This move comes as the organisation holds high level discussions about their future. '[156], The UVF's satellite organisation, the Red Hand Commando, was described by the IMC in 2004 as "heavily involved" in drug dealing. This is a timeline of actions by the Ulster Volunteer Force ( UVF ), an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group since 1966. The report added that individuals, some current and some former members, in the group have, without the orders from above, continued to "localised recruitment", and although some continued to try and acquire weapons, including a senior member, most forms of crime had fallen, including shootings and assaults. This was a general strike in protest against the Sunningdale Agreement, which meant sharing political power with Irish nationalists and the Republic having more involvement in Northern Ireland. They shot John Scullion, a Catholic civilian, as he walked home. Known IRA men will be executed mercilessly and without hesitation. [22] 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". In response to events in Derry, nationalists held protests throughout Northern Ireland, some of which became violent. Two of those later convicted (James McDowell and Thomas Crozier) were also serving members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), a part-time, locally recruited regiment of the British Army. Colin Wallace, part of the intelligence apparatus of the British Army, asserted in an internal memo in 1975 that MI6 and RUC Special Branch formed a pseudo-gang within the UVF, designed to engage in violence and to subvert the tentative moves of some in the UVF towards the political process. [39], The following year, 1972, was the most violent of the Troubles. Loyalist former paramilitary and politician, Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary leader, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group formed in 1966, Loyalists imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict, People killed by the Ulster Defence Association, People killed by the Loyalist Volunteer Force, People killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, Ulster loyalists imprisoned on charges of terrorism, Ulster loyalists imprisoned under Prevention of Terrorism Acts, Deaths by improvised explosive device in Northern Ireland, People killed by security forces during The Troubles (Northern Ireland), Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Northern Ireland, People killed by the Irish National Liberation Army. [140], In contrast to the IRA, overseas support for loyalist paramilitaries including the UVF has been limited. [83] On 30 May 2010, however, the UVF was believed to have carried out the shotgun killing of RHC member Bobby Moffett on the Shankill Road in broad daylight. The UVF agreed to a ceasefire in October 1994. [32][33] There were further attacks in the Republic between October and December 1969. The Ulster Volunteer Force emerged during the first sparks of Northern Ireland's Troubles in the mid-1960s. The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade was founded in 1972 in Lurgan by Billy Hanna, a captain in the UDR and a member of the Brigade Staff, who served as the brigade's commander until his shooting death in July 1975. This was in retaliation for attacks on Loyalist homes the previous weekend and after a young girl was hit in the face with a brick by Republicans. Nelson, Sarah. The report added that individuals, some current and some former members, in the group have, without the orders from above, continued to "localised recruitment", and although some continued to try and acquire weapons, including a senior member, most forms of crime had fallen, including shootings and assaults. On 17 February 1979, the UVF carried out its only major attack in Scotland, when its members bombed two pubs in Glasgow frequented by Irish-Scots Catholics. CAIN also states that Republicans killed 13 UVF members. [23] "Ulster's Uncertain Defenders: Protestant Political Paramilitary and Community Groups and the Northern Ireland Conflict". It began carrying out gun attacks to kill random Catholic civilians and using car bombs to attack Catholic-owned pubs. The UVF was also clashing with the UDA in the summer of 2000. [159], There were also 66 UVF/RHC members and four former members killed in the conflict.[161]. [128], The UVF have been implicated in drug dealing in areas from where they draw their support. We are heavily armed Protestants dedicated to this cause. This gang was led by Lenny Murphy. Menu In January 2000 UVF Mid-Ulster brigadier Richard Jameson was shot dead by a LVF gunman which led to an escalation of the UVF/LVF feud. [66] The UVF also killed senior IRA paramilitary members Liam Ryan, John 'Skipper' Burns and Larry Marley. More militant members of the UVF, led by Billy Wright who disagreed with the ceasefire, broke away to form the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). She died of her injuries on 27 June. Others joined Irish Regiments of the UK's 10th and 16th Irish Division. It was the deadliest attack of the Troubles. [22] The shootings led to Spence being arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum sentence of twenty years. [84] Eleven months later, a man was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of the UVF's alleged second-in-command Harry Stockman, described by the Belfast Telegraph as a "senior Loyalist figure". Job Details. Leader of the, Brendan O'Brien, The Long War the IRA and Sinn Fin. Six of the victims were abducted at random, then beaten and tortured before having their throats slashed. My Blog jackie mahood uvf members list Jim Hanna (1973 - April 1974) . 