would continue after the war. The National Service Act of September 1939 did not address this issue.

The National Service Act 1948 applied to all healthy young males who were not registered as conscientious objectors, as it did not affect neither the exemption for, nor the possibility to register as, conscientious objectors.

Background

In 1946, the British post-war government realised the need for an Armed Forces larger than what voluntary recruitment would provide. Discussions were soon started in parliament on a new National Service Act with a first such act being approved in July 1947. This first version was to come into force on the 1st of January 1949 and established the period of National Service to 12 months. However, financial crises, the advent of the Cold War and the Malayan Emergency caused the act to be amended before coming into force. The amendment was approved in December 1948, with the date in which it would come into force still being 1st of January 1949.

Differences to the previous act

The act changed the age range from 18-41 to 17-21, and increased the period of National Service required from 6 to 18 months. As with previous acts, men who completed the service remained on the reserve list for the number of years in the age-range (4 years) which starting being counted from the moment they finished serving. However, men on the reserve list could only be called for periods of up to 20 days (previous acts allowed the period to be indefinite), and could not be called more than three times.

The act also changed the trades considered essential services to the merchant navy, farming and coal mining (previously, essential services were coal mining, shipbuilding, engineering-related trades and—to a limited extent—medicine). Young men working in the essential services were exempted from National Service for a period of eight years. If they stopped working in these industries before this period of eight years ended (that is, before turning 25), they could be called up for National Service.

Korean War modifications of the act

In the October of 1950, in response to the British involvement in the Korean War, the service period was extended to two years. To compensate the reserve period was reduced by six months.

Ended in 1963

National Service was phased out gradually from 1960. In the November of 1960 the last men entered service, as call-ups formally ended on the 31st of December 1960, and the last National Servicemen left the Armed Forces in May 1963.

Sourced from Wikipedia and Youtube

Operation Musketeer (1956)

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Apr 052015
 

 Suez Crisis

Operation Musketeer involved the Antecedent regiments of the Royal Green Jackets

Operation Musketeer (French: Opération Mousquetaire) was the Anglo-French-Israeli plan for the invasion of Egypt to capture the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis. Israel had the additional objective to open the Straits of Tiran.

The operation

Headed by British Army General Charles Keightley, it was conducted in the November of 1956 in close coordination with the Israeli armored thrust into the Sinai, which was called Operation Kadesh. Egypt’s government, led by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, was seeking political control over the canal, an effort resisted by the Europeans. The army was originally to land at Alexandria, but the location was later switched to Port Said since a landing at Alexandria would have been opposed by most of the Egyptian army, necessitating the deployment of an armoured division. Furthermore, a preliminary bombardment of a densely populated area would have involved tens of thousands of civilian casualties. The naval bombardment of Port Said was rendered less effective by the decision to only use 4.5-inch guns instead of large caliber guns, in order to minimise the number of civilian casualties.

The final land order of battle involved the Royal Marine Commando Brigade, the 16th Parachute Brigade, and the 3rd Infantry Division. To bring these formations to war establishment, the regular army reserve and selected national service reservists were mobilised. Most of the latter were sent to units in home stations (Britain and Germany) to replace regulars posted to the Musketeer force. Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Stockwell was appointed to command the landing force. A French parachute brigade joined 16th Parachute Brigade as it returned to Cyprus. The Commando Brigade completed refresher training in shore landings from helicopters, in association with the Mediterranean fleet, which was preparing to support the amphibious operation. Over the summer the Royal Air Force selected a range of targets whose loss would cripple Egyptian resistance.

Details of the secret plan for Israeli forces to invade the Sinai desert were revealed to the Chiefs of the Defence staff in October. On the 29th of October Israeli armour, preceded by parachute drops on two key passes, thrust south into the Sinai, routing local Egyptian forces within five days. Affecting to be alarmed by the threat of fighting along the Suez Canal, the UK and France issued a twelve hour ultimatum on the 30th of October to the Israelis and the Egyptians to cease fighting. When, as expected, no response was given, Operation Musketeer was launched.

The air offensive began. The 3rd Division, minus the Guards Brigade, embarked on the 1st of November. The 45th Commando and 16th Parachute Brigade landed by sea and air on the 5th of November. Although landing forces quickly established control over major canal facilities, the Egyptians were able to sink obstacles in the canal, rendering it unusable. The Anglo-French air offensive suppressed Egyptian airfields not already attacked by the Israelis, but failed to destroy oil stocks or cripple the Egyptian army. Cairo Radio continued to broadcast. The 3rd Battalion Parachute group captured El Cap airfield by airborne assault. The remaining units, held back initially for deep airborne targets, travelled by sea to Port Said. The Commando Brigade captured all its objectives. The French parachutists took Port Fuad, opposite Port Said. Elements of the 16th Parachute Brigade led by Brigadier M.A.H. Butler and a contingent of the Royal Tank Regiment set off south along the canal bank on 6 November to capture Ismailia.

Reaction

Worldwide reaction against Musketeer was massive and negative. The United States unexpectedly led condemnations of the action at the United Nations and in other forums, marking a sharp break in the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom. Of the countries in the Commonwealth, only Australia, South Africa and New Zealand supported the military operation, with Canada strongly opposing it. Just before midnight Brigadier Butler was ordered to stop on the hour, when a ceasefire would come into effect. This raised a difficulty. There were Egyptian forces ahead; the British column was in open desert with no defensible feature to hand. Brigadier Butler compromised, advancing until 0:15 a.m. to reach El Cap, where he sited the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, with supporting detachments.

While the military operation itself had been completely successful, political pressure from the United States obliged the British and French governments to accept the ceasefire terms drawn up by the United Nations. The 3rd Division landed to relieve the parachutists. While accepting a United Nations Emergency Force to replace the Anglo-French presence, Nasser nevertheless ensured the Canal could not be used by sinking or otherwise disabling 49 ships in the channel. Anglo-French forces were withdrawn by the 22nd of December.

End of the operation

When the United States threatened to devalue the British currency (the Pound Sterling), the British cabinet was divided. Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden called a ceasefire, without Israeli or French officials being notified. This caused France to doubt the reliability of their allies. A few months later, French president René Coty ordered the creation of the brand new military experiments facility C.S.E.M. in the Sahara. It was used by his successor Charles de Gaulle to develop an autonomous nuclear deterrent against potential threats. The French atomic bomb Gerboise Bleue was tested in the of February 1960. In 1966, de Gaulle further loosened his ties with the Western Allies by leaving NATO.

Military support

Britain had a treaty with Jordan, and had a plan (Cordage) to give assistance to Jordan in the event of an attack by Israel. This led to the First Lord of the Admiralty (Hailsham) sending a memo to Eden on the 2nd of October 1956 proposing the use of the light cruiser HMS Royalist for Cordage as well as Musketeer. HMS Royalist had just been modernised as an anti-aircraft radar picket ship, and was regarded as the most suitable ship for protection against the Mystère fighter-bombers supplied by France to Israel. But HMS Royalist had just been transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Sidney Holland did not in the end allow the Royalist to be used with the British fleet in the Mediterranean for Cordage or Musketeer (where her presence would indicate support by New Zealand). The memo indicates that Hailsham did not know of the negotiations of Eden and Lloyd with France and Israel for concerted moves against Egypt.

Aftermath

Launched without a clear aim other than revenge, with the abandonment of international diplomacy, Operation Musketeer was a failure in strategic terms. By mischance it covered the Soviet Union’s military intervention in Hungary on the 4th of November. On this issue and, more generally, on the principle of premature military action against Egypt, the operation divided public opinion in the UK. It demonstrated the limitations of the UK’s military capacity, and exposed errors in several staff functions, notably intelligence and movement control. Tactically successful, both in the sea and airborne assaults and the subsequent brief occupation, it was undertaken on the margin of capability. It was the last venture of its kind.

Order of battle

France

Most French units involved came from the 10th Parachute Division (10e DP).

2nd Colonial Infantry Parachute Regiment (2e RPC).
11th Shock Parachute Regiment (11e Choc).
1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1er REP).
4 Commandos Marine:
Commando Jaubert
Commando de Montfort
Commando de Penfentenyo
Commando Hubert
Two squadrons of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment (2e REC) comprising AMX-13 tanks.
Two squadrons of M47 Patton tanks.
One sapper company.

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

No. 1 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hunter F.5’s.

No. 9 Squadron RAF with English Electric Canberra B.6’s.

No. 10 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 12 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.6’s.

No. 15 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 18 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 27 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 30 Squadron RAF with Vickers Valetta C.1’s.

No. 34 Squadron RAF with Hunter F.5’s.

No. 44 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 61 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.2’s.

No. 99 Squadron RAF with Handley Page Hastings C.1 & C.2’s.

No. 101 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.6’s.

No. 109 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.6’s.

No. 138 Squadron RAF with Vickers Valiant B.1’s, B(PR) 1’s, B(PR)K 1’s and B(K) 1’s.

No. 139 Squadron RAF with Canberra B.6’s.

No. 148 Squadron RAF with Valiant B.1’s, B(PR) 1’s, B(PR)K 1’s and B(K) 1’s.

No. 207 Squadron RAF with Valiant B.1’s, B(PR) 1’s and B(K) 1’s.

No. 214 Squadron RAF with Valiant B.1’s, B(PR) 1’s, B(PR)K 1’s and B(K) 1’s.

No. 511 Squadron RAF with Hastings C.1 & C.2’s.

British Army

Gordon Highlanders

Cheshire Regiment

The Parachute Regiment, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions

Guards Independent Parachute Company

6th Royal Tank Regiment

1st Royal Dragoons

1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment

1st Battalion, the Royal Scots

1st Battalion The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.)

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Highland Light Infantry

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

York and Lancaster Regiment

Royal Warwickshire Regiment

1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment

Royal Berkshire Regiment – anti-tank platoon only

3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards – one machine gun platoon only

Royal Artillery, units from

20th Field Regiment

23rd Field Regiment

32nd Medium Regiment

33rd Airborne

33rd Parachute Regiment

34th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

41st Field Regiment

80th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

These were supported by units from:

Royal Engineers

Royal Military Police

Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers

Royal Signals

Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Royal Pioneer Corps

Royal Army Service Corps

Royal Navy

3rd Brigade Royal Marines Commando

1st Destroyer Squadron; HMS Chieftain, HMS Chevron, HMS Chaplet

2nd Destroyer Squadron; HMS Daring

3rd Destroyer Squadron; HMS Armada, HMS Barfleur, HMS Gravelines, HMS St. Kitts

4th Destroyer Squadron; HMS Alamein, HMS Corunna, HMS Barrosa, HMS Agincourt

6th Destroyer Squadron: HMS Cavendish

5th Frigate Squadron: HMS Wakeful, HMS Whirlwind, HMS Wizard

6th Frigate Squadron: HMS Undine, HMS Urania, HMS Ulysses, HMS Ursa

Aircraft carriers: HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark, HMS Eagle, HMS Ocean, HMS Theseus

Tank landing ships: HMS Anzio, HMS Bastion, HMS Buttress, HMS Citadel, HMS Counterguard,

HMS Evan Gibb, HMS Empire Cymric, HMS Empire Cedric, HMS Empire Celtic, HMS Empire Doric, HMS Lofoten, HMS Loftus, HMS Empire Baltic, HMS Portcullis, HMS Parapet, HMS Puncher, HMS Rampart, HMS Ravager, HMS Redoubt, HMS Striker, HMS Reggio, HMS Sallyport, HMS Salerno, HMS Sulva

Minesweepers: HMS Appleton, HMS Darlaston, HMS Letterson, HMS Leverton, HMS Penstone

Net-layers: HMS Barnstone, HMS Barhill

Cruisers: HMS Bermuda, HMS Ceylon, HMS Jamaica, HMS Newfoundland

HMS Childers (destroyer)

HMS Comet (destroyer)

HMS Contest (destroyer)

HMS Decoy (destroyer)

HMS Defender (destroyer)

HMS Delight (destroyer)

HMS Diana (destroyer)

HMS Diamond (destroyer)

HMS Duchess (destroyer)

HMS Crane (sloop)

HMS Modeste (sloop)

HMS Meon (frigate)

HMS Dalrymple (survey vessel)

Submarine depot ships: HMS Forth, HMS Rampura

HMS Manxman (Minelayer)

HMS Tyne (Headquarters ship)

HMS Woodbridge Haven (Depot ship)

HMMRC1097 (Landing craft repair ship)

Submarines: HMS Sea Devil, HMS Sentinel, HMS Totem, HMS Trenchant, HMS Tudor (Believed to be in area at the time)

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Blue Ranger (tanker)

RFA Brown Ranger (tanker)

RFA Fort Sandusky (stores ship)

RFA Kinbrace (coastal salvage vessel)

RFA Spapool (water carrier)

RFA Tiderace (tanker)

RFA Tidereach (tanker)

RFA Tiderange (tanker)

RFA Wave Knight (tanker)

RFA Wave Sovereign (tanker)

RFA Warden (tug)

RFA Swin (salvage vessel)

RFA Uplifter (salvage vessel)

Civilian auxiliary ships

Ascania (troopship)

Asturias (troopship)

Ausdauer (chartered heavy-lifting vessel)

M/V Dispenser (salvage lifting vessel)

Dilwara (troopship)

Empire Fowey (troopship)

Empire Gaelic (troopship)

Empire Ken (troopship)

Empire Parkeston (troopship)

Energie (chartered heavy-lifting vessel)

SS Kingsbury (troopship)

New Australia (troopship)

MV Salinas (cargo ship)

Royal New Zealand Navy

HMNZS Royalist (cruiser)

Sourced from Wikipedia

Events of the Cold War Era

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Apr 042015
 

Events of the Cold War Era

BIB

1945 to 1991

1945

February 8th 1945: The Yalta Conference occurs, deciding the post-war status of Germany. The Allies of World War II (the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and France) divide Germany into four occupation zones. The Allied nations agree that free elections are to be held in all countries occupied by Nazi Germany. In addition, the new United Nations are to replace the failed League of Nations.

April 12th 1945: US Franklin D. Roosevelt suffers a stroke and dies while on vacation in Warm Springs, GA.

April 23rd 1945: US President Harry S. Truman gives a tongue-lashing to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov indicating that he was determined to take a “tougher” stance with the Soviets than his predecessor had.

July 24th 1945: At the Potsdam Conference, US President Harry S. Truman informs Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin that the United States has nuclear weapons.

August 2nd 1945: The Potsdam Conference ends with the Potsdam Agreement that organizes the division and reconstruction of Europe after World War II. New boundaries of Poland are agreed. Before the agreement to divide Germany into four zones (Yalta Conference), the four nations also decide to split Germany’s capital, Berlin, into four zones as well. The Allied powers also agree to start legal trials at Nuremberg of Nazi war criminals.

August 6th 1945: US President Truman gives permission for the world’s first military use of an atomic weapon against the Japanese city of Hiroshima in an attempt to bring the only remaining theatre of war from the Second World War in the Pacific to a swift closure.

August 8th 1945: The USSR honors its agreement to declare war on Japan within three months of the victory in Europe, and invades Manchuria. In accordance with the Yalta Conference agreements, the Soviet Union also invades Japanese Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

August 9th 1945: US President Truman gives permission for the world’s second and last military use of an atomic weapon against the Japanese city of Nagasaki in order to try to secure a swift Japanese unconditional surrender in the end of the Second World War.

September 2nd 1945: The Japanese surrender unconditionally to the US on board the USS Missouri to representative General Douglas MacArthur.

September 5th 1945: Igor Gouzenko, a clerk working in the Soviet embassy in Ottawa, Canada, defects and provides proof to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of a Soviet spy ring operating in Canada and other western countries. The Gouzenko affair helps change perceptions of the Soviet Union from an ally to a foe.

1946

In the January of 1946: Chinese Civil War resumed between Communist and Nationalist forces.

January 7th 1946: The Republic of Austria is reconstituted, with its 1937 borders, but divided into four zones of control: American, British, French, and Soviet.

January 11th 1946: Enver Hoxha declares the People’s Republic of Albania, with himself as Prime Minister.

February 9th 1946: Joseph Stalin makes his Election Speech, in which he states that capitalism and imperialism make future wars inevitable.

February 22nd 1946: George F. Kennan writes his Long Telegram, describing his interpretation of the objectives and intentions of the Soviet leadership.

In the March of 1946: The Greek Civil War reignites between communists and the conservative Greek government.

March 2nd 1946: British soldiers withdraw from their zone of occupation in southern Iran. Soviet soldiers remain in their northern sector.

March 5th 1946: Winston Churchill warns of the descent of an Iron Curtain across Europe.

April 5th 1946: Soviet forces evacuate Iran after a crisis.

