August 2022 is the 50th Anniversary of the completion of the first operational tours of Northern Ireland by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Regiment.

In August 1972, our three Battalions had all completed their first operational tours in Northern Ireland.  This short article, about our Battalion’s first tours is made up of snippets taken from our Regimental History,  Aden to Afghanistan, which is recommended reading, particularly at this 50th anniversary.

1972 was a monumental year in Northern Ireland. In fact, it was to be the worst year of the conflict by all measures: there were more incidents, more deaths and more injuries than in any other year. Following Bloody Sunday, the level of violence escalated alarmingly to some 1,853 bombing and 10,628 shooting incidents during the year. During the year 467 people were killed – 103 Regular Army, 26 UDR, 17 RUC and 223 civilians, 95 Republican terrorists and three Loyalist terrorists.  The total number of troops and security forces in the Province almost doubled from 7,800 in 1971 to 14,300 in 1972.

In July 1970 the 1st Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Roy Jackson took over Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry from the Royal Navy. They arrived into a situation that had deteriorated rapidly into sporadic civil violence at a level beyond which the exhausted police could control.  The civil disorder…Belfast flared up in Feb 71 and Viking Companies were deployed to the Clonard Estate working directly to the 2nd Battalion – a rare event in the Regiment’s history. In July 71 levels of violence escalated in Londonderry keeping the 1st Battalion and reinforcing Battalions very busy. The Sunday Times report of from 21st of November 1971 described the situation.

By the night of the 7th of July 1971, rioting had been going on for four days and the Royal Anglians had been fired on 60 times by their count. It says a good deal for the firm discipline of this Regiment – the Anglians have a reputation for unusual coolness and restraint – that only three shots were fired in reply.

The 2nd Battalion (The Poachers) undertook their first short tour in Northern Ireland from October 1970 to  February 1971, in West Belfast. The Poachers were notably successful on this tour. Under command of Lieutenant Colonel Dick Gerrard-Wright, they encountered a series of serious riots as West Belfast was more violent than Londonderry at this time. These riots escalated during the tour, meaning that the Poachers had to learn how to deal with heavy riots the hard way, by actually doing it. Petrol bombers made their first wide-scale appearance, requiring the development of new tactics in response. This included the use of CS gas, the use of baton guns, flanking manoeuvres and snatch squads.

The 3rd Battalion deployed to central Belfast. Under the effective leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Hall-Tipping, the Pompadours were to experience a very testing time with some seven shootings, an armed robbery, three bomb hoaxes and two riots within their first 48 hours in command. The Pompadours were thrown straight in at the deep end with a violent and difficult time around the Divis Flats area in April. This was to become known as the ‘Battle of the Divis Flats’.  At one point the battalion had some nine companies under command from a range of other units.

Kevin Myers in his book Watching the Door reported:

Rioters took over control of Divis Street, hijacking and burning busses, and erecting barricades. Fresh troops were arriving just as I did. I climbed up the stairs onto one of the balconies, where I beheld a vision from hell: fifteen-year-old boys with submachine guns and semi-automatic rifles…bullets were ricocheting everywhere as these demented children emptied magazine after magazine into everything and anything. 

Fifty years ago in August 1972, as our 3rd Battalion, the Pompadours were completing their first tour, our 2nd Battalion, the Poachers were deploying for their second Operation BANNER Tour, and our Battalions went on to conduct 31 Operation BANNER Tours in all, to which 67 pages are dedicated in our regimental history. Our regiment has an enviable operational record, based in large part on these tours. And at this anniversary we remember the 25 members of the regiment who died on duty on Operation BANNER.

Fifty years ago in August 1972, our 2nd Battalion, the Poachers were deploying for their second Operation BANNER Tour, and our Battalions went on to conduct 31 Operation BANNER Tours in all, including the tour by Tiger Company. 67 pages are dedicated to these tours in our regimental history.  Our regiment has an enviable operational record, based in large part on these tours. And at this anniversary we remember the 25 members of the regiment who died on duty on Operation BANNER.