List of attacks on the Ulster Defence Regiment

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This page is a record of notable attacks by paramilitary organisations on Ulster Defence Regiment personnel during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities, or notable firsts:

1971

9 August - a patrol from 6 UDR's Strabane company comes under fire from the Provisional IRA using a Thompson sub-machine gun at a checkpoint near Clady Bridge border crossing, County Tyrone. Private Winston Donnell is killed instantly. He is the first UDR soldier to be killed in action.^[1]
8 December - the first Catholic UDR soldier to die, Private Sean Russell, is shot dead in his home in New Barnsley, Belfast by the IRA.^[2]

1972

4 March - Captain Marcus McCausland, formerly of D Coy 5 UDR is abducted and killed by the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA). He was the first UDR officer to be killed.^[3]
21 September - a member of C Coy, 4 UDR and his wife are shot dead by the Provisional IRA as they watched TV at home near Derrylin.^[4]

1974

10 April - Major George Saunderson (Brevet Lt Col), until the previous year second-in-command of 4 UDR, is killed in the kitchen of the school in Derrylin where he worked by gunmen who then crashed through a Garda checkpoint to escape into the Republic of Ireland.
2 May - attack at the Deanery base of C Coy, 6 UDR in Clogher. Opening fire using mortars then continuing with small arms and rockets, the estimated 40-man IRA team ^[5] mounted a sustained attack lasting for 20 minutes against the small contingent in the base who reply with rifle fire. During the attack, Private Eva Martin is hit by a rocket fragment. She is the first woman UDR soldier to be killed. Sean O'Callaghan was later convicted of her murder after confessing.^[5]
28 October - a bomb attack at the joint 3 UDR and regular army barracks at Ballykinlar destroys the Sandes soldiers canteen on the base, killing two members of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment.

1991

A mobile patrol from the 2nd Battalion was the subject of the first recorded use of the Mk12 horizontal mortar ^[6] on 1 March 1991.^[7] Two soldiers were killed as a result of the attack. The funeral of one of them, Private Paul Sutcliffe, an Englishman, was held in Barrowford, Lancashire - the only UDR funeral to be held outside Northern Ireland.^[7] The second casualty, Private Roger Love, from Portadown died after three days. His kidneys were donated to the NHS.^[7]
At 11:30 PM on the 31 May 1991 a truck loaded with 2,000 lb (1,100 kg) of a new type of home made explosive was rolled (driverless) down a hill at the rear of the barracks and crashed through the perimeter fence, coming to rest against a corner of the main building.^[8]^[9] The blast left a deep crater^[8] and it could be heard over 30 miles away, as far as Dundalk.^[9] Three UDR soldiers – Paul Blakely (30), Robert Crozier (46), Sydney Hamilton (44) – were killed and ten were wounded.^[9] Four civilians were also wounded.^[9] The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility two days later.^[9]

Sources

A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0-85052-819-4
The Ulster Defence Regiment - An Instrument of Peace?, Chris Ryder, Methuen 1991, ISBN 0-413-64800-1

References

↑ Sutton Index 1971
↑ A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0-85052-819-4 (1971)
↑ Sutton Index of Deaths - 1972
↑ A Testimony to Courage - the Regimental History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969 - 1992, Major John Furniss Potter, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2001, ISBN 0-85052-819-4 (1972)
1 2 http://www.royal-irish.com/events/first-female-soldier-udr-pte-eva-martin-killed-ira-clogher
↑ McKittrick p565
1 2 3 Potter p350
1 2 Oppenheimer, A.R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and the Bullets. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1.
1 2 3 4 5 Whitney, Craig. "I.R.A. Says It Planted Truck Bomb That Killed 3". The New York Times, 2 June 1991.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Attacks

Insurgency, 1969–1977	Battle of St Matthew's Scottish soldiers' killings Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall St bombing Battle at Springmartin Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Coleraine bombings M62 coach bombing Guildford pub bombings British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings Bayardo Bar attack Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre

Long War, 1977–1988	Jonesboro Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Warrenpoint ambush Dunmurry train explosion Lough Foyle attacks Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Brighton hotel bombing Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack

Peace Process, 1988–1998	Corporals killings Lisburn van bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Deal barracks bombing Derryard attack Derrygorry Gazelle downing RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing St mortar attack Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Teebane bombing Cloghoge attack 1992 Manchester bombing South Armagh sniper campaign Warrington bomb attacks Cullaville occupation Bishopsgate bombing Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack July 1997 riots

Chiefs of Staff

Seán Mac Stíofáin (1969–72)
Joe Cahill (1972–73)
Seamus Twomey (1973)
Éamonn O'Doherty (1973–74)
Seamus Twomey (1974–77)
Gerry Adams (1977–78)
Martin McGuinness (1978–82)
Ivor Bell (1982–83)
Kevin McKenna (1983–97)
Thomas "Slab" Murphy (1997–2005)

Personalities
(Volunteers)

Associates

Derivatives

Prominent killings

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