July 4th 1946: The Philippines gains independence from the United States, and begins fighting communist Huk rebels (Hukbalahap Rebellion).

September 6th 1946: In a speech known as the Restatement of Policy on Germany in Stuttgart, James F. Byrnes, United States Secretary of State repudiates the Morgenthau Plan. He states the US intention to keep troops in Europe indefinitely and expresses US approval of the territorial annexation of 29% of pre-war Germany, but does not condone further claims.

September 8th 1946: In a referendum, Bulgaria votes for the establishment of a People’s Republic, deposing King Simeon II. Western countries dismiss the vote as fundamentally flawed.

September 24th 1946: Truman is presented with the Clifford-Elsey Report, a document which listed Soviet violations of agreements with the United States.

September 27th 1946: Nikolai Vasilevich Novikov writes a response to Kennan’s Long Telegram, known as the ‘Novikov Telegram’, in which he states that the United States are “striving for world supremacy”.

December 19th 1946: French landings in Indochina begin the First Indochina War. They are resisted by the Viet Minh communists who want national independence.

1947

January 1st 1947: The American and British zones of control in Germany are united to form the Bizone also known as Bizonia.

March 12th 1947: President Harry Truman announces the Truman Doctrine starting with the giving of aid to Greece and Turkey in order to prevent them from falling into the Soviet sphere.

April 16th 1947: Bernard Baruch, in a speech given during the unveiling of his portrait in the South Carolina House of Representatives, coins the term “Cold War” to describe relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.

May 22nd 1947: US extends $400 million of military aid to Greece and Turkey, signalling its intent to contain communism in the Mediterranean.

June 5th 1947: Secretary of State George Marshall outlines plans for a comprehensive program of economic assistance for the war-ravaged countries of Western Europe. It would become known throughout the world as the Marshall Plan.

July 11th 1947: The US announces new occupation policies in Germany. The occupation directive JCS 1067, whose economic section had prohibited “steps looking toward the economic rehabilitation of Germany  designed to maintain or strengthen the German economy”, is replaced by the new US occupation directive JCS 1779 which instead notes that “An orderly, prosperous Europe requires the economic contributions of a stable and productive Germany.”

August 14th 1947: India and Pakistan gain independence from the United Kingdom.

November 14th 1947: The United Nations passes a resolution calling for the withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Korea, free elections in each of the two administrations, and the creation of a UN commission dedicated to the unification of the peninsula.

December 30th 1947: In Romania, King Michael I of Romania is forced to abdicate by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, the monarchy is abolished and the Popular Republic of Romania is instituted instead. The Communist Party will rule the country until December 1989.

1948

February 25th 1948: The Communist Party takes control in Czechoslovakia, after President Edvard Beneš accepts the resignation of all non-communist ministers.

March 10th 1948: Czechoslovakian Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk is reported having committed suicide.

April 3rd 1948: Truman signs the Marshall Plan into effect. By the end of the programs, the United States has given $12.4 billion in economic assistance to European countries.

May 10th 1948: A parliamentary vote in southern Korea sees the confirmation of Syngman Rhee as President of the Republic of Korea, after a left-wing boycott.

June 18th 1948: A communist insurgency in Malaya begins against British and Commonwealth forces.

June 21st 1948: In Germany, the Bizone and the French zone launch a common currency, the Deutsche Mark.

June 24th 1948: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin orders the blockade of all land routes from West Germany to Berlin, in an attempt to starve out the French, British, and American forces from the city. In response, the three Western powers launch the Berlin Airlift to supply the citizens of Berlin by air.

June 28th 1948: The Soviet Union expels Yugoslavia from the Communist Information Bureau (COMINFORM) for the latter’s position on the Greek civil war.

June 28th 1948 to May 11th, 1949: The Berlin Airlift defeats Russia’s attempt to starve West Berlin.

July 17th 1948: The constitution of the Republic of Korea is effected.

September 9th 1948: The Soviet Union declares the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to be the legitimate government of all of Korea, with Kim Il-sung as Prime Minister.

November 20th 1948: The American consul and his staff in Mukden, China, are made virtual hostages by communist forces in China. The crisis did not end until a year later, by which time U.S. relations with the new communist government in China had been seriously damaged.

1949

April 4th 1949: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is founded by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States, in order to resist Communist expansion.

May 11th 1949: The Soviet blockade of Berlin ends with the re-opening of access routes to Berlin. The airlift continues until September, in case the Soviets re-establish the blockade.

May 23rd 1949: In Germany, the Bizone merges with the French zone of control to form the Federal Republic of Germany, with Bonn as its capital.

June 8th 1949: The Red Scare reaches its peak, with the naming of numerous American celebrities as members of the Communist Party.

August 29th 1949: The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb. The test, known to Americans as Joe 1, succeeds, as the Soviet Union becomes the world’s second nuclear power.

September 13th 1949: The USSR vetoes the United Nations membership of Ceylon, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, and Portugal.

September 15th 1949: Konrad Adenauer becomes the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On September 30th, 1949, the last plane–an American C-54–landed in Berlin and unloaded over two tons of coal. Even though the Soviet blockade officially ended in May 1949, it took several more months for the West Berlin economy to recover and the necessary stockpiles of food, medicine, and fuel to be replenished.

October 1st 1949: Mao Zedong declares the foundation of the People’s Republic of China – adding a quarter of the world’s population to the communist camp.

October 7th 1949: The Soviets declare their zone of Germany to be the German Democratic Republic, with its capital at East Berlin.

October 16th 1949: Nikos Zachariadis, leader of the Communist Party of Greece, declares an end to the armed uprising. The declaration brings to a close the Greek Civil War, and the first successful containment of communism.

December 27th 1949: Sovereignty is handed over to United States of Indonesia from the Netherlands through the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference with Sukarno as the first president of the newly formed federation.

1950

January 5th 1950: The United Kingdom recognizes the People’s Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom.

January 19th 1950: China officially diplomatically recognizes Vietnam as independent from France.

January 21st 1950: The last Kuomintang soldiers surrender on continental China.

February 16th 1950: The Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China sign a pact of mutual defense.

March 11th 1950: Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek moves his capital to Taipei, Taiwan, establishing a stand-off with the People’s Republic of China.

April 17th 1950: United States State Department Director of Policy Planning Paul Nitze issues NSC-68, a classified brief, arguing for the adoption of containment as the cornerstone of United States foreign policy. It would dictate US policy for the next twenty years.

May 11th 1950: Robert Schuman describes his ambition of a united Europe. Known as the Schuman Declaration, it marks the beginning of the creation of the European Community.

June 25th 1950: North Korea invades South Korea. The Soviet Union cannot veto, as it is boycotting the Security Council over the admission of People’s Republic of China. Eventually, the number of countries operating under the UN aegis increases to 16: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

July 4th 1950: United Nations forces engage North Korean forces for the first time, in Osan. They fail to halt the North Korean advance, and fall southwards, towards what would become the Pusan Perimeter.

September 30th 1950: United Nations forces land at Inchon. Defeating the North Korean forces, they press inland and re-capture Seoul.

October 2nd 1950: United Nations forces cross the 38th parallel, into North Korea.

October 5th 1950: Forces from the People’s Republic of China mobilize along the Yalu River.

October 22nd 1950: Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, falls to United Nations forces.

October 22nd 1950: China intervenes in Korea with 300,000 soldiers, catching the United Nations by surprise. However, they withdraw after initial engagements.

November 15th 1950: United Nations forces approach the Yalu River. In response, China intervenes in Korea again, but with a 500,000 strong army. This offensive forces the United Nations back towards South Korea.

1951

January 4th 1951: Chinese soldiers capture Seoul.

March 14th 1951: United Nations forces recapture Seoul during Operation Ripper. By the end of March, they have reached the 38th Parallel, and formed a defensive line across the Korean peninsula.

March 29th 1951: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage for their role in passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during and after World War II.

April 11th 1951: US President Harry S. Truman fires Douglas MacArthur from command of US forces in Korea.

April 23rd 1951: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested in Czechoslovakia for alleged espionage.

April 18rd 1951: The European Coal and Steel Community is formed by the Treaty of Paris.

July 4th 1951: American journalist William N. Oatis receives a ten-year sentence in Czechoslovakia on an espionage charge.

September 1st 1951: Australia, New Zealand, and the United States sign the ANZUS Treaty. This compels the three countries to cooperate on matters of defense and security in the Pacific.

October 10th 1951: President Harry S. Truman signs the Mutual Security Act, announcing to the world, and its communist powers in particular, that the U.S. was prepared to provide military aid to “free peoples.”

November 14th 1951: President Harry Truman asks Congress for U.S. military and economic aid for the communist nation of Yugoslavia.

December 12th 1951 The International Authority for the Ruhr lifted part of the remaining restrictions on German industrial production and on production capacity.

1952

April 28th 1952: the Treaty of San Francisco, signed by Japan on September 8, 1951, comes into effect, and Japan signs the Treaty of Taipei, formally ending its period of occupation and isolation, and becoming a sovereign state.

February 18th 1952: Greece and Turkey join NATO.

In the June of 1952: Strategic Air Command begins Reflex Alert deployments of Convair B-36 and B-47 Stratojet long-range nuclear bombers to overseas bases like purpose-built Nouasseur Air Base in French Morocco, placing them within unrefueled striking range of Moscow.

June 14th 1952: The United States lays the keel for the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus.

June 30th 1952: The Marshall Plan ends, with European industrial output now well above that of 1938.

July 23rd 1952: Gamal Abdel Nasser heads a coup against King Farouk of Egypt.

October 2nd 1952: The United Kingdom successfully tests its atomic bomb in Operation Hurricane. The test makes the UK the world’s third nuclear power.

November 1st 1952: The United States tests their first thermonuclear bomb, Ivy Mike.

1953

January 20th 1953: Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States.

March 5th 1953: Joseph Stalin dies, setting off a power struggle to succeed him.

May 16th 1953: American journalist William N. Oatis is released from prison in Czechoslovakia after serving 22 months of a ten-year sentence for espionage.

July 27th 1953: An armistice agreement ends fighting in the Korean War.

August 19th 1953: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assists a royalist coup that ousts Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq (Operation Ajax). The coup was organized because of Iranian nationalization of the oil industry and fears of Iran joining the Soviet camp.

September 7th 1953: Nikita Khrushchev becomes leader of the Soviet Communist Party. His main rival, Lavrentiy Beria, is executed in December.

December 4th to 8th 1953: Eisenhower meets with Churchill and Joseph Laniel of France in Bermuda.

1954

January 21st 1954: The United States launches the world’s first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus. The nuclear submarine would become the ultimate nuclear deterrent.

May 7th 1954: The Viet Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu. France withdraws from Indochina, leaving four independent states: Cambodia, Laos, and what became North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The Geneva Accords calls for free elections to unite Vietnam, but none of the major Western powers wish this to occur in the likely case that the Viet Minh (nationalist Communists) would win.

In the May of 1954: The Huk revolt in the Philippines is defeated.

June 2nd 1954: Senator Joseph McCarthy claims that communists have infiltrated the CIA and the atomic weapons industry.

June 18th 1954: The elected leftist Guatemalan government is overthrown in a CIA-backed coup. An unstable rightist regime installs itself. Opposition leads to a guerrilla war with Marxist rebels in which major human rights abuses are committed on all sides. Nevertheless, the regime survives until the end of the Cold War.

July 8th 1954: Col. Carlos Castillo Armas is elected president of the junta that overthrew the administration of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman.

August 11th 1954: The Taiwan Strait Crisis begins with the Chinese Communist shelling of Taiwanese islands. The US backs Taiwan, and the crisis resolves itself as both sides decline to take action.

September 8th 1954: Foundation of the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) by Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Like NATO, it is founded to resist Communist expansion, this time in the Philippines and Indochina.

1955

February 24th 1955: The Baghdad Pact is founded by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It is committed to resisting Communist expansion in the Middle East.

In the March of 1955: Soviet aid to Syria begins. The Syrians will remain allies of the Soviets until the end of the Cold War.

In the April of 1955: The Non-Aligned Movement is pioneered by Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. This movement was designed to be a bulwark against the ‘dangerous polarization’ of the world at that time and to restore balance of power with smaller nations. It was an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power block.

May 9th 1955: West Germany joins NATO and begins rearmament.

May 14th 1955: The Warsaw Pact is founded in Eastern Europe and includes East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. It acts as the Communist military counterpart to NATO.

May 15th 1955: Austria is neutralized and allied occupation ends.

July 18th 1955: President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States, Prime Minister Anthony Eden of the United Kingdom, Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin of the Soviet Union, and Prime Minister Edgar Faure of France, known as the ‘Big Four’, attend the Geneva Summit. Also in attendance was Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union.

1956

February 25th 1956 : Nikita Khrushchev delivers the speech “On the Personality Cult and its Consequences” at the closed session of the Twentieth Party Congress of the CPSU. The speech marks the beginning of the De-Stalinization.

June 28th 1956: in Poznań, Poland, anti-communist protests lead to violence.

July 26th 1956: Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal.

October 23rd 1956: Hungarian Revolution of 1956: Hungarians revolt against the Soviet dominated government. They are crushed by the Soviet military, which reinstates a Communist government.

October 29th 1956: Suez Crisis: France, Israel, and the United Kingdom attack Egypt with the goal of removing Nasser from power. International diplomatic pressures force the attackers to withdraw. Canadian Lester B. Pearson encourages the United Nations to send a Peacekeeping force, the first of its kind, to the disputed territory. Lester B. Pearson wins a Nobel Peace Prize for his actions, and soon after becomes Canadian Prime Minister.

In the December of 1956: Communist insurgency begins in South Vietnam, sponsored by North Vietnam.

1957

January 5th 1957: The Eisenhower doctrine commits the US to defending Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan from Communist influence.

January 22nd 1957: Israeli forces withdraw from the Sinai, which they had occupied the previous year.

May 2nd 1957: Senator Joseph McCarthy succumbs to illness exacerbated by alcoholism and dies.

October 1st 1957: The Strategic Air Command initiates 24/7 nuclear alert (continuous until termination in 1991) in anticipation of a Soviet ICBM surprise attack capability.

October 4th 1957: Sputnik satellite launched.

November 3rd 1957: Sputnik 2 was launched, with the first living being on board, Laika.

November 7th 1957: The final report from a special committee called by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to review the nation’s defense readiness indicates that the United States is falling far behind the Soviets in missile capabilities, and urges a vigorous campaign to build fallout shelters to protect American citizens.

November 15th 1957: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claims that the Soviet Union has missile superiority over the United States and challenges America to a missile “shooting match” to prove his assertion.

1958

July 14th 1958: A coup in Iraq, the 14th of July Revolution, removes the pro-British monarch. Iraq begins to receive support from the Soviets. Iraq will maintain close ties with the Soviets throughout the Cold War.

August 23rd 1958: Second Taiwan Strait Crisis begins when China begins to bomb Quemoy.

In the August of 1958: Thor IRBM deployed to the UK, within striking distance of Moscow. the system was declared operational in 1959

In the September of 1958: A US reconnaissance C-130 airplane is shot down over Armenia by Mig-17s, with 17 casualties.

In the November of 19598: Start of the second Berlin crisis, Nikita Khrushchev asks the West to leave Berlin.

October 4th 1958: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA is formed.

1959

January 1st 1959: Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro becomes the leader of Cuba although refrains from declaring the country Communist. Cuban-inspired guerrilla movements spring up across Latin America.

March 24th 1959: New Republic government of Iraq leaves Central Treaty Organization.

May 24th 1959: Former U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles dies from cancer.

July 24th 1959: During the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow US Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev openly debate the capacities of each Superpower. This conversation is known as the Kitchen Debate.

August 7th 1959: Explorer 6 is launched into orbit to photograph the Earth.

In the September of 1959: Khrushchev visits U.S. for 13 days, and is denied access to Disneyland. Instead, he visits SeaWorld (then known as Marineland of the Pacific).

In the December of 1959: Formation of the FNL (pejoratively called Viet Cong) in North Vietnam. It is a Communist insurgent movement that vows to overthrow the anti-communist South Vietnamese dictatorship. It is supplied extensively by North Vietnam and the USSR eventually.

1960

February 16th 1960: France successfully tests its first atomic bomb, Gerboise Bleue, in the middle of the Algerian Sahara Desert.

In the April of 1960: Jupiter IRBM deployment to Italy begins, placing nuclear missiles within striking range of Moscow (as with the Thor IRBMs deployed in the UK).

May 1st 1960: American pilot Francis Gary Powers is shot down in his U-2 spy plane while flying at high altitude over the Soviet Union, resulting in the U-2 Incident, an embarrassment for President Eisenhower.

In the June of 1960: Sino-Soviet split: The Chinese leadership, angered at being treated as the “junior partner” to the Soviet Union, declares its version of Communism superior and begin to compete with the Soviets for influence, thus adding a third dimension to the Cold War.

