The Troubles: British army and UDR personnel 1969-2007| ��ƽ��

Total number of servicemembers of the British Army and Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) serving in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007

Characteristic	British regiments	UDR/RIR	Total
2007 (Jul)	-	-	5,000
2005 (Jul)	-	-	10,083
2004	-	-	12,658
2003	-	-	13,311
2002	-	-	13,681
2001	-	-	13,000
2000 (Jun)	-	-	13,500
1999	11,150	4,350	-
1998	10,500	5,000	-
1994 (Jul)	-	5,241	-
1993*	-	5,412	-
1992	12,000	5,417	-
1991*	-	6,276	-
1990*	-	6,043	-
1989	11,200	6,230	-
1988	11,200	6,393	-
1987	11,400	6,531	-
1986	10,500	6,408	-
1985	9,700	6,494	-
1984	10,000	6,468	-
1983	10,200	6,925	-
1982	10,900	7,111	-
1981	11,600	7,500	-
1980	11,900	7,400	-
1979	13,600	7,600	-
1978	14,400	7,800	-
1977	14,300	7,600	-
1976	15,100	7,700	-
1975	15,000	7,700	-
1974	16,200	7,700	-
1973	16,900	9,100	-
1972 (Jul)	21,800	8,500	-
1972	14,300	8,500	-
1971	7,800	4,000	-
1970	6,300	1,800	-
1969 (Jun)	2,700	-	-

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Release date

July 2023

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Region

Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

Survey time period

1969 to 2007

Supplementary notes

Figures are for January unless otherwise stated. Figures for 1995-1997 are missing.

*British Army figures for 1990, 1991, and 1993 are unavailable.

The UDR merged with the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment on July 1, 1992.

Release date refers to date of most recent access.

Citation formats

British Army troops were sent to Northern Ireland in 1969 in order to de-escalate tensions between the dominant Protestant and minority Catholic communities during the civil rights movement. Operation Banner, as it came to be known, then lasted until 2007, making it the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The army was initially welcomed by Catholic communities, who felt they would offer protection from what they viewed as a corrupt and sectarian police service, however this quickly changed after a series of interactions between the army and Catholic community turned violent. The army would then become the primary target of republican (predominantly Catholic) paramilitaries throughout the Troubles, and around 750 of those killed in the conflict were from the British Armed Forces (including the UDR).

The Ulster Defence Regiment

The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was also established in 1970 in an attempt to relieve the police (the RUC) of any militaristic duties, and to replace the Ulster Special Constabulary (also known as the B Specials), who were not trusted by the wider Catholic community. During the Troubles, regular army forces were mostly made up of soldiers from mainland Britain, while the UDR drew from the local population - originally intended to represent local demographics in terms of religious representation, the UDR was almost entirely made up of Protestants within a few years.