Tag: Northern Ireland

Undercover Soldiers in Nortthern Ireland during Operation Banner.

(Text and photograph from Facebook account: British & Commonwealth Forces Past, Present and Future – I have no connection with this account.)

Operation Banner (Northern Ireland) 1969- 2007

Force Research Unit operators pose for photograph.

“The Force Research Unit (FRU) was a covert military intelligence unit of the British Army’s Intelligence Corps. It was established in 1980 during the Troubles (Operation Banner) to obtain intelligence from terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland by recruiting and running agents and informants.

From 1987 to 1991 the FRU was commanded by Major {name deleted} of the Intelligence Corps and was renamed the Joint Support Group in the early 2000’s.

FRU worked alongside existing intelligence agencies including the Special Branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and MI5 (Security Service) and in 1988 the All Source Intelligence Cell was formed to improve the sharing of intelligence between the FRU, Special Branch and MI5.

The author claims FRU was granted special privileges in the course of their work, such as the power to overrule senior officers in ordering an area to be cleared of regular security force patrols or by requesting immediate helicopter cover.

The FRU also had the power to designate specific properties as “off limits” to RUC searches in order to protect agents or the intelligence documents the agents were in control of.” 

CAVEAT – the above is from an unknown Facebook and Youtube contributor.

Corporal Paul Edward Harman Intelligence Corps in Northern Ireland (Operation Banner)

Corporal Paul Edward Harman was killed during operation Banner (Northern Ireland) on 14 December 1977.

Paul was alone whilst driving an unmarked civilian vehicle along the Monagh Road in the Turf Lodge area, when he was stopped by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. As he attempted to escape, he was shot dead by the terrorists.

Paul, the son of a diplomat, was born in Ankara, Turkey on 15 April 1950. He originally joined the 16th/5th Lancers (regimental number: 24302090) and served in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion of the island. He transferred to the Intelligence Corps on 15 May 1975 (photograph of Squad 57 attached), and having been selected for special duties he was posted to Northern Ireland and was 27 years old on the day he died.

He was the only member the Corps to be killed in action during operations in Northern Ireland (Operation BANNER). In his memory, the trophy awarded to the winning team at the Corps’ annual football tournament was renamed the Harman Trophy.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

(Image: Paul on Exercise SNOW QUEEN 1975.)

Above text and images from the Intelligence Corps.

Operation Banner: A day of infamy.

Operation Banner (Northern Ireland). On 19 March 1988 Corporal Derek Wood, aged 24, and Corporal David Howes, aged 23, both serving with the Royal Signals, were wearing civilian clothes and driving a silver Volkswagen Passat with civilian number plates after completing repairs of signal equipment at a military base and were returning to their barracks. After taking a wrong turning they came across a large IRA funeral procession and attempted to reverse in the opposite direction, but their escape route was quickly blocked by a taxi and a car. Their vehicle was then attacked by a crazed mob, Derek Wood fired a round from his Browning HP pistol in an attempt to scatter the mob, but both were quickly overpowered and dragged from their car. Wood and   Howes were taken to a sports ground where they were stripped and beaten before being taken to waste ground and shot.  Two men were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder but released in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement. Certa Cito. RIP!

Operation Banner (Northern Ireland). On 31 January 1984 RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) officers Thomas Bingham and William Savage were among the 319 officers killed by terrorists (9,000 injured) during the ‘Troubles’.

From the BBC Archives.

Thomas John Bingham aged 29 and William Richie Savage from East Belfast were travelling in an unmarked police car on Newry Road when they were killed by a 1000 lb bombed detonated 600 yard away.

Agents of Influence: Britain’s Secret Intelligence War Against the IRA

Another very informative read from my good friend Aaron Edwards who also wrote ‘UVF: Under the Mask’.

Agents of Influence: Britain’s Secret Intelligence War Against the IRA – the explosive new book by Aaron Edwards