July 31st 1960: Communist insurgents in Malaya are defeated.

August 9th 1960: The Pathet Lao (communist) revolt in Laos begins.

1961

January 3rd 1961: Dwight D. Eisenhower closes the U.S. embassy in Havana and severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.

January 20th 1961: John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States.

February 4th 1961: Angolan nationalists, including communists, begin an insurgency against Portuguese rule.

April 12th 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth when the Soviet Union successfully launches Vostok 1.1

April 17th –19th 1960: Bay of Pigs Invasion: A CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by counter-revolutionaries ends in failure.

May 25th 1961: John F. Kennedy announces the US intention to put a man on the moon – kick-starting the Apollo program.

June 4th 1961: Kennedy meets with Khrushchev in Vienna.

In the June of 1961: Jupiter IRBM deployment to Turkey begins, joining the Jupiters deployed to Italy as well as the Thor IRBMs deployed to the UK as nuclear missiles placed within striking distance of Moscow.

August 13th 1961: The Berlin Wall is built by the Soviets following the breakdown in talks to decide the future of Germany.

August 17th 1961: Alliance for Progress aid to Latin America from the United States begins.

September 1st 1961: The Soviet Union resumed testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.

October 17th 1961: 22nd Soviet Party Congress held in USSR.

October 27th 1961: Beginning of Checkpoint Charlie standoff between US and Soviet tanks.

October 31st 1961: The Soviet Union detonates the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful thermonuclear weapon ever tested, with an explosive yield of some 50 megatons.

December 2nd 1961: Fidel Castro openly describes himself as a Marxist–Leninist.

1962

February 10th 1962: American pilot Francis Gary Powers is exchanged for senior KGB spy Colonel Rudolf Abel.

July 20th 1962: Neutralization of Laos is established by international agreement, but North Vietnam refuses to withdraw its personnel.

September 8th 1962: Himalayan War: Chinese forces attack India, making claims on numerous border areas.

October 16th 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis: The Soviets have secretly been installing military bases, including nuclear weapons, on Cuba, some 90 miles from the US mainland. Kennedy orders a “quarantine” (a naval blockade) of the island that intensifies the crisis and brings the US and the USSR to the brink of nuclear war. In the end, both sides reach a compromise. The Soviets back down and agree to withdraw their nuclear missiles from Cuba, in exchange for a secret agreement by Kennedy pledging to withdraw similar American missiles from Turkey, and guaranteeing that the US will not move against the Castro regime.

November 21st 1962: End of the Himalayan War. China occupies a small strip of Indian land.

1963

June 20th 1963: The United States agrees to set up a hotline with the USSR, thus making direct communication possible.

June 21st 1963: France announces that it is withdrawing its navy from the North Atlantic fleet of NATO.

August 5th 1963: The Partial Test Ban Treaty is signed by the US, UK and USSR, prohibiting the testing of nuclear weapons anywhere except underground.

November 2nd 1963: South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem is assassinated in coup. CIA involvement is suspected.

November 22nd 1963: John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas. There has been some speculation over whether communist countries or even CIA were involved in the assassination, but those theories remain controversial. Kennedy’s vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President of the United States.

1964

unknown date: 1964 decision of the Soviet Politburo to increase spending on terrorism by one thousand percent.

March 30th  / April 1st 1964: A military-led coup d’état overthrows democratically elected president João Goulart in Brazil. Goulart’s proposals, such as land reform and bigger control of the state in the economy, were seen as “communist”, though he was from the labour party.

April 20th 1964: US President Lyndon Johnson in New York, and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow, announce simultaneously plans to cut back production of materials for making nuclear weapons.

May 27th 1964: Jawaharlal Nehru dies.

August 4th 1964: US President Lyndon B. Johnson claims that North Vietnamese naval vessels had fired on two American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Although there was a first attack, it was later proven that American vessels had entered North Vietnamese territory, and the second attack is proved unfounded. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident leads to the open involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War, after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

October 14th 1964: Leonid Brezhnev succeeds Khrushchev to become General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
October 16: China tests its first atomic bomb. The test makes China the world’s fifth nuclear power.

1965

March 8th 1965: US military buildup to defend South Vietnam. North Vietnam has also committed its forces in the war. US begins sustained bombing of North Vietnam.

April 28th 1965: US forces invade the Dominican Republic to prevent a communist takeover like the one that occurred in Cuba.

August 15th 1965: Operation Gibraltar launched by Pakistan culminates in the Second Indo-Pakistani War.

September 23rd 1965: The Second Indian-Pakistani War ends in a cease-fire. Pakistan fails in its objective of capturing Kashmir.

September 30th 1965: Six Indonesian generals murdered as part of the 30 September Movement.

November 11th 1965: Rhodesian colonial government under Ian Douglas Smith declares UDI.

November 14th 1965: Battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement between US Troops and regular Vietnamese forces.

1966

March 10th 1966: France withdraws from NATO command structure.

May 8th 1966: Communist China detonates a third nuclear device.

August 26:th 1966 South African Border War begins.

1967

April 25th 1967: 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries sign the Treaty of Tlatelolco in Mexico City, which seek the prohibition of nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.

March 12th 1967: General Suharto successfully overthrows Sukarno as president of Indonesia.

May 23rd 1967: Egypt blocks the Straits of Tiran, then expels UN peacekeepers and moves its army into the Sinai Peninsula in preparation for possible attack on Israel.

May 25th 1967: Uprising in Naxalbari, India marking the expansion of Maoism as a violent, anti-US and anti-Soviet, revolutionary movement across a number of developing countries.

June 5th 1967: In response to Egypt’s aggression, Israel invades the Sinai Peninsula, beginning the Six-Day War.

June 23rd 1967: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin in Glassboro, New Jersey for a three-day summit.

August 8th 1967: Bangkok Declaration is established to quell the communist threat in Southeast Asia.

November 29th 1967: Robert McNamara announces that he will resign as U.S. Secretary of Defense to become President of the World Bank.

1968

January 30th 1968: Tet Offensive in South Vietnam begins.

March 30th 1968: Johnson suspends bombings over North Vietnam and announces he is not running for reelection.

June 8th 1968: Tet Offensive ends; while an American military victory, it raises questions over America’s military chances in Vietnam.

July 1st 1968: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is opened for signature.

August 20th 1968: Prague Spring Reforms in Communist Czechoslovakia result in Warsaw Pact intervention to crush them.

December 23rd 1968: The captain and crew of the USS Pueblo are released by North Korea.

1969

January 20th 1969: Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States.

March 2nd 1969: Border clashes between the Soviet Union and China.

March 17th 1969: The U.S begins bombing Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia.

July 20th 1969: The U.S. accomplishes the first manned moon landing, Apollo 11. Manned by Neil Armstrong, “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins.

July 25th 1969: “Vietnamization” begins with U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam and the burden of combat being placed on the South Vietnamese.

September 1st 1969: Muammar al-Gaddafi overthrows the Libyan monarchy and expels British and American personnel. Libya aligns itself with the Soviet Union.

1970

March 5th 1970: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States, among others, enters into force.

March 18th 1970: Lon Nol takes power in Cambodia. Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese Communists attack the new regime, which wants to end North Vietnamese presence in Cambodia.

October 24th 1970: Salvador Allende becomes president of Chile after being confirmed by the Chilean congress.

November 18th 1970: United States’ aid to Cambodia to support the Lon Nol regime begins.

1971

February 8th 1971: South Vietnamese forces enter Laos to briefly cut the Ho Chi Minh trail.

March 26th 1971: Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence. Bangladesh Liberation War begins.

May 15th 1971: Anwar Sadat’s Corrective Revolution purges Nasserist members of the government and security forces, and eventually expels Soviet military from Egypt.

September 3rd 1971: Four-Power Agreement on Berlin is signed by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France, and the United States.

September 11th 1971: Nikita Khrushchev dies.

October 25th 1971 : The United Nations General Assembly passes Resolution 2758, recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China.

December 3rd 1971: India enters the Bangladesh Liberation War after Pakistan launches preemptive air strikes on Indian airfields.

December 16th 1971: Lt. Gen A. A. K. Niazi, CO of the Pakistan Army forces located in East Pakistan surrenders unconditionally by signing the Instrument of Surrender which is accepted by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, joint commander of the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces. Bangladesh is officially recognized by the eastern block.

1972

February 21st 1972: Nixon visits China, the first visit by a U.S. President since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

March 30th 1972: FNL goes to the offensive in South Vietnam, only to be repulsed by the South Vietnamese regime with major American air support.

May 26th 1972: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) agreement signals the beginning of détente between the U.S. and USSR.

September 1st 1972: Bobby Fischer defeats Russian Boris Spassky in a chess match in Reykjavík, Iceland, becoming the first official American chess champion (see Match of the Century).

September 2nd to 28th 1972: The Summit Series, an ice hockey tournament between Canada and Soviet Union.

December 18th 1972: Richard Nixon announces the beginning of a massive bombing campaign in North Vietnam.

1973

January 27th 1973: The Paris Peace Accords end American involvement in the Vietnam War. Congress cuts off funds for the continued bombing of Indochina.

September 11th 1973: Chilean coup d’état — The democratically-elected Marxist president of Chile, Salvador Allende, is deposed and commits suicides during a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, supported by the US.

October 6th 1973: Yom Kippur War — Israel is attacked by Egypt and Syria, the war ends with a ceasefire.

October 22nd 1973: Egypt defects to the American camp by accepting a U.S. cease-fire proposal during the October 1973 war.

November 11th 1973: The Soviet Union announces that, because of its opposition to the recent overthrow of the government of Chilean President Salvador Allende, it will not play a World Cup Soccer match against the Chilean team if the match is held in Santiago.

1974

September 12th 1974: The pro-Western monarch of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, is ousted by a Marxist military junta known as the Derg.

In the June of 1974: SEATO formally ends after France leaves the organization.
August 9: Gerald Ford becomes President of the United States upon the resignation of Nixon.

1975

April 18th 1975: The communist Khmer Rouge take power in Cambodia; genocide ensues, later referred to as “The Killing Fields”.

April 30th 1975: North Vietnam wins the war in South Vietnam. The South Vietnam regime falls with the surrender of Saigon and the two countries are united under a Communist government.

November 29th 1975: Pathet Lao takes power in Laos.

May 12th 1975: Mayagüez incident: The Khmer Rouge seize an American naval ship, prompting American intervention to recapture the ship and its crew. In the end, the crew is released from captivity.

June 25th 1975: Portugal withdraws from Angola and Mozambique, where Marxist governments are installed, the former with backing from Cuban troops. The Civil war engulfs both nations and involves Angolans, Mozambicans, South Africans, and Cubans, with the superpowers supporting their respective ideologies.

In the July of 1975: The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project takes place. It is the first joint flight of the US and Soviet space programs. The mission is seen as a symbol of détente and an end to the “space race”.

August 1st 1975: Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe signed by the United States, Canada, the Soviet Union and Europe.

1976

January 8th 1976: Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai dies of cancer.

March 24th 1976: Coup d’état in Argentina. A Civil war against Argentine-based guerrilla warfare starts.

July 20th 1976: U.S. Military personnel withdraw from Thailand.

September 1st 1976: Inception of Safari Club.

September 9th 1976: Death of Mao Zedong.

1977

January 1st 1977: Charter 77 is signed by Czechoslovakian intellectuals, including Václav Havel.

January 20th 1977: Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States.

June 6th 1977: U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance assures skeptics that the Carter administration will hold the Soviet Union accountable for its recent crackdowns on human rights activists.

July 23rd 1977: The Ogaden War begins when Somalia attacks Ethiopia.

1978

March 15th 1977: The Ogaden War ends with a cease-fire.

April 27th 1977: President of Afghanistan Sardar Mohammed Daoud’s government is overthrown when he is murdered in a coup led by pro-communist rebels.

December 25th 1977: A Communist regime is installed in Afghanistan.

1979

January 7th 1979: Vietnam deposes the Khmer Rouge and installs a pro-Vietnam, pro-Soviet government.

January 16th 1979: The Iranian Revolution ousts the pro-Western Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and installs a theocracy under Ayatollah Khomeini. CENTO dissolves as a result.

February 17th 1979: Sino-Vietnamese War, China launches a punitive attack on North Vietnam to punish it for invading Cambodia.

May 9th 1979: War breaks out in El Salvador between Marxist-led insurgents and the U.S.-backed government.

June 2nd 1979: Pope John Paul II begins his first pastoral visit to his native Poland.

June 18th 1979: U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev, sign the SALT II agreement, outlining limitations and guidelines for nuclear weapons.

July 3rd 1979: President Carter signs the first directive for financial aid to opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul, Afghanistan.

July 17th 1979: Marxist-led Sandinista revolutionaries overthrow the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. The Contra insurgency begins shortly thereafter.

In the September of 1979: Nur Mohammed Taraki, The Marxist president of Afghanistan, is deposed and murdered. The post of president is taken up by Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin.

November 4th 1979: Islamist Iranian students take over the American embassy in support of the Iranian Revolution. The Iran hostage crisis lasts until January 20, 1981.

December 12th 1979: NATO Double-Track Decision, the alliance decides to deploy LRTNF and to negotiate arms control on the same systems.

December 24th 1979: The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to oust Hafizullah Amin, resulting in the end of Détente.

1980

March 21st 1980: The United States and its allies boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics (July 19th to August 3rd) in Moscow.

May 4th 1980: Josip Broz Tito, communist leader of Yugoslavia since 1945, dies at the age of 88 in Belgrade.

August 31st 1980: In Poland the Gdańsk Agreement is signed after a wave of strikes which began at the Lenin Shipyards in Gdańsk. The agreement allows greater civil rights, such as the establishment of a trade union independent of communist party control.

1981

January 20th 1981: Ronald Reagan inaugurated 40th President of the United States. Reagan is elected on a platform opposed to the concessions of détente.

January 20th 1981: Iran hostage crisis ends.

August 19th 1981: Gulf of Sidra Incident: Libyan planes attack U.S. jets in the Gulf of Sidra, which Libya has illegally annexed. Two Libyan jets are shot down; no American losses are suffered.

October 27th 1981: A Soviet submarine, the U137, runs aground not far from the Swedish naval base at Karlskrona.

November 23rd 1981: The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) begins to support anti-Sandinista Contras.

December 13:th 1981 Communist Gen. Jaruzelski introduces martial law in Poland, which drastically restricts normal life, in an attempt to crush the Solidarity trade union and the political opposition against communist rule.

1982

February 24th 1982: President Ronald Reagan announces the “Caribbean Basin Initiative” to prevent the overthrow of governments in the region by the forces of communism.

March 22nd 1982: President Ronald Reagan signs P.L. 97-157 denouncing the government of the Soviet Union that it should cease its abuses of the basic human rights of its citizens.

April 2nd 1982: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, starting the Falklands War.

May 30th 1982: Spain joins NATO.

June 6th 1982: Israel invades Lebanon to end raids and clashes with Syrian troops based there.

June 14th 1982: Falkland Islands liberated by British task force. End of the Falklands War.

November 10th 1982: Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev.

November 14th 1982: Yuri Andropov becomes General Secretary of the Soviet Union.

1983

In the January of 1983: Soviet spy Dieter Gerhardt is arrested in New York.

March 8th 1983: In speech to the National Association of Evangelicals, Reagan labels the Soviet Union an “evil empire”.

March 23rd 1983: Ronald Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, or “Star Wars”).

September 1st 1983: Civilian Korean Air Lines Flight 007, with 269 passengers, including U.S.Congressman Larry McDonald, is shot down by Soviet interceptor aircraft.

October 25th 1983: U.S. forces invade the Caribbean island of Grenada in an attempt to overthrow the Marxist military government, expel Cuban troops, and abort the construction of a Soviet-funded airstrip.

November 2nd 1983: Exercise Able Archer 83 — Soviet anti-aircraft misinterpret a test of NATO’s nuclear warfare procedures as a fake cover for an actual NATO attack; in response, Soviet nuclear forces are put on high alert.

1984

In the January of 1986: US President Ronald Reagan outlines foreign policy which reinforces his previous statements.

February 13th 1984: Konstantin Chernenko is named General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.

July 28th 1984: Various allies of the Soviet Union boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics (July 28th to August 12th) in Los Angeles.

October 31st 1984: Indira Gandhi assassinated.

December 16th 1984: Margaret Thatcher and the UK government, in a plan to open new channels of dialog with Soviet leadership candidates, meet with Mikhail Gorbachev at Chequers.

1985

March 11th 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the Soviet Union.