23/06/2020: Antrim's Ken Wilkinson, at home. "[23] It was led by Gusty Spence, formerly a soldier in the British Army. This era also saw a more widespread targeting on the UVF's part of IRA and Sinn Fin members, beginning with the killing of senior IRA member Larry Marley[62] and a failed attempt on the life of a leading republican which left three Catholic civilians dead. Mark Davenport from the BBC has stated that he spoke to a drug dealer who told him that he paid Billy Wright protection money. When the Assets Recovery Agency won a High Court order to seize luxury homes belonging to ex-policeman Colin Robert Armstrong and his partner Geraldine Mallon in 2005, Alan McQuillan said "We have further alleged Armstrong has had links with the UVF and then the LVF following the split between those organisations." Two members of the group survived the attack and later testified against those responsible. It was alleged that Colin Armstrong had links to both drugs and loyalist terrorists. During the riot, UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle. It set up a paramilitary-style wing called the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). In 1971, these ramped up their activity against the British Army and RUC. It used sub machine-guns, assault rifles, pistols, grenades (including homemade grenades), incendiary bombs, booby trap bombs and car bombs. According to the University of Ulster's Sutton database,[133] the UVF and RHC was responsible for 481 killings during "the Troubles", between 1969 and 2001. [79], In 2008, a loyalist splinter group calling itself the "Real UVF" emerged briefly to make threats against Sinn Fin in Co. [citation needed] The feud between the UVF and the LVF erupted again in the summer of 2005. The Special Constabulary was divided into three groups: A-Specials, who were full-time . The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade carried out further attacks during this same period. [44], The brigade formed part of the Glenanne gang, a loose alliance of loyalist assassins which the Pat Finucane Centre has linked to 87 killings in the 1970s. [74], On 3 May 2007, following recent negotiations between the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde, the UVF made a statement that they would transform to a "non-military, civilianised" organisation. "The untouchable informers facing exposure at last". http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/alpha/K.html, "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths crosstabulations", http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/crosstabs.html, "UVF disbands unit linked to taxi murder", http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4393664.stm, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4243652.stm, http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1708038,00.html, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5306670.stm, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6618365.stm, http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0503/uvf.html, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6618177.stm, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6618371.stm, Law and order Belfast-style as two men are forced on a 'walk of shame', http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/Twentieth%20Report.pdf, 'Report of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning', "Police say UVF gunman seen in Rathcoole during trouble", http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11636056, http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/UVF-linked-to-brutal-killing.6328552.jp. In 1990 the UVF joined the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) and indicated its acceptance of moves towards peace. [105] Members were disciplined after they carried out an unsanctioned theft of 8 million of paintings from an estate in Co Wicklow in April 1974. [58][59][105] Graham has held the position since he assumed office in 1976. By the mid-1980s, a Loyalist paramilitary-style organisation called Ulster Resistance was formed on 10 November 1986 by Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Peter Robinson of the DUP, and Ivan Foster. [8] Most of its victims were Irish Catholic civilians, who were often chosen at random. [70], There followed years of violence between the two organisations. After the Troubles began, an Orange-Canadian loyalist organization known as the Canadian Ulster Loyalist Association (CULA) sprang to life to provide the 'besieged' Protestants with the resources to arm themselves. [130], The UVF's satellite organisation, the Red Hand Commando, was described by the IMC in 2004 as "heavily involved" in drug dealing.[105]. adding water to reduce alcohol in wine. [57] In 1976, Tommy West was replaced with "Mr. F" who is alleged to be John "Bunter" Graham, who remains the incumbent Chief of Staff to date. [53] These men had overthrown the "hawkish" officers, who had called for a "big push", which meant an increase in violent attacks, earlier in the same month. [20][21], Since 1964, there had been a growing civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland. [citation needed] The arms were divided between the UVF, the UDA (the largest loyalist group) and Ulster Resistance.[61]. Captain Robert Nairac of 14 Intelligence Company was alleged to have been involved in many acts of UVF violence. [54] The number of killings in Northern Ireland had decreased from around 300 per year between 1973 and 1976 to just under 100 in the years 19771981. 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