August 6th 1985: Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union begins what it has announced is a 5-month unilateral moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons. The Reagan administration dismisses the dramatic move as nothing more than propaganda and refuses to follow suit. Gorbachev declares several extensions, but the United States fails to reciprocate, and the moratorium comes to an end on February 5th, 1987.
November 21st: Reagan and Gorbachev meet for the first time at a summit in Geneva, Switzerland, where they agree to two (later three) more summits.

1986

February 13th 1986: France launches Operation Epervier (Sparrowhawk) in an effort to repulse the Libyan invasion of Chad.

February 25th 1986: The People Power Revolution takes place in the Philippines, overthrowing Ferdinand Marcos, dictator since 1965. First female president, Corazon Aquino.

April 15th 1986: U.S. planes bomb Libya in Operation El Dorado Canyon.

April 26th 1986: Chernobyl disaster: A Soviet nuclear power plant in the Ukraine explodes, resulting in the worst nuclear power plant accident in history.

October 11th–12th 1986: Reykjavik Summit: A breakthrough in nuclear arms control.

November 3rd 1986: Iran-Contra affair: The Reagan administration publicly announces that it has been selling arms to Iran in exchange for hostages and illegally transferring the profits to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

1987

January 16th 1987: Natives within the Party who oppose his policies of economic redevelopment (Perestroika). It is Gorbachev’s hope that through initiatives of openness, debate and participation, that the Soviet people will support Perestroika.

June 12th 1987: During a visit to Berlin, Germany, U.S. President Ronald Reagan famously challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev in a speech: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (The Berlin Wall).

September 10th 1987: The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, Angola begins and further intensifies the South African Border War.

December 8th 1987: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C. by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Some later claim this was the official end of the Cold War. Gorbachev agrees to START I treaty.

1988

May 11th 1988: Kim Philby (Harold Adrian Russell Philby), the high-ranking U.K. intelligence officer who defected to the Soviet Union, dies in Moscow.

May 15th 1988: The Soviets begin withdrawing from Afghanistan.

May 29th to June 1st 1988: Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Moscow. INF Treaty ratified. When asked if he still believes that the Soviet Union is still an evil empire, Reagan replies he was talking about “another time, another era.”

December 22nd 1988: South Africa withdraws from South West Africa (Namibia).

February 22nd 1988: Incident: U.S.S. Yorktown (CG-48) and USS Caron (DD-970) are rammed off the Crimean Peninsula after entering Soviet territorial waters.

November 6th 1988: Soviet scientist and well-known human rights activist Andrei Sakharov begins a two-week visit to the United States.

December 7th 12988: Gorbachev announces in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly that the Soviet Union will no longer militarily interfere with Eastern Europe.

1989

January 4th 1989: Gulf of Sidra incident between America and Libya, similar to the 1981 Gulf of Sidra incident.

January 20th 1989: George H. W. Bush is inaugurated as 41st President of the United States.

February 2nd 1989: Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

June 4th 1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre: Beijing protests are ended by the communist Chinese government, resulting in an unknown number of deaths.

June 4th 1989: Elections in Poland show complete lack of backing for the Communist Party; Solidarity trade union wins all available seats in the Parliament and 99% in the Senate.

In the August of 1989: Parliament in Poland elects Tadeusz Mazowiecki as leader of the first non-communist government in the Eastern Block.

October 18th 1989: The Hungarian constitution is amended to allow a multi-party political system and elections. The nearly 20-year term of communist leader Erich Honecker comes to an end in East Germany.

November 9th 1989: Revolutions of Eastern Europe: Soviet reforms have allowed Eastern Europe to change the Communist governments there. The Berlin Wall is breached when Politburo spokesman, Günter Schabowski, not fully informed of the technicalities or procedures of the newly agreed lifting of travel restrictions, mistakenly announces at a news conference in East Berlin that the borders have been opened.

December 3rd 1989: At the end of the Malta Summit, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H. W. Bush declare that a long-lasting era of peace has begun. Many observers regard this summit as the official beginning of the end of the Cold War.

December 14th 1989: Democracy is restored in Chile.

December 16th to 25th 1989: Romanian Revolution: Rioters overthrow the Communist government of Nicolae Ceauşescu, executing him and his wife, Elena. Romania was the only Eastern Block country to violently overthrow its Communist government or to execute its leaders.

December 29th 1989: Václav Havel becomes President of the now free Czechoslovakia.

1990

March 11th 1990: Lithuania becomes independent.

May 29th 1990: Boris Yeltsin elected as president of Russia.

August 2nd 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait, beginning Gulf War.

October 3rd 1990: Germany is reunified.

1991

February 28th 1991: Gulf War ends.

In the July of 1991: Warsaw Pact is formally dissolved.

August 19th 1991: Soviet coup attempt of 1991. The August coup occurs in response to a new union treaty to be signed on August 20th.

December 25th 1991: US President George H. W. Bush, after receiving a phone call from Boris Yeltsin, delivers a Christmas Day speech acknowledging the end of the Cold War.

December 25th 1991: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the USSR. The hammer and sickle is lowered for the last time over the Kremlin.

December 26th 1991: The Council of Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR recognizes the dissolution of the Soviet Union and decides to dissolve itself.

December 31st 1991: All Soviet institutions cease operations.

Sourced from Wikipedia

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Northern Ireland Parades

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Apr 032015
 

Northern Ireland The Forgotten War

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Northern Ireland Parades

Parades are a very important part of Northern Irish culture. Although the majority of parades are held ostensibly by Protestant, unionist or Ulster loyalist groups, nationalist, republican and non-political groups also parade. The Parades Commission exists to settle disputes about controversial parades, although not all parading groups recognise the Commission’s authority.

Unionist parades

The majority of parades in Northern Ireland (nearly 70% in 2003-2004) are organised by Protestant or unionist groups, and thus some sections of the community have tended to see attempts to restrict parades as an attack on Protestant or unionist culture. Parades by these sections of the community typically take place on Saturdays. This means that participants and spectators do not have to take time off work, and avoid parading on Sunday, which some Protestants believe should only be spent on purely religious activities. The only exceptions to this are 12th July, which is held on the same date each year, (unless the 12th falls on a Sunday, in which case it is postponed to Monday the 13th) and church parades, which are held on Sunday.

Orange walk

The Orange Institution holds hundreds of parades throughout Northern Ireland every year. The biggest of these are usually on the twelfth of July (‘The Twelfth’), in commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne. Individual lodges also parade at various times of the year, particularly leading up to the Twelfth from the start of June. Parades in memory of the dead of World War I, particularly the 36th (Ulster) Division at the Battle of the Somme are held in July and November. Junior lodges from Armagh, South Tyrone and Fermanagh parade annually at the end of May. On the last Saturday in October, Reformation Day is celebrated with the year’s last major Orange parades. In Belfast, these proceed to Saint Anne’s Cathedral for a church service.

Apprentice Boys

The Apprentice Boys of Derry exist in commemoration of the Siege of Derry in the seventeenth century. The Boys’ biggest celebration is held in Londonderry on the Saturday nearest 12th of August each year, in commemoration of the lifting of the siege. They also parade on the Saturday nearest 18th of December, in commemoration of the original apprentice boys shutting the gates of the town against King James II’s troops, and at Easter. Most Apprentice Boys’ parades are held in the city of Derry.

Royal Black Institution

The main parade of the Royal Black Institution is held on the last Saturday of August and is known as Last or Black Saturday. This was originally held on the 12th of August in commemoration of the end of the Siege of Derry, but in the 1950s the date of the event was moved. Local parades are held in Belfast in the two weeks beforehand. Its other major event is the ‘sham fight’ at Scarva on the 13th of July, in which an actor playing William of Orange ritually defeats an actor playing James II, thus re-enacting the victory of the Williamite forces at the Battle of the Boyne. There is also 12th of August Battle of Newtownbutler Celebration parade held in Fermanagh. It was previously held on the same date as the ‘Remembering the Siege of Derry’, but has now been moved to the Saturday before in an attempt to attract larger crowds and more participants.

Salvation Army

As in other countries, the Salvation Army in Northern Ireland sometimes parades with brass bands. The Salvation Army parades are generally not seen as controversial or sectarian, and their parades have not led to any of the problems.

Bands

As well as accompanying the above organisations on their parades, many marching bands also hold their own parades, often as a fund-raising activity. These are often combined with band competitions—which other bands in the United Kingdom are invited to compete in—sometimes amounting to over 100 bands for a single parade. Band parades are more regular than loyal order parades, with numerous parades every weekend from the early April until the end of September.

Nationalist parades

Parades are much less common among nationalist or republican communities. According to the Parades Commission, less than 5% of parades in Northern Ireland are nationalist/republican

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Compared to most Protestant organisations the Ancient Order of Hibernians parade relatively infrequently, their main parades being on Saint Patrick’s Day, at Easter, and on Lady Day. At various points during the Troubles, Hibernians offered to cease parading if Protestant groups did the same.

Irish National Foresters

The Irish National Foresters are a nationalist fraternal organisation. Although they are open to Irish people of any religion, the majority of their members are Catholics. Their main parading date is the Sunday closest to the 1st of August.

Republican parades

It is difficult to define the difference between a republican parade and a protest march, as a number of events combine aspects of normal parades and protest marches. Northern Ireland’s biggest annual republican parade takes place in August, during Féile an Phobail. This began as a protest against internment without trial and evolved into a festival that celebrates Gaelic and republican culture. Republican parades are also held in January to commemorate Bloody Sunday, and at Easter to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising.There is a Republican March every year to commemorate the anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strike, of which 10 men starved themselves to death. The parade is attended by Republican figures such as Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams. Republican parades are attended by Irish Republican bands that come from Scotland, England and Ireland, especially the march in August to commemorate the anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strike.

Civil rights marches

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, groups of civil activists such as the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) and People’s Democracy attempted to use the protest march tactics of contemporary protest movements elsewhere in the world to draw attention to political, social and economic discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland. The civil rights marches and the reaction to them were a major contributing factors to the outbreak of The Troubles, due largely to heavy-handed policing.

Easter

Easter is a major parading time for both communities, and is often considered to be the start of the year’s ‘marching season’. A number of republican groups also commemorate the Easter Rising. According to Neil Jarman, Protestants began parading at Easter in the 1930s to counter republican parading, but “few people are aware of this, and Easter parades are now an accepted part of the loyalist tradition”.

Non-sectarian parades

A number of parades are held in Northern Ireland, especially in Belfast, which are not associated with any particular religious tradition. They are subject to the same laws and regulations as other parades.

Lord Mayor’s parade

Several cities in Northern Ireland hold Lord Mayor’s parades marking the end of the mayor’s term in office. These are usually carnival-type events that evolved from the more stately affairs held in many cities in the United Kingdom since the Middle Ages. The Belfast parade takes place in May; the 2007 theme was ‘Love and Friendship’.

Gay pride

A gay pride parade has been held in Belfast each year since the early 1990s. As Northern Ireland has high levels of fundamentalist Christianity, it is often controversial. In 2005 a number of Christian groups called for it to be banned, but the Parades Commission ruled that it could go ahead. It is sometimes described as one of the few genuinely cross-community events in Northern Ireland. This parade also received commendation from the Rev. Ian Paisley in 2010, who said, “Every man and woman is entitled to live as free a life as they so please, so they are.”

Remembrance Sunday parades

War memorial parades are mainly attended by the unionist population of Northern Ireland, but recently nationalists have started to get involved.[citation needed] Some war memorial parades are run by Protestant organisations such as the Orange Order. However those on Remembrance Sunday (the Sunday closest to the 11th of November) are organised by local councils or the British Legion and commemorate war dead of all religious backgrounds. Remembrance Sunday parades usually consist of a march by veterans or local military units or both to a Remembrance Sunday ceremony, usually held at a war memorial, and often another march to a church service.

St. Patrick’s Day parades

There are many parades on St. Patrick’s Day throughout Northern Ireland. Although the parade celebrates the Patron Saint’s stature as the Patron Saint of Ireland, it has been recognised that St. Patrick is the patron saint of the island of Ireland, and the patron saint of both Nationalists and Unionists throughout Ireland.

Youth organisations

Some youth organisations, such as the Boys’ Brigade, take part in or organise parades and drills throughout the calendar.

Controversy

Parading is a controversial issue in Northern Ireland. In general debates centre on the route of particular parades; people from one community often object to parades by “the other side” passing through or near “their” area, for example Orange Order parades marching through mainly nationalist or republican areas. A few parades are seen as objectionable regardless of route. These involve or commemorate paramilitary groups, such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Ulster Defence Association, and otherwise non-controversial parades have sometimes caused conflict because of a band or lodge carrying a banner or flag associated with a paramilitary group. Gay pride parades have also been controversial.

Attempts to control parading

Since the nineteenth century the British and Northern Irish governments and various local authorities have attempted to control parades and the disorder that sometimes accompanies them. The Orange Order and its parades were banned for a period in the nineteenth century. In an address to the British House of Commons, in July 1815, Henry Parnell called for an inquiry into the Orange Lodges in Ireland and noted that 14 petitions requesting such an inquiry saying:

to the existence of Orange Lodges in Ireland, was mainly attributed the disturbances of public peace, particularly by the celebrations of processions with certain insignia etc…. [and that] besides the agitation which these necessarily produced they beget a counter spirit among the people, that led to animosities, which, in their consequences, produced riots.
A Parliamentary Select Committee was set up to investigate the Orange Societies in 1835. When the Select Committee published its report a Cabinet council was held at the Foreign Office for the purpose of agreeing the terms of the resolutions which were to be submitted to the House of Commons by Lord John Russell, Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the 23rd of Feb 1836. This resolution stated:

That it is the opinion of this house that the existence of any political society in Ireland, consisting exclusively of persons preferring one religious faith, using secret signs and symbols, and acting by means of affiliated branches, tend to injure the peace of society – to derogate from the authority of the Crown, to weaken the supremacy of the law, and to impair the religious freedom of his majesty’s subjects in that part of the United Kingdom. That an humble address be presented to his majesty, laying before him the foregoing resolution, and praying that his majesty will take such steps for the discouragement of all such societies as may seem to his majesty most desirable.
The Secretary of State read the following response from the King to the House of Commons on Thursday the 25th of Feb 1836:

William Rex – I willing assert to the prayer of my faithful Commons, that I will be pleased to take such measures as shall seem advisable for the effectual discouragement of Orange Lodges, and generally of all political societies excluding persons of a different religious persuasion using signs and symbols, and acting by means of associated lodges. It is my firm intention to discourage all such societies, and I rely with confidence upon the fidelity of my loyal subjects to support me in my determination.

The following day Lord Russell read the response of the Grand Master of the Orange Order, the Duke of Cumberland, brother of King William iv to the House of Commons on the 26th of February. It said:

I have received your Lordships letter, with the copy of the resolutions of the House of Commons on the Subject of Orange Lodges, together with his majesties gracious answer there to. Before I received your lordships communication, I had already taken steps, with several influential members, to recommend their immediate dissolution. In conformity with the wish expressed by his majesty, I shall take all legal steps to dissolve Orange Lodges.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland met in Dublin on the 13th of April 1836 and voted in favour of dissolving the organisation. However, Orangemen in Portadown met in secret and resolved to set up a provisional Grand Lodge in the town.

The British government’s policy of banning sectarian parades was eventually overturned after a campaign of defiance led by William Johnston of Ballykilbeg.

The 1st Government of Northern Ireland passed the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922, which allowed the Home Affairs Minister to do virtually anything he thought necessary to preserve law and order. Over the next thirty years this was used many times to ban or re-route nationalist, republican and some left-wing parades, marches and meetings. In 1951, the government passed the Public Order Act, which required parade organisers to give the police forty-eight hours notice of their intent to parade. The local head of police could then ban or re-route the parade if he felt it might lead to a breach of public order. The only exceptions to this rule were funerals and parades normally held along a particular route.

Since Orange parades had been allowed along the same routes without interference for years, this essentially meant that most Orange parades were exempt from having to give notice. The new Act was used disproportionately against nationalist parades, although from time to time Ministers attempted to stop unionist groups from parading through predominantly nationalist areas. This always met with fierce hostility from the Orange Order and often from within the Ulster Unionist Party that made up the government. Several Home Affairs Ministers were forced to make public apologies after interfering with unionist parades and two (Brian Maginess and W.W.B. Topping) were moved from the position after banning unionist band parades.

From the late 1960s, parading and marching became a much more fraught issue. The Public Order Act was used against numerous marches, and the issue of parading and of who was allowed to march in what area became even more heated. In 1969 an Apprentice Boys parade in Derry led to what is now known as the Battle of the Bogside, considered by many to mark the start of the Troubles. Several months-long bans on parading were made in the early 1970s, although none of these covered the main Protestant parading period. The Special Powers and Public Order Acts were modified on several occasions in the 1970s and 1980s.

Several areas have been the focus of a disproportionate amount of conflict over parading. These include Londonderry, Ormeau Road in Belfast, and especially the Drumcree area of Portadown. The Drumcree conflict flared up in the 1970s, the mid 1980s and the mid to late 1990s. Disputes over whether the Orange Order should be allowed to parade through mainly nationalist areas were often accompanied by severe violence. In 1983-4 a group of republican activists in the town researched the history of sectarian violence in the area as part of a campaign to have the Drumcree and other Orange marches banned from nationalist parts of Portadown.

Their findings were distributed to visiting journalists in 1997 and presented in abridged form to the Parades Commission that was set up by the British Government in 1998 in an attempt to deal with contentious parades. An amended version of their findings can be accessed online at orangecitadel.blogspot.com.

The Parades Commission has the power to ban, restrict, re-route or impose conditions on any parade in Northern Ireland. The Orange Order has refused to acknowledge the Commission’s authority, although the lodges involved in the Drumcree dispute have recently agreed on principle to negotiate.

Dates of major parades
Date Groups involved Event
17 March Various Saint Patrick’s Day
Easter Sunday Republicans Commemorates the Easter Rising (1916)
5 May Republicans Commemorates the republican hunger strike (1981)
1 July Various groups, mostly unionist Commemorates the Battle of the Somme (1916)
1st Sunday
in July Orange Order “Drumcree Sunday”
12 July Orange Order The Twelfth
9 August Republicans Commemorates the introduction of internment (1971)
Saturday nearest
12 August Apprentice Boys of Derry Commemorates the Siege of Derry (1689)
−15 August Ancient Order of Hibernians Lady Day
last Saturday
in August Royal Black Institution “Black Saturday”
last Sunday
in October Orange Order Reformation Day
2nd Sunday
in November British Legion and others Remembrance Sunday
Saturday nearest
18 December Apprentice Boys of Derry Commemorates the Siege of Derry (1688)

Number of parades
According to the Parades Commission, a total of 3405 parades (not counting funerals) were held in Northern Ireland in 2007.

Sourced from Wikipedia

Hong Kong

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Apr 032015
 

1978 to 1980
Hong Kong

Hong Kong was a major posting for the British Forces Overseas, Hong Kong comprised the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines) and Royal Air Force. Much of the British military left Hong Kong prior to the handover in 1997. The present article focuses mainly on the British garrison in Hong Kong in the post Second World War era. For more information concerning the British garrison during the Second World War see the Battle of Hong Kong.

Most of the members of the British Forces in Hong Kong were from Britain but there were locally enlisted personnel (LEP) who served as regular British Forces members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy as well as in the Hong Kong Military Service Corps.

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment a military unit forming part of the Hong Kong Government, was trained and organised along the lines of the British Territorial Army and supported by British Army regular personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment’s members were local citizens of Chinese descent.

Before, during and shortly after the Second World War, there was normally a division of land forces maintained in Hong Kong. For most of the post-war period, however, the army garrison has been reduced to a brigade of three to four infantry battalions with support and training elements.

Responsibilities

Before the 1st of July 1997, the British government had the political commitment to safeguard the territory against external and internal threats. The greatest test was in 1941, when Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong.

Internal Security was the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government, in particular the Royal Hong Kong Police. It is supported by British Forces in Hong Kong should it be called upon to do so. During the Hong Kong 1967 riots, in which 51 people were killed, the British garrison supported the Royal Hong Kong Police in quelling the disturbance. Until 1995, the safety of much of the Sino-Hong Kong border was the responsibility of the British forces and as such contributed greatly to the interdiction of illegal immigrants (II). As the preparation of the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, that responsibility was passed on to the Hong Kong Police.

The Royal Navy played a significant role in the support of the Royal Hong Kong Police in anti smuggling operation in Hong Kong waters, especially in the heyday of seaborne smuggling during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Search and Rescue (SAR) was provided by all branches of the British Forces in Hong Kong may be called upon for aid to civil defence as well as search and rescue operations in times of emergency.

Prior to 1990–1991, British Forces (British Army) was responsible for patrolling and enforcing border control between Hong Kong and China. This role was passed on the Hong Kong Police Force years before the handover in 1997.

Command structure

The Governor of Hong Kong, being a representative of the British sovereign, was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in the colony. The Governor was advised by the Commander British Forces in Hong Kong (CBF) on all military actions. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBF was normally a career Major General or Lieutenant General from the British Army. Until 1966, the CBF was an ex-officio member of the Legislative Council.

Throughout the years of British rule in Hong Kong, a variety of British Army units spent various durations of time in the colony as resident units. In latter stages of the post-war period, British army units were sent to Hong Kong on a rotational basis for a period of three years. The following list contains resident units only and those which stayed in Hong Kong for short durations for re-supply or acclimatisation during the Korean War, Opium War, Boxer Rebellion and the Malayan Emergency are not included in the list.

Major units of the British Army in Hong Kong included:

26th Gurkha Brigade (1948–1950)

51st Infantry Brigade (disbanded 1976)

48th Gurkha Infantry Brigade (1957–1976; renamed Gurkha Field Force 1976–97; returned to old title 1987-ca.1992)

Royal Armoured Corps and Cavalry

C Squadron The Royal Scots Greys 2nd Dragoons.19-09-1962-to- not known.

The First, Royal Tank Regiment (1957–60)(C Sqn 1974–76)

4th Hussars (1950)

7th Hussars (1956)

16th/5th Lancers (A Sqn 1953–64) (C Sqn 1973–75)

14th/20th King’s Hussars (1970–73)

17th/21st Lancers (1960–63)

B Squadron, The Life Guards (1967)

Foot Guards and Line Infantry

1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment (1955–1957)

1st Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1958–1961)

1st Battalion Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment (1962–1964)

1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (1969–72)

2nd Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders (1908–09)

2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (1914)

1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (1917–18)

1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (1923–26)

2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1926–28)

1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers (1930–34)(1963–66)

1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (1937–41)

1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment (1950–52)

1st Battalion Queen’s Own Buffs (1965–1967 )

1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (1967–69)

1st Battalion, Irish Guards (1970–72)

1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment (1972–75)

1st Battalion, Light Infantry (1975–77)

1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (1977–80)

1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders (1980–82)

1st Battalion, Scots Guards (1982–84)

1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment (1984–1986)

1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards (1986–88)

1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire) (1988–90)

1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales (1990–93)

1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) (1980–81)

1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (1937–38)

2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (1938–41)

1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (1993–94; 1997)

1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment (1996)

1st Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment (1932–36)

1st Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding) (1968–70)

1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) (1949–50; 1951–52; 1979)

1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1971–75; 77–79; 81–85; 87–89; 91–92)

2nd Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1953–57; 57–62; 66–68; 72–75; 77–81; 83–85; 87–91)

1st Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1956–57; 65–73; 75–77; 79–83; 85–87; 89–93)

2nd Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1948–50; 62–63; 1969 amalgamated with the 1st Bn.)

1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1959–62; 73–77; 83–87; 89–91; 93–94)

2nd Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1954–57; 62–63; 62–70; disbanded in Hong Kong in 1987)

1st Battalion, 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1957–60; 69–73; 75–79; 81–83; 85–89; 91–93)

2nd Battalion, 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles (1948–50; 1962; amalgamated with 1st Bn. in 1968)

1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1994–96)

1st Battalion The Welch Regiment (1966–1968)

1st Battalion The Green Howards (1956–1959)

28th Regiment late 1870s

74th Highlanders 1878

Royal Artillery

25 Field Regiment (1947–55)

14 Field Regiment (1949–51; 52–56; 60–62)

23 Field Regiment (1949–52)

34 Light Anti-Air Regiment (1949–52; 61–63)

27 Anti-Tank Battery (1949–58)

58 Medium Regiment (1949–52)

27 Heavy Anti-Air Regiment (1949–57)

173 Locating Battery (1950–57)

15 Observation Battery (1950–51)

32 Regiment (1951–52; 58–61)

45 Field Regiment (1951–53; 58–61)

72 Light Anti-Air Regiment 1952–55)

20 Field Regiment (1952–55)

42 Field Regiment (1952–56)

15 Medium Regiment (1955–57)

74 Light Anti-Air Regiment (1955–58)

19 Field Regiment (1956–57)

49 Field Regiment (1957–61)

5 Field Regiment (1958–61)

4 Field Regiment (1961–64)

49 Light Regiment (1964–1966)

18 Light Regiment (1966–69)

25 Light Regiment (1969–71)

47 Light Regiment (1971–73)

3 Light Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (1973–75)

20 Light Regiment (1975–76)

Others

17th Gurkha Signal Regiment

18 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

27th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment

28 and 31 Squadron Gurkha Transport Regiment

29 and 56 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport

50 Hong Kong Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Shamshuipo)

50 Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers

67, 68, 69 and 70 Squadron Queen’s Gurkha Engineers

75 Army Education Centre, Royal Army Education Corps

246, 247 and 248 Squadron Queen’s Gurkha Signals

252 Squadron, Royal Signals

253 Squadron, Royal Signals

27 Signal Regiment Royal Signals

660 Squadron AAC, Army Air Corps, Shek Kong (1978–94)

22nd Fortress Company (Royal Engineers)

British Army Aid Group

Chinese Torpedo Whalers

Government House Guard (C Company)

Defence Animal Support Unit, Royal Army Veterinary Corps

Hong Kong Information Team

Hong Kong Military Service Corps

Hong Kong Provost Company, Royal Military Police

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force (No.2 Company of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps) 1854–1995

No 3 Royal Marines Raiding Squadron ?-1988

Royal Electrical (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)

Mechanical Engineers (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)

Training Depot, Brigade of Gurkhas (Sek Kong 1971–94)

Army Fire Service

British Army installations in Hong Kong:

Stanley Fort (Hong Kong Island) 1841 – later served as Stanley Prison and WWII Japanese War Prison

Gin Drinker’s Line 1930s

Flagstaff House 1978 – former British Forces HQ and known as Headquarters House 1846–1932 and built for Major General George Charles D’Aguilar; now known as Museum of Teaware

North Barracks 1840s–1887 – to the RN 1887–1959 and Hong Kong Government 1959–
(Queen) Victoria Barracks 1846–1979 – parade grounds now site of Pacific Place, JW Marriott Hotel, Shangrila Hotel and Hong Kong Park; the Barracks was converted to The Visual Arts Centre (Hong Kong Museum of Art)

Murray Barracks 1846–1982 – named for British Army Major-General Sir George Murray; the officers’ quarters was moved from Central to Stanley, now known as Murray House
Murray Battery

Lyemun Barracks or Lei Yue Mun Barracks 1840s – coast defence and now Museum of Coastal Defence and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village

Wellington Barracks 1840s–1946 – to the RN as HMS Tamar 1946-1960s (demolished and replaced with HMS Tamar/Prince of Wales Building, now the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building)

Perowne Barracks (Tuen Mun) – named for British Army Major General Lancelot Perowne and once used by Tuen Mun Immigration Service Training School, now used by Crossroads

International

Osborn Barracks (Kowloon) 1945 – named for Winnipeg Grenadiers John Robert Osborn VC of Canada who died defending Hong Kong in 1941

Kohima Camp (Tai Po Tsai) – became the site of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Sham Shui Po Barracks – has been WWII Japanese War Prison, Vietnamese Refugee Camp and now housing estates, commercial centre and government offices.

Saiwan Barracks 1844 – used for a short duration and abandoned for Lyemun Barracks
Gun Club Hill Barracks – now PLA barracks

Cassino Lines – likely named for Battle of Monte Cassino from World War II
Royal Navy / Royal Marines

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines was stationed in Hong Kong right from the beginning of the establishment of Hong Kong as a British Colony. For the most part, the Royal Naval base was located in Hong Kong Island at HMS Tamar. The Prince of Wales Building was added later in the 1970s. Before the handover, the naval base was moved to Stonecutters Island next to the Government docks.

RN Squadrons in Hong Kong:

China Squadron 1844–1941, 1945–1992

Far East Fleet / Hong Kong Squadron 1969–1971

Dragon Squadron 1971–1992

3 Raiding Squadron Royal Marines

Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves 1967–1996 – merge with RNR 1971

British Regular – Garrison and Fleet

Local Enlisted Personnel 1905–1996

Side Girls Party 1933–1997

120th Minesweeping Squadron 1958–1966 – transfer to Singapore

6th Mine Countermeasure Squadron 1969–1997

6th Patrol Craft Squadron 1970–1997

Operations and Training Base 1934–1997

3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines

47 Royal Marines

British Pacific Fleet 1840s–1948 – to Singapore as Far East Station

Hong Kon Flotilla 1840s–1941, 1948–1992

China Station – 4th Submarine Flotilla, Yangtse Flotilla, West River Flotilla, 8th Destroyer Flotilla

5th Cruiser Squadron

1st Escort Flotilla

4th Frigate Flotilla ?-1952

Frigate Squadron 1952–1976

Light Cruiser Squadron

A list of naval facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:

Prince of Wales Building 1978–1997 – known as Central Barracks of the PLA

Lamont and Hope Drydocks

Aberdeen Docks – destroyed

Dry Dock 1902–1959

Taikoo Dockyard – Hong Kong United Dockyards

Royal Navy Dockyards, Admiralty 1859–1902

Royal Navy Dockyards 1902–1959 – Kowloon Dockyard not part of Hung Hom area.

RN Coal storage yard, Stonecutters Island 1861–1959

RN Coal storage yard and Kowloon Naval Dockyards 1901–1959

Sai Wan Barracks 1844–1846

Wellington Barracks 1946–1978 – as HMS Tamar (demolished)

North Barracks 1850s–1856, 1887–1959 – from the Army and to HK Government 1959

Victoria Barracks

Redoubt and Lei Yue Mun Fortifications 1885–1887

Lei Yue Mun Fort 1887–1987

Reverse, Central, West and Pass Batteries 1880s

Brennan Torpedo station 1890 – Lei Yue Mun

Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai – demolished, now replaced by Ruttonjee Hospital

Seaman’s Hospital 1843–1873 – replaced by Royal Naval Hospital

RMS Queen Mary 1945–1946 – as a hospital

War Memorial Hospital (Matilda) 1946–1959

British Military Hospital 1959–1995

Island Group Practice 1995–1997 – replace BMH

HMS Charolotte and HMS Victor Emmanuel – Receiving Ships

Tidal Basin 1902–1959

Boat Basin 1902–1959

HM Victualling Yards 1859–1946

A list of facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:

Lamont and Hope Drydocks

Aberdeen Docks

Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai – now Ruttonjee Sanatorium

Seaman’s Hospital 1843–1873 – replaced by Royal Naval Hospital

HMS Princess Charlotte and HMS Victor Emmanuel – Receiving Ships

HMS Tamar – Receiving ship 1897–1941

HMS Nabcatcher – Kai Tak 1945–1946

HMS Flycatcher – Kai Tak 1947

HMS Minden 1841-mid-1840s – hospital ship

HMS Alligator 1840s–1865 – hospital ship

HMS Melville 1860s–1873 – hospital ship (East Indies Sqdn)

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force was the smallest contingent of the British Forces and was stationed in both Kai Tak Airport as well as the airfield in the New Territories known as Sek Kong.

No. 28 (AC) Squadron and the larger Royal Air Force infrastructure located to RAF Sek Kong in the late 1970s leaving Royal Air Force logistics elements to maintain operations at Kai Tak, e.g. RAF movers and suppliers remained to maintain the logistical link between RAF Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. The squadron flew up to 8 Westland Wessex HC Mk 2 helicopters from RAF Sek Kong. Tasks included support of the civil power, support of the British Forces and search and rescue.

About 20 years later, RAF personnel returned from Sek Kong to Kai Tak, mounting operations from that airport in the months prior to the 1997 handover.

In addition, the Hong Kong Government also maintained an “airforce”. This airforce as per the land unit of RHKR (V), is an arm of the Hong Kong Government, supported by RAF personnel seconded to serve in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.

Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1970–1993 – handed over to GFS

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps – Air Arm 1930–1949

Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1949–1970 – see RHKAAF

A list of RAF Units in Hong Kong:

No 205 Squadron (Maritime Reconnaissance) 1949–1958

No 209 Squadron (Maritime Patrol) 1946–1955

No 215 Squadron (Transport) 1945–1946

No 22 Squadron (Anti-shipping patrol), 1996–1997

No 45 Squadron (Bomber) 1965–1970

No 60 Squadron

No 681 Squadron (Photo Reconnaissance)

114th (Hong Kong) RAF Squadron

28 AC Squadron (Maritime Reconnaissance) – 1949–1955, 1957–1967, 1968–1978, 1978–1996 at RAF Sek Kong) – using Wessex HC2

ASF (Catering Squadron)

GEF (Ground Radio)

Medical Supply Squadron

No 847 Squadron FAA 1970 (RAF Kai Tak)

No 846 Squadron FAA 1963–1964 (RAF Kai Tak)

No 367 Wireless Unit

No 368 Wireless Unit

No 117 Signals Unit (Tai Mo Shan),w.e.f. January 1959 when it was relocated from Mount Davis (West end of Hong Kong Island)

No 444 Signals Unit (Stanley Fort), 1971 to 1977

Sources indicate that 444 Signals Unit (SU) formed officially within No 90 (Signals) Group, RAF Strike Command with effect from the 16th of August 1971, and was established as a lodger unit at Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. The primary role of 444 SU was to act as a ground station for the Skynet satellite communications system, responsibility for operating the Skynet system having been vested in the RAF in the late 1960s, under the Rationalisation of Inter Services Telecommunications (RISTACOM) agreement. It would appear that the equipment operated by 444 SU had been located previously at RAF Bahrain (HMS Jufair).

On the 1st of May 1972, No 90 (Signals) Group was transferred from RAF Strike Command to RAF Maintenance Command and as a consequence 444 SU became a Maintenance Command unit on this date. On the 31st of August 1973, both 90 (Signals) Group and Maintenance Command were disbanded, to be replaced on the following day by the new RAF Support Command. All of the units and locations previously controlled by the disbanded formations were transferred to Support Command with effect from the 1st of September 1973 and 444 SU therefore became a Support Command unit. This was to prove short-lived, however, on the 1st of November 1973, 444 SU and the unit responsible for maintaining the Skynet ground station at RAF Gan – 6 SU – were both transferred to the command of the Air Officer Commanding in Chief Near East Air Force (NEAF). At this time 444 SU and 6 SU formed part of the Defence Communications Network (DCN) and the DCN elements of both units came under the functional control of the Controller DCN, Ministry of Defence.

On the 1st of August 1975, administrative and engineering responsibility for all of the units comprising RAF Hong Kong, including 444 SU, were transferred from NEAF to RAF Strike Command – functional control of these units being retained by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff via Commander RAF Hong Kong. Subsequently, with the disbandment of HQ NEAF on the 31st of March 1976, control of RAF Hong Kong and its component units were transferred in total to Strike Command. On the 28th of March 1976, RAF Gan closed and 6 SU disbanded formally on the same date, the latter’s satellite communications equipment being transferred to 444 SU.

Official sources indicate that 444 SU disbanded at some point ‘during the last quarter of 1977’

Signals Unit
A list of RAF Stations in Hong Kong:

RAF North Point (Hong Kong)

RAF Little Sai Wan

RAF Mount Davis home of 117 Signals Unit relocated 1959 (without living accommodation) to RAF Tai Mo Shan

RAF Sha Tin – (no ICAO code) from 1949-1970s. Severely damaged by Typhoon Wanda in 1962.

Demolished to make way for Sha Tin New Town.

RAF Sek Kong – (VHSK) served as Vietnamese Detention Centre 1980s

RAF Kai Tak – (VHKT) later as Kai Tak International Airport

A list of Royal Air Force operations facilities:

Tai Po Tsai

Cape Collinson

Batty’s Belvedere

Kong Wei, RAF Sek Kong

Chung Hom Kok

Wang Fung Terrace, Tai Hang (Happy Valley)

Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy were later transferred to the Government Flying Service (GFS).

British Military Hospital, Hong Kong

Medical centres at Victoria Barracks, Lyemun Barracks, Stanley Fort, Whitfield Barracks, Sham Shui Po, Choy Hung, MRS Sek Kong and Lo Wu.

British Forces Broadcasting Service

Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI)

Blackdown Barracks, Hong Kong (彩虹軍營) – near Kai Tak; now is Rhythm Garden (采頤花園), car park building, and Canossa Primary School.

Mount Austin Barracks – near Peak Tram terminus at Victoria Peak

Royal Hong Kong Regimental Headquarters near Happy Valley – demolished 1995

China Fleet Club
Hong Kong became an important port of call for many naval ships passing through the Far East. Besides Lan Kwai Fong, Royal Navy sailors had their own entertainment facility called the China Fleet Club.

A timeline of the China Fleet Club:

1900–1903 local Hong Kong businessman and Royal Navy’s China Fleet to raise funds for a Royal Naval Canteen at Naval Docks, Hong Kong

1929 old canteen building demolished and replaced with new building

1929–1934 Temporary CFC at Gloucester Road

1933 cornerstone laid by Admiral Sir Howard Kelly, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., then Commander-in-Chief, China Station; new seven-storey China Fleet Club building called “The Old Blue”

1941–1945 CFC serves as Japanese Naval HQ in Hong Kong during World War II

1945 CFC re-occupied by RN

1952 Coronation Annex added

1982, 16 July The Final Demolition Party held in Club before move to Sun Hung Kai

1982–1985 CFC relocated to temporary site at Sun Hung Kai Centre

1985 25-storey Fleet House new home for CFC

1986 Plans to relocate CFC to UK begins

1989 Construction of China Fleet Country Club in Saltash begins

1991 Construction of China Fleet Country Club in Saltash completed and opens in June

1992 CFC in Hong Kong closes

Sourced from Wikipedia

Baader-Meinhof Group

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Apr 032015
 

The Cold War Era

These posts are not to promote any paramilitary group

it is merely showing incidents that the RGJ might have been caught up in their during the cold war era whilst serving abroad.

The Baader-Meinhof Group

Dates of operation 1970 to 1998
Motives Armed resistance and proletarian revolution
Active region(s) West Germany
Ideology Marxism–Leninism,
Maoism,
Third Worldism,
Anti-fascism
Major actions Numerous bombings and assassinations
Notable attacks West German Embassy siege, German Autumn
Status Final action and confrontations in 1993. Disbanded on the 20th April 1998.

The Red Army Faction (RAF; German: Rote Armee Fraktion), in its early stages commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof Group (or Baader-Meinhof Gang; German: Baader-Meinhof-Bande, Baader-Meinhof-Gruppe), was a West German far-left militant group. The RAF was founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. The West German government considered the Red Army Faction to be a terrorist organization.

The Red Army Faction existed from the year 1970 to 1998, committing numerous terrorist acts, especially in late 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as “German Autumn”. It was held responsible for thirty-four deaths, including many secondary targets, such as chauffeurs and bodyguards, and many injuries in its almost thirty years of activity. Although better-known, the RAF conducted fewer attacks than the Revolutionary Cells (German: Revolutionäre Zellen, RZ), which is held responsible for 296 bomb attacks, arson and other attacks between 1973 and 1995.

Although Meinhof was not considered to be a leader of the RAF at any time, her involvement in Baader’s escape from jail in 1970 and her well-known status as a German journalist led to her name becoming attached to it.
There were three successive incarnations of the organization,

the “first generation” which consisted of Baader and his associates,
the “second generation” RAF, which operated in the mid to late 1970s after several former members of the Socialist Patients’ Collective joined, and
the “third generation” RAF, which existed in the 1980s and 1990s.
On the 20th of April 1998, an eight-page typewritten letter in German was faxed to the Reuters news agency, signed “RAF” with the submachine-gun red star, declaring that the group had dissolved.

Background

The Red Army Faction’s Urban Guerrilla Concept is not based on an optimistic view of the prevailing circumstances in the Federal Republic and West Berlin.

—The Urban Guerrilla Concept authored by RAF co-founder Ulrike Meinhof (April 1971)
The origins of the group can be traced back to the student protest movement in West Germany. Industrialised nations in the late 1960s experienced social upheavals related to the maturing of the “baby boomers”, to the Cold War, and the end of colonialism. Newly found youth identity and issues such as racism, women’s liberation and anti-imperialism were at the forefront of left-wing politics.

Many young people were alienated from both their parents and the institutions of state. The historical legacy of Nazism drove a wedge between the generations and increased suspicion of authoritarian structures in society (some analysts see the same occurring in post-fascism Italy, giving rise to “Brigate Rosse”).

In West Germany there was anger among leftist youth at the post-war denazification in West and East Germany, which was perceived as a failure or as ineffective, as former (actual and supposed) Nazis held positions in government and economy. The Communist Party of Germany had been outlawed since 1956. Elected and unelected government positions down to the local level were often occupied by ex-Nazis. Konrad Adenauer, the first Federal Republic chancellor (in office from 1949 to 1963), had even appointed the former Nazi-sympathiser Hans Globke as Director of the Federal Chancellery of West Germany (in office from 1953 to 1963).

The radicals regarded the conservative media as biased – at the time conservatives such as Axel Springer, who was implacably opposed to student radicalism, owned and controlled the conservative media including all of the most influential mass-circulation tabloid newspapers. 1966 saw the emergence of the Grand Coalition between the two main parties, the SPD and CDU, with former Nazi Party member Kurt Georg Kiesinger as chancellor. This horrified many on the left and was viewed as monolithic, political marriage of convenience with pro-NATO, pro-capitalist collusion on the part of the social democratic SPD. With ninety-five percent of the Bundestag controlled by the coalition, an Extra-Parliamentary Opposition (APO) was formed with the intent of generating protest and political activity outside of government. In 1972 a law was passed, the Radikalenerlass, which banned radicals or those with a ‘questionable’ political persuasion from public sector jobs.

Some radicals used the supposed association of large parts of society with Nazism as an argument against any peaceful approaches:

They’ll kill us all. You know what kind of pigs we’re up against. This is the Auschwitz generation. You can’t argue with people who made Auschwitz. They have weapons and we haven’t. We must arm ourselves!

—Gudrun Ensslin allegedly speaking after the death of Benno Ohnesorg. (Many commentators doubt the authenticity of this quote.)
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:

Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S., together with the background of counter-cultural movements.
The writings of Mao Zedong adapted to Western European conditions.
Post-war writings on class society and empire as well as contemporary Marxist critiques from many revolutionaries such as Frantz Fanon, Ho Chi Minh, and Che Guevara, as well as early Autonomism.

Philosophers associated with the Frankfurt school (Jürgen Habermas, Herbert Marcuse, and Oskar Negt in particular and associated Marxian philosophers.

RAF founder Ulrike Meinhof had a long history in the Communist Party. Holger Meins had studied film and was a veteran of the Berlin revolt; his short feature How To Produce A Molotov Cocktail was seen by huge audiences. Jan Carl Raspe lived at the Kommune 2;

Horst Mahler was an established lawyer, but was also at the center of the anti-Springer revolt from the beginning. From their own personal experiences and assessments of the socio-economic situation they soon became more specifically influenced by Leninism and Maoism, calling themselves ‘Marxist-Leninist’ though they effectively added to or updated this ideological tradition. A contemporaneous critique of the Red Army Faction’s view of the state, published in a pirate edition of Le Monde Diplomatique, ascribed to it ‘state-fetishism’ – an ideologically obsessive misreading of bourgeois dynamics and the nature and role of the state in post-WWII societies, including West Germany.

It is claimed that property destruction during the Watts Riots in the United States in 1965 influenced the practical and ideological approach of the RAF founders as well as some of those in Situationist circles.

The writings of Antonio Gramsci and Herbert Marcuse were drawn upon. Gramsci wrote on power, cultural and ideological conflicts in society and institutions—real-time class struggles playing out in rapidly developing industrial nation states through interlinked areas of political behaviour, Marcuse on coercion and hegemony in that cultural indoctrination and ideological manipulation through the means of communication (“repressive tolerance”) dispensed with the need for complete brute force in modern ‘liberal democracies’.

His One-Dimensional Man was addressed to the restive students of the sixties. Marcuse argued that only marginal groups of students and poor alienated workers could effectively resist the system. Both Gramsci and Marcuse came to the conclusion that the ideological underpinnings and the ‘superstructure’ of society was vitally important in the understanding of class control (and acquiescence). This could perhaps be seen as an extension of Marx’s work as he did not cover this area in detail. Das Kapital, his mainly economic work, was meant to be one of a series of books which would have included one on society and one on the state, but his death prevented fulfilment of this.

Many of the radicals felt that Germany’s lawmakers were continuing authoritarian policies and the public’s apparent acquiescence was seen as a continuation of the indoctrination the Nazis had pioneered in society (Volksgemeinschaft). The Federal Republic was exporting arms to African dictatorships, which was seen as supporting the war in Southeast Asia and engineering the remilitarization of Germany with the U.S.-led entrenchment against the Warsaw Pact nations.

Ongoing events further catalyzed the situations. Protests turned into riots and on the 2nd of June 1967, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, visited West Berlin. There were protesters but also hundreds of supporters of the Shah, as well as a group of fake supporters armed with wooden staves, there to disturb the normal course of the visit. These extremists beat the protesters.

After a day of angry protests by exiled Iranian radical Marxists, a group widely supported by German students, the Shah visited the Berlin Opera, where a crowd of German student protesters gathered. During the opera house demonstrations, German student Benno Ohnesorg was shot in the head by a police officer while attending his first protest rally. The officer, Karl-Heinz Kurras, was acquitted in a subsequent trial. It has now been discovered that this officer had been a member of the West Berlin communist party SEW and had also worked for the Stasi, though there is no indication that Kurras’ killing of Ohnesorg was under anyone’s, including the Stasi’s, orders.

Along with perceptions of state and police brutality, and widespread opposition to the Vietnam War, Ohnesorg’s death galvanised many young Germans, and became a rallying point for the West German New Left. The Berlin Movement the 2nd of June, a militant-Anarchist group, later took its name to honour the date of Ohnesorg’s death.

On the 2nd of April 1968 Gudrun Ensslin and Andreas Baader, joined by Thorwald Proll and Horst Söhnlein, set fire to two department stores in Frankfurt as a protest against the Vietnam war. They were arrested two days later.

On the 11th of April 1968 Rudi Dutschke, a leading spokesman for protesting students, was shot in the head in an assassination attempt by the right-wing extremist Josef Bachmann. Although badly injured, Dutschke returned to political activism with the German Green Party before his death in a bathtub in 1979, as a consequence of his injuries.

Axel Springer’s populist newspaper Bild-Zeitung, which had run headlines such as “Stop Dutschke now!” was accused of being the chief culprit for inciting the shooting. Meinhof commented: “If one sets a car on fire, that is a criminal offence. If one sets hundreds of cars on fire, that is political action.”

Formation of the RAF

World War II was only twenty years earlier. Those in charge of the police, the schools, the government — they were the same people who’d been in charge under Nazism. The chancellor, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, had been a Nazi. People started discussing this only in the 60’s. We were the first generation since the war, and we were asking our parents questions. Due to the Nazi past, everything bad was compared to the Third Reich. If you heard about police brutality, that was said to be just like the SS. The moment you see your own country as the continuation of a fascist state, you give yourself permission to do almost anything against it. You see your action as the resistance that your parents did not put up.

— Stefan Aust, author of Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
All four of the defendants charged with arson and endangering human life were convicted, for which they were sentenced to three years in prison. In the June of 1969, however, they were temporarily paroled under an amnesty for political prisoners, but in November of that year, the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) demanded that they return to custody. Only Horst Söhnlein complied with the order; the rest went underground and made their way to France, where they stayed for a time in a house owned by prominent French journalist and revolutionary, Régis Debray, famous for his friendship with Che Guevara and the focus theory of guerrilla warfare. Eventually they made their way to Italy, where the lawyer Mahler visited them and encouraged them to return to Germany with him to form an underground guerrilla group.

The Red Army Faction was formed with the intention of complementing the plethora of revolutionary and radical groups across West Germany and Europe, as a more class conscious and determined force compared with some of its contemporaries. The members and supporters were already associated with the ‘Revolutionary Cells’ and Movement 2nd June as well as radical currents and phenomena such as the Socialist Patients’ Collective, Kommune 1 ( or K1 was the first politically motivated commune in Germany ) and the Situationists. ( who where an international organization of social revolutionaries )

Baader was arrested again in the April of 1970, but on 14th of May 1970 he was freed by Meinhof and others. Baader, Ensslin, Mahler, and Meinhof then went to Jordan, where they trained in the West Bank and Gaza with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrillas and looked to the Palestinian cause for inspiration and guidance. But RAF organisation and outlook were also partly modeled on the Uruguayan Tupamaros movement, which had developed as an urban resistance movement, effectively inverting Che Guevara’s Mao-like concept of a peasant or rural-based guerrilla war and instead situating the struggle in the metropole or cities.

Many members of the RAF operated through a single contact or only knew others by their codenames. Actions were carried out by active units called ‘commandos’, with trained members being supplied by a quartermaster in order to carry out their mission. For more long-term or core cadre members, isolated cell-like organisation was absent or took on a more flexible form.

In 1969 the Brazilian revolutionary Carlos Marighella published his Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla. He described the urban guerrilla as:

…a person who fights the military dictatorship with weapons, using unconventional methods. … The urban guerrilla follows a political goal, and only attacks the government, big businesses, and foreign imperialists.

The importance of small arms training, sabotage, expropriation, and a substantial safehouse/support base among the urban population was stressed in Marighella’s guide. This publication was an antecedent to Meinhof’s ‘The Urban Guerrilla Concept’ and has subsequently influenced many guerrilla and insurgent groups around the globe.

Although some of the Red Army Faction’s supporters and operatives could be described as having an anarchist or libertarian communist slant, the group’s leading members professed a largely Marxist-Leninist ideology.That said, they shied away from overt collaboration with communist states, arguing along the lines of the Chinese side in the Sino-Soviet split that the Soviet Union and its European satellite states had become traitors to the communist cause by, in effect if not in rhetoric, giving the United States a free pass in their exploitation of Third World populations and support of “useful” Third World dictators. Nevertheless, RAF members did receive intermittent support and sanctuary over the border in East Germany during the 1980s.

Anti-imperialism and public support

The Baader-Meinhof Gang drew a measure of support that violent leftists in the United States, like the Weather Underground, never enjoyed. A poll at the time showed that a quarter of West Germans under forty felt sympathy for the gang and one-tenth said they would hide a gang member from the police. Prominent intellectuals spoke up for the gang’s righteousness (as) Germany even into the 1970s was still a guilt-ridden society.

When the gang started robbing banks, newscasts compared its members to Bonnie and Clyde. (Andreas) Baader, a charismatic, spoiled psychopath, indulged in the imagery, telling people that his favourite movies were Bonnie and Clyde, which had recently come out, and The Battle of Algiers. The pop poster of Che Guevara hung on his wall, (while) he paid a designer to make a Red Army Faction logo, a drawing of a machine gun against a red star.

— Stefan Aust, author of Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
When they returned to West Germany, they began what they called an “anti-imperialistic struggle”, with bank robberies to raise money and bomb attacks against U.S. military facilities, German police stations, and buildings belonging to the Axel Springer press empire. In 1970, a manifesto authored by Meinhof used the name “RAF” and the red star logo with a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun for the first time.

Despite killing 34 people, Baader-Meinhof garnered a degree of support from the West German population. According to Fred Siegel, the group of militants began to be accepted, if not always admired, by “guilt-ridden liberals”, who saw its panache as a countercultural critique of West Germany’s “boring bourgeois life” and who resented their nation’s association with the American war in Vietnam. Siegel asserts that Baader-Meinhof seized on this sentiment and carefully cultivated an outlaw image, wholesaling the ideal of authentically acting out one’s impulses, in order to break through “the fascism of convention”, just as its heroes abroad like Che Guevara supposedly “broke through the iron wall of American imperialism.” Drawing on its New Left counterparts in the United States, the group even began to borrow such phrases as “burn baby burn,” “right on”, and “off the pigs”.

After an intense manhunt, Baader, Ensslin, Meinhof, Holger Meins, and Jan-Carl Raspe were eventually caught and arrested in the June of 1972.

Custody and the Stammheim trial

After the arrest of the protagonists of the first generation of the RAF, they were held in solitary confinement in the newly constructed high security Stammheim Prison in the north of Stuttgart. When Ensslin devised an “info system” using aliases for each member (names deemed to have allegorical significance from “Moby Dick”), the four prisoners were able to communicate again, circulating letters with the help of their defence counsels.

To protest against their treatment by authorities, they went on several coordinated hunger strikes; eventually, they were force-fed. Holger Meins died of self-induced starvation on the 9th of November 1974. After public protests, their conditions were somewhat improved by the authorities.

The so-called second generation of the RAF emerged at the time, consisting of sympathizers independent of the inmates. This became clear when, on 27th February 1975, Peter Lorenz, the CDU candidate for mayor of Berlin, was kidnapped by the Movement 2nd of June (allied to the RAF) as part of pressure to secure the release of several other detainees. Since none of these were on trial for murder, the state agreed, and those inmates (and later Lorenz himself) were released.

On the 24th of April 1975, the West German embassy in Stockholm was seized by members of the RAF; two of the hostages were murdered as the German government under Chancellor Helmut Schmidt refused to give in to their demands. Two of the hostage-takers died from injuries they suffered when the explosives they planted detonated later that night.

On the 21st of May 1975, the Stammheim trial of Baader, Ensslin, Meinhof, and Raspe began named after the district in Stuttgart where it took place. The Bundestag had earlier changed the Code of Criminal Procedure so that several of the attorneys who were accused of serving as links between the inmates and the RAF’s second generation could be excluded.

On the 9th of May 1976, Ulrike Meinhof was found dead in her prison cell, hanging from a rope made from jail towels. An investigation concluded that she had hanged herself, a result hotly contested at the time, triggering a plethora of conspiracy theories. Other theories suggest that she took her life because she was being ostracized by the rest of the group.

During the trial, more attacks took place. One of these was on the 7th April 1977, when Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback, his driver, and his bodyguard were shot and killed by two RAF members while waiting at a red traffic light. Buback, who had been a Nazi member during WWII, was considered by RAF as one of the key persons for their trial. Among other things, two years earlier, while being interviewed by Stern magazine, he stated that “Persons like Baader don’t deserve a fair trial”. In February 1976, when interviewed by Spiegel he stated that “We do not need regulation of our jurisdiction, national security survives thanks to people like me and Herold (chief of BKA), who always find the right way…”

Eventually, on the 28th of  April 1977, the trial’s 192nd day, the three remaining defendants were convicted of several murders, more attempted murders, and of forming a terrorist organization; they were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Security measures

Stammheim Prison was built especially for the RAF and was considered one of the most secure prison blocks around the world at the time. The prisoners were transferred there in 1975 (three years after their arrest). The roof and the courtyard was covered with steel mesh. During the night the precinct was illuminated by fifty-four spotlights and twenty-three neon bulbs. Special military forces were guarding the roof, including snipers. Four hundred police officers along with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution patrolled the building. The mounted police officers oscillated on a double shift. One hundred more GSG-9 units reinforced the police during the trial. BKA agents guarded the front of the court area. Finally there were helicopters flying around the area.

The accredited correspondents of the media had to pass the first police road block 400 meters away from the court. The police noted their data and the number-plate, and photographed their cars. After that they had to pass three verification audits, and finally they were undressed and two judicial officials thoroughly searched their bodies. They were allowed to keep only a pencil and a notepad inside the court. Their personal items including their identities were held by the authorities during the trial. Every journalist could attend the trial only twice (2 days). The Times questioned the possibility whether a fair trial could be conducted under these circumstances which involved siege-like conditions. Der Spiegel was wondering whether that atmosphere anticipated “the condemnation of the defendants who were allegedly responsible for the emergency measures”.

During the visits from lawyers and, more rarely, relatives (friends were not allowed), three jailers were observing the conversations the prisoners had with their visitors. The prisoners were not allowed to meet each other inside the prison, until late 1975 when it was established a meeting time (30 minutes, twice per day), during which they were obviously guarded.

Trial manipulation and false witnesses

The judges and their pasts are considered important by supporters of the accused. Judge Weiss (Mahler’s trial) had judged Joachim Raese (president of the Third Reich’s court) as innocent seven times. When he threatened Meinhof that she would be put into a glass cage she answered caustically, “So you are threatening me with Eichmann’s cage, fascist?” (Adolf Eichmann who was an SS colonel, was held inside a glass cage during his trial in Israel). Siegfried Buback, the RAF’s main trial judge in Stammheim, had been a Nazi Party member. Along with Federal Prosecutor Heinrich Wunder (who served as senior government official in Ministry of Defense), Buback had ordered the arrest of Rudolf Augstein and other journalists regarding the Spiegel scandal in 1962. Theodor Prinzing was accused by defense attorney Otto Schily that he had been appointed arbitrarily displacing other judges.

During several points in the Stammheim trial, the microphones were turned off while defendants were speaking, they were often expelled from the hall, and other actions were taken. It was later revealed that the conversation they had between them as well with their attorneys were recorded. Finally it was reported by both the defendants’ attorneys and some of the prison’s doctors, that the physical and psychological state of the prisoners held in solitary confinement and white cells was such that they couldn’t attend the long trial days and defend themselves appropriately. By the time the Stammheim trial began in early 1975, some of the prisoners had already been in solitary confinement for three years.

Two former members of RAF, Karl-Heinz Ruhland, and Gerhard Müller, testified under BKA’s orders, as revealed later. Their statements were often contradictory, something that was also commented on in the newspapers. Ruhland himself later reported to Stern that his deposition was prepared in cooperation with police. Müller was reported to “break” during the third hunger strike in the winter 1974/75 which lasted 145 days. Prosecution offered him immunity for the murder of officer Norbert Schmidt in Hamburg (1971), and blamed Baader, Meinhof, Ensslin and Raspe instead. He was eventually freed and relocated to USA after getting a new identity and 500,000 DM.

Lawyers’ arrests

The government hastily approved several special laws for use during the Stammheim trial. Lawyers were excluded from trial for the first time since 1945, after being accused of various inappropriate actions, such as helping to form criminal organisations (Section 129 – Criminal Law). The authorities invaded and checked the lawyers’ offices for possible incriminating material. Minister of Justice Hans-Jochen Vogel stated proudly that no other Western state had such an extensive regulation to exclude defense attorneys from the trial. Klaus Croissant, Hans-Christian Ströbele, Kurt Groenewold, who had been working preparing for the trial for three years were expelled the second day of the trial. On the 23rd of June (1975), Croissant, Ströbele (who had already been expelled) and Mary Becker were arrested, and in the meantime police invaded several defense attorneys’ offices and homes, seizing several documents and files. Ströbele and Croissant were remanded and held for 4 weeks and 8 weeks accordingly. Croissant had to pay 80,000 DM, to report weekly to police station as well as having his transport and identity papers seized.

The defense lawyers and prisoners were not alone to be affected by measures adopted for the RAF-trial. On the 26th of  November 1974 an unprecedented mobilization by police and GSG-9 units, to arrest 23 suspected RAF members, included invasion to dozens of homes, left-wing bookstores, and meeting places, and arrests were made. However none of the guerrillas were found. BKA’s chief, Horst Herold stated that despite the fact that “large-scale operations usually don’t bring practical results, the impression of the crowd is always a considerable advantage”.

On the 16th of February 1979 Croissant was arrested (on the accusation of supporting criminal organisation – section 129), after France denied his request for political asylum, and was sentenced to a prison term of two and half years to be served in Stammheim prison.

Defence strategy on trial

The general approach by defendants and their attorneys was to highlight the political purpose and characteristics of RAF.

On the 13th and 14th of  January 1976 the defendants readied their testimony (about 200 pages) where they were analyzing the role of imperialism and its furious struggle against the revolutionary movements in the countries of the “third world”. They also expounded the fascistization of West Germany and its role as an imperialistic state (alliance with USA over Vietnam). Finally they talked about the task of urban guerillas and they undertook the political responsibility for the bombing attacks. Finally their lawyers (following Ulrike Meinhof’s proposal) requested that the accused be officially regarded as prisoners of war.

On the 4th of May (5 days before Meinhof’s death) the four defendants requested to provide data about the Vietnam War. They claimed that since the military intervention in Vietnam by U.S (and indirectly FRG), had violated international law, the U.S. military bases in FRG were justifiably targets of international retaliation. They requested several politicians (like R. Nixon and H. Schmidt) as well as some former US agents (who were willing to testify) to be called as witnesses.

Later when their requests were totally rejected, US agents Barton Osbourne (ex-CIA, ex-member of the Phoenix Program), G. Peck(NSA), and Gary Thomas gave an extensive interview (organized by defense lawyers) on 23 June 1976 where they explained by which ways FRG support was crucial for US operations in Vietnam. Peck concluded that RAF “was the response to criminal aggression of the U.S. government in Indochina and the assistance of the German government. The real terrorist was my government.”. Thomas presented data about the joint operations of FRG and US secret services in Eastern Europe. He was also observing Stammheim trial and referred to a CIA instructor teaching them how to make a murder look like a suicide.

The above statements were confirmed by the well-known CIA case officer Philip Agee.

German Autumn

On the 30th of July 1977, Jürgen Ponto, the head of Dresdner Bank, was shot and killed in front of his house in Oberursel in a botched kidnapping. Those involved were Brigitte Mohnhaupt, Christian Klar, and Susanne Albrecht, the last being the sister of Ponto’s goddaughter.

Following the convictions, Hanns Martin Schleyer, a former officer of the SS and NSDAP member who was then President of the German Employers’ Association (and thus one of the most powerful industrialists in West Germany) was abducted in a violent kidnapping. On the 5th of September 1977, Schleyer’s convoy was stopped by the kidnappers reversing a car into the path of Schleyer’s vehicle, causing the Mercedes he was being driven in to crash. Once the convoy was stopped, five masked assailants immediately shot and killed the three policemen and the driver and took Schleyer hostage. One of the group (Sieglinde Hofmann) produced her weapon from a pram she was pushing down the road.

A letter then arrived with the Federal Government, demanding the release of eleven detainees, including those from Stammheim. A crisis committee was formed in Bonn, headed by Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, which, instead of acceding, resolved to employ delaying tactics to give the police time to discover Schleyer’s location. At the same time, a total communication ban was imposed on the prison inmates, who were now allowed visits only from government officials and the prison chaplain.

The crisis dragged on for more than a month, while the Bundeskriminalamt carried out its biggest investigation to date. Matters escalated when, on the 13th of October 1977, Lufthansa Flight 181 from Palma de Mallorca to Frankfurt was hijacked. A group of four PLO members took control of the plane (named Landshut). The leader introduced himself to the passengers as “Captain Mahmud” who would be later identified as Zohair Youssef Akache. When the plane landed in Rome for refueling, he issued the same demands as the Schleyer kidnappers, plus the release of two Palestinians held in Turkey and payment of US$15 million.

The Bonn crisis team again decided not to give in. The plane flew on via Larnaca to Dubai, and then to Aden, where flight captain Jürgen Schumann, whom the hijackers deemed not cooperative enough, was brought before an improvised “revolutionary tribunal” and executed on the 16th of October. His body was dumped on the runway. The aircraft again took off, flown by the co-pilot Jürgen Vietor, this time headed for Mogadishu, Somalia.

A high-risk rescue operation was led by Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, then undersecretary in the chancellor’s office, who had secretly been flown in from Bonn. At five past midnight (CET) on 18 October, the plane was stormed in a seven-minute assault by the GSG 9, an elite unit of the German federal police. All four hijackers were shot; three of them died on the spot. None of the passengers were seriously hurt and Wischnewski was able to phone Schmidt and tell the Bonn crisis team that the operation had been a success.

Half an hour later, German radio broadcast the news of the rescue, to which the Stammheim inmates could be listening on their radios. In the course of the night, Baader was found dead with a gunshot wound in the back of his head and Ensslin was found hanged in her cell; Raspe died in the hospital the next day from a gunshot wound to the head. Irmgard Möller, who had several stab wounds in the chest, survived and was released from prison in 1994.

On the 18th October 1977, Hanns-Martin Schleyer was shot to death by his captors en route to Mulhouse, France. The next day, on the 19th of October, Schleyer’s kidnappers announced that he had been “executed” and pinpointed his location. His body was recovered later that day in the trunk of a green Audi 100 on the rue Charles Péguy. The French newspaper Libération received a letter declaring:

After 43 days we have ended Hanns-Martin Schleyer’s pitiful and corrupt existence… His death is meaningless to our pain and our rage… The struggle has only begun. Freedom through armed, anti-imperialist struggle.

The events in the autumn of 1977 are frequently referred to as Der Deutsche Herbst (“German Autumn”).

The “Death Night”
look up: Ulrike Meinhof
The official inquiry concluded that the group made a collective decision to commit suicide on a predetermined night. However, the autopsy and police reports contained several contradictory statements.

It has been questioned how Baader and Raspe managed to obtain a gun in the high-security prison wing specially constructed for the first generation RAF members. Independent investigations showed that the inmates’ lawyers were able to smuggle in weapons and equipment despite the high security, something that the lawyers themselves denied, arguing that every meeting with their clients was observed by jailers. The claims were based primarily on the testimonies of Hans Joachim Dellwo, brother of RAF prisoner Karl-Heinz Dellwo, and Volker Speitel, the husband of RAF member Angelika Speitel, who were arrested on the 2nd October 1977 and charged of belonging to a criminal organisation. The fact that they both received lighter sentences and after their release they were given new identities raises the inquiry if they were acting under police pressure and immunity proposal as it was the case with the ex-RAF members and perjurers Karl-Heinz Ruhland, and Gerhard Müller. However based on these testimonies, the defense attorneys Armin Newerla and Arndt Muller were tried in 1979 and one year later they were convicted of weapon smuggling receiving three and a half years and four years and eight months sentences respectively.

As regards Möller, only a total commitment to her cause could have allowed Möller to have herself inflicted the four stab wounds found near her heart. She claims that it was actually an extrajudicial killing, orchestrated by the German government, in response to Red Army Faction demands that the prisoners be released.

A few more questions that were raised regarding the death night were:

The autopsy concluded that Baader shot himself to the neck, 3 cm above the hairline in a direction that made the bullet come out through the forehead from a straight trajectory, with a 7.65 calibre pistol which is considered implausible. Moreover the investigation carried out by the ballistic expert Dr Roland Hoffman using Baader’s gun, showed that the bullet must have been fired from a distance of between 30 and 40 centimetres, which is considered likely impossible. The only case according to Hoffman that such small amount of gunpowder that was found, would fit the shoot by contact scenario would be if a silencer was used, however apparently the gun had no silencer when the body was found.

The fact that three bullets were found inside Baader’s cell is considered suspicious. The first explanation given was that Baader signaled the other prisoners. However the cells were soundproof and the jailors who were posted a few meters from the cells didn’t hear any suspicious sound, so it remains in question how the other prisoners could have communicated.[40][43]
There was no gunpowder traces on Raspe’s hands, even though it is considered impossible to fire a gun without leaving gunpowder on ones hands, something that it is always mentioned in autopsy reports. Baader had gunpowder on his right hand, despite the fact that he was left-handed.

There were no fingerprints found on either Raspe’s or Baader’s gun or the kitchen knife Moller used to stab herself four times, according to official statements. The public prosecutor’s office argued that due to the large amount of blood that covered the weapons, the traces couldn’t be determined. However later Mr. Testor who was the head of the investigation team for the events in Stammheim, argued that there was no blood on Raspe’s pistol, and stated: “If the weapons had been polished with a cloth before the act, then no usable traces could have remained after only being used once”. Finally Raspe was still holding the gun inside his hand when he was found, something considered at least unusual.

As regards Ensslin, there were similar questions to Meinhof’s case. There are arguments that the chair she allegedly used to hang herself was too far away from her body to have been used, and that the cable used to hang herself was such that it would most likely not tolerate the weight of a fallen body. Finally Ensslin had written to their lawyers: “I am afraid of being suicided in the same way as Ulrike. If there is no letter from me and I’m found dead; in this case it is an assassination.”

Finally the international commission that had been formed to investigate Ulrike Meinhof’s death, and hadn’t been dissolved at the time, noticed that on both nights (8th–9th May 1976; the night Meinhof had supposedly committed suicide), and 17th–18th October 1977, an auxiliary was in charge of surveillance rather than the usual guard. They also discovered an uncontrolled entrance to the seventh floor which led to the roof. The authorities claimed they were unaware of this until 4th November 1977.

The RAF since the 1980s

The dissolution of the Soviet Union was a serious blow to Leninist groups, but well into the 1990s attacks were still being committed under the name “RAF”. Among these were the killing of Ernst Zimmermann, CEO of MTU Aero Engines, a German engineering company; another bombing at the US Air Force’s Rhein-Main Air Base (near Frankfurt), which targeted the base commander and killed two bystanders; the car bomb attack that killed Siemens executive Karl-Heinz Beckurts and his driver; and the shooting of Gerold von Braunmühl, a leading official at Germany’s foreign ministry. On the 30th of November 1989, Deutsche Bank chairman Alfred Herrhausen was killed with a highly complex bomb when his car triggered a photo sensor, in Bad Homburg. On 1st April 1991, Detlev Karsten Rohwedder, leader of the government Treuhand organization responsible for the privatization of the East German state economy, was shot dead. The assassins of Zimmermann, von Braunmühl, Herrhausen and Rohwedder were never reliably identified.

After German reunification in 1990, it was confirmed that the RAF had received financial and logistic support from the Stasi, the security and intelligence organization of East Germany, which had given several members shelter and new identities. This was already generally suspected at the time.

In 1992, the German government assessed that the RAF’s main field of engagement now was missions to release former RAF-members. To weaken the organization further the government declared that some RAF inmates would be released if the RAF refrained from violent attacks in the future. Subsequently the RAF announced their intention to “de-escalate” and refrain from significant activity.

The last action taken by the RAF took place in 1993 with a bombing of a newly built prison in Weiterstadt by overcoming the officers on duty and planting explosives. Although no one was seriously injured this operation caused property damage amounting to 123 million German Marks (over 50 million euros).

The last big action against the RAF took place on the 27th June 1993. A Verfassungsschutz (internal secret service) agent named Klaus Steinmetz had infiltrated the RAF. As a result Birgit Hogefeld and Wolfgang Grams were to be arrested in Bad Kleinen. Grams and GSG 9 officer Michael Newrzella died during the mission. While it was initially concluded that Grams committed suicide, others claimed his death was in revenge for Newrzella’s. Two eyewitness accounts supported the claims of an execution-style murder. However, an investigation headed by the Attorney General failed to substantiate such claims. Due to a number of operational mistakes involving the various police services, German Minister of the Interior Rudolf Seiters took responsibility and resigned from his post.

Dissolution
On the 20th of  April 1998, an eight-page typewritten letter in German was faxed to the Reuters news agency, signed “RAF” with the machine-gun red star, declaring the group dissolved:

“Almost 28 years ago, on the 14th of May 1970, the RAF arose in a campaign of liberation. Today we end this project. The urban guerrilla in the shape of the RAF is now history.” (German: Vor fast 28 Jahren, am 14. Mai 1970, entstand in einer Befreiungsaktion die RAF. Heute beenden wir dieses Projekt. Die Stadtguerilla in Form der RAF ist nun Geschichte.)

In response to this statement, former BKA President Horst Herold said, “With this statement the Red Army Faction has erected its own tombstone.”

Legacy

Horst Mahler, a founding RAF member, is now a vocal Neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier. In 2005, Mahler was sentenced to 6 years in prison for incitement to racial hatred against Jews. He is on record as saying that his beliefs have not changed: Der Feind ist der Gleiche (The enemy is the same).

In 2007, amidst widespread media controversy, the German president Horst Köhler considered pardoning RAF member Christian Klar, who had filed a pardon application several years before. On 7 May 2007, pardon was denied; regular parole was later granted on 24th  November 2008. RAF member Brigitte Mohnhaupt was granted release on five-year parole by a German court on 12th February 2007 and Eva Haule was released 17th August 2007.

Name
Faction versus Fraktion

The usual translation into English is the Red Army Faction; however, the founders wanted it not to reflect a splinter group but rather an embryonic militant unit that was embedded in or part of a wider communist workers’ movement, i.e. a ‘fraction’ of a whole.

RAF versus Baader-Meinhof
The group always called itself the Rote Armee Fraktion, never the Baader-Meinhof Group or Gang. The name correctly refers to all incarnations of the organization: the “first generation” RAF, which consisted of Baader and his associates, the “second generation” RAF, and the “third generation” RAF, which existed in the 1980s and 90s.

The terms “Baader-Meinhof Gang” and “Baader-Meinhof Group” were first used by the media and the organization was generally known by these during its first generation, and applies only until Baader’s death in 1977. The organization never used these terms for themselves, but the German media used them to avoid legitimizing the movement. Although Meinhof was not considered to be a leader of the gang at any time, her involvement in Baader’s escape from jail in 1970 led to her name becoming attached to it.

Assaults attributed to the RAF

On the 22nd of October 1971 in Hamburg;

Police officer killed

RAF members Irmgard Möller and Gerhard Müller attempted to rescue Margrit Schiller who was being arrested by the police by engaging in a shootout. Police sergeant Heinz Lemke was shot in the foot, while Sergeant Norbert Schmid, 33, was killed, this became the first murder to be attributed to the RAF.

On the 22nd of December 1971 in Kaiserslautern;

Police officer killed

German Police officer Herbert Schoner, 32, was shot by members of the RAF in a bank robbery. Four militants escaped with 134,000 Deutschmarks.

On the 11th of May 1972 in Frankfurt am Main;

The bombing of US Army V Corps headquarters and the officers’ mess Terrace Club

US Army LTC Paul A. Bloomquist was killed and 13 others wounded.

On the 12th of May 1972 in Augsburg and Munich;

The bombing of a police station in Augsburg and the Bavarian State Criminal Investigations Agency in Munich

5 police-officers wounded. This was claimed by the Tommy Weissbecker Commando.

On the 16th May 1972 in Karlsruhe;

The bombing of the car of the Federal Judge Buddenberg

His wife was driving the car and was wounded. This was claimed by the Manfred Grashof commando.

On the 19th May 1972 in Hamburg;

The bombing of the Axel Springer Verlag. The building was not evacuated even though warnings about the bombing were made by the RAF.

17 people where wounded. Ilse Stachowiak was involved in the bombing.

On 24th May 1972 in Heidelberg;

The bombing outside of Officers’ Club followed by a second bomb moments later in front of Army Security Agency (ASA), U.S. Army in Europe (HQ USAREUR) at Campbell Barracks. Known involved RAF members: Irmgard Möller and Angela Luther, Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin, Holger Meins, Jan-Carl Raspe.

3 died in this bombing they where (Ronald A. Woodward, Charles L. Peck and Captain Clyde R. Bonner), 5 people where also wounded. This was claimed by 15 July Commando (in honour of Petra Schelm). Executed by Irmgard Moeller.

On the 24th of April 1975 in Stockholm;

The West German embassy siege and murder of Andreas von Mirbach and Dr. Heinz Hillegaart

4 peopled died in this incident 2 were RAF members.

On the 7th of May 1976 in Sprendlingen near Offenbach;

Police officer killed

Officer Fritz Sippel was 22-year-old he was shot in the head when checking an RAF member’s identity papers.

On the 4th of January 1977 in Giessen;

An attack against the US 42nd Field Artillery Brigade at Giessen.

In this failed attack against the Giessen army base, the RAF sought to capture or destroy nuclear weapons present. A diversionary bomb attack on a fuel tank failed to fully ignite the fuel.

On the 7th April 1977 in Karlsruhe;

The assassination of the federal prosecutor-general Siegfried Buback

The driver and another passenger were also killed in this incident. This was claimed by the Ulrike Meinhof Commando. This murder case was brought up again after the 30-year commemoration in the April of 2007 when information from former RAF member Peter-Jürgen Boock surfaced in media reports.

On the 30th July 1977 in Oberursel (Taunus);

The killing of Jürgen Ponto

The director of Dresdner Bank, Jürgen Ponto, was shot in his home during an attempted kidnapping. Ponto later died from his injuries.

On the 5th September 1977  in Cologne;

Hanns Martin Schleyer, chairman of the German Employers’ Association, was kidnapped and later murdered on 18th of October 1977 en route to Mulhouse

Also 3 police-officers and the driver are killed during the kidnapping.

On the 22nd of September 1977 in Utrecht, Netherlands;

A shooting outside a bar

Arie Kranenburg (46), Dutch policeman, was shot and killed by RAF Knut Folkerts.

On the 24th of September 1978 in a forest near Dortmund;

The murder of a police officer

Three RAF members (Angelika Speitel, Werner Lotze, Michael Knoll) were engaged in target-practice when they were confronted by police. A shoot-out followed where one police-man (Hans-Wilhelm Hans, was shot dead, and one of the RAF terrorists (Knoll) was wounded so badly that he later died from his injuries.

On the 1st November 1978 in Kerkrade;

Gun-battle with four custom officials

 19 year old Dionysius de Jong was shot to death, and Johannes Goemanns (24) who later died of his wounds, when they were involved in a gun-fight with RAF members (Adelheid Schulz and Rolf Heissler) who were trying to cross the Dutch border illegally.

On the 25th of June 1979 in Mons, Belgium;

Alexander Haig, the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO escapes an assassination attempt

A land mine exploded under the bridge on which Haig’s car was traveling, narrowly missing Haig’s car and wounding three of his bodyguards in a following car. In 1993 a German Court sentenced Rolf Clemens Wagner, a former RAF member, to life imprisonment for the assassination attempt.

On the 7th of August 1981 in Kaiserslautern, Germany;

USA Force Security Police Officer Sgt. John Toffton was attacked in Kaiserslautern by Christian Klar and Brigitte Mohnhaupt and unknown third party. Security Police Officer USAF on his way to work from his residence on Stadion Strasse near Eisenbahn Strasse and Mozart Strasse riding a yellow Ross Grand Tour bicycle when he was attacked. Security Police Officer survived the attack with little injury. Mohnhaupt the driver and Klar fled the scene in a green VW Fast Back with German Plates. Unknown third party swinging a club was injured or killed. A large amount of blood and broken eyeglasses was found at the scene, none of the blood was from the victim.

On the 31st of August 1981 in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany;

A large car-bomb exploded in the HQ USAFE and HQ 4th ATAF parking lot of Ramstein Air Base.

On the 15th of September 1981 in Heidelberg;

An unsuccessful rocket propelled grenade attack against the car carrying the US Army’s West German Commander Frederick J. Kroesen. Known involved RAF members: Brigitte Mohnhaupt, Christian Klar.

On the 2nd of July 1982 in Nuremberg;

A unsuccessful sniper attack against US Army Nuclear Storage Site NATO-23. Four civilians (two adults and two children) were killed the next day in an accidental shooting by American troops who had been placed on high alert after the attack. Known involved RAF members: Christian Klar.

A family of 4 hunting who where mushrooms came through a fence downed by storms the day after the sniper incident and were killed by members of the 3/17th Field Artillery Battalion after being shot at just hours before. The 3/17 FA Battalion were guarding the NATO 2-3 Nuclear storage site at the time. The unit was fired upon several times the night before by Christian Klar. Two US soldiers were slightly wounded and one was killed.

On the 18th of December 1984 in Oberammergau, West Germany;

A unsuccessful attempt to bomb a school for NATO officers. The car bomb was discovered and defused.

A total of ten incidents followed over the next month, against US, British, and French targets.

On the 1st of February 1985 in Gauting;

Shooting took place

Ernst Zimmerman, head of the MTU is shot in the head in his home. Zimmermann died twelve hours later. This assassination was claimed by the Patsy O’Hara Commando.

On the 8th of August 1985 in Rhein-Main Air Base (near Frankfurt);

A Volkswagen Passat exploded in the parking lot across from the base commander’s building.

Two people wherte killed: Airman First Class Frank Scarton and Becky Bristol, a U.S. civilian employee who also was the spouse of a U.S. Air Force enlisted man. A granite monument marks the spot where they died. Twenty people were also injured. Army Spec. Edward Pimental was kidnapped and killed the night before for his military ID card which was used to gain access to the base. The French terrorist organization Action Directe is suspected to have collaborated with the RAF on this attack. Birgit Hogefeld and Eva Haule have been convicted for their involvement in this event.

On the 9th of July 1986 in Straßlach (near Munich);

A shooting

Shooting of Siemens manager Karl Heinz Beckurts and his driver Eckhard Groppler.

On the 10th of October 1986 in Bonn;

The Killing of Gerold von Braunmühl#

Senior diplomat of the German Foreign Office was shot by two people in front of his residence on Buchholzstraße.

On the 30th of November 1989 inBad Homburg vor der Höhe;

The bombing of the car carrying the chairman of Deutsche Bank Alfred Herrhausen

This case remained open for a long time, as the delicate method employed baffled the German prosecutors, as it could not come from guerillas like the RAF. Also, all suspects of the RAF were not charged due to alibis. However, the case received new light in late 2007 by the German authorities that Stasi, the former East German secret police, played a role in the assassination of Herrhausen, as the bombing method was the exactly the same one that had been developed by the Stasi.

On the 13th of February 1991 in Bonn;

A sniper attack on U.S. embassy

Three Red Army Faction members fired automatic rifles from across the Rhine River at the U.S. Embassy Chancery. No one was hurt in this incident.

On the 1st of April 1991 in Düsseldorf;

The Assassination of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder, at his house in Düsseldorf

Detlev Karsten Rohwedder was the chief of the Treuhandanstalt, the agency that privatized the former East German enterprises after the German reunification.

On the 27th of March 1993 in Weiterstadt;

Attacks by RAF with explosives at the construction site of a new prison.

This led to the capture of two RAF members three months later at a train station, and a shoot-out between RAF member Wolfgang Grams and a GSG 9 squad; GSG9 officer Michael Newrzella was killed before Grams allegedly was shot, while Birgit Hogefeld was arrested. Damage 123 million Deutschmarks (over 50 million euros). The attack caused a four-year delay in the completion of the site that had been short before commissioning in 1993.

Sourced from Wikipedia

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