The arms are thought to have consisted of: The UVF used this new infusion of arms to escalate their campaign of sectarian assassinations. [25], On 27 May, Spence sent four UVF members to kill IRA volunteer Leo Martin, who lived in Belfast. DeSantis won't say he's running. [10] Spence then found employment at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, where he worked as a stager (builder of the scaffolding in which the ships are constructed), a skilled job that commanded respect amongst working class Protestants and ensured for Spence a higher status within the Shankill. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Why Covid lab-leak theory is now being taken seriously, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. [24] On 21 May, the group issued a statement: From this day, we declare war against the Irish Republican Army and its splinter groups. 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. In October 1975, after staging a counter-coup, the Brigade Staff acquired a new leadership of moderates with Tommy West serving as the Chief of Staff. [18] Shortly after, Spence and three others were arrested. (Thesis 2017). "He was an Irishman and looked upon himself as an Ulster Irishman as well as being British. [89][90] A dissident Republican was arrested for "the attempted murder of police officers in east Belfast" after shots were fired upon the police. Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. The biggest of these was the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which killed 34 civilians, making it the deadliest terrorist attack of the conflict. Grob-Fitzgibbon, Benjamin. It was during his time in the Maze prison that Spence began to talk politics and encouraged others to do the same. More militant members of the UVF who disagreed with the ceasefire, broke away to form the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), led by Billy Wright. He will be buried in Bangor after a funeral service on the Shankill Road. [56] The UVF's activities in the last years of the decade were increasingly being curtailed by the number of UVF members who were sent to prison. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Instead his coffin was adorned with the beret and regimental flag of the Royal Ulster Rifles, his former regiment. The weapons were Palestine Liberation Organisation arms captured by the Israelis and sold to Armscor, the South African state-owned company which, in defiance of a 1977 United Nations arms embargo, set about making South Africa self-sufficient in military hardware. That year, a string of tit-for-tat pub bombings began in Belfast. "FIFTH REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT MONITORING COMMISSION", Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs - Part One: The continuing threat from paramilitary organisations, "Inside story: Why the IRA never attacked Scotland", "Revealed: how Scots loyalists sent gelignite to paramilitaries. Is UVFs Beast in the East behind new wave of riots? Find the perfect gusty spence funeral stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. of which I have been speaking. Malcolm Sutton's Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland, part of the Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN), states that the UVF and RHC was responsible for at least 485 killings during the Troubles, and lists a further 256 loyalist killings that have not yet been attributed to a particular group. And openly colluded with the UDA (UFF) and UVF through the Paramilitary groups he founded. She is committed to explaining your options. 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. [2] He rose to the rank of Provost Sergeant (battalion police). '[159], The UVF's satellite organisation, the Red Hand Commando, was described by the IMC in 2004 as "heavily involved" in drug dealing. [24] The murder of Ward was, however, repudiated by Paisley and condemned in his Protestant Telegraph, sealing the split between the two. In 1984, Gusty was released from prison, and became a leading figure in the Progressive Unionist Party and . "He was an Irishman and looked upon himself as an Ulster Irishman as well as being British. [12] Due to his later involvement in a murder, Spence was expelled from the Orange Order and the Royal Black Institution. Mr Spence said last night he was an eternal optimist" where the present situation in the North was concerned. As a PUP representative he took a principal role in delivering the loyalist ceasefires of 1994. [128] Information regarding the role of women in the UVF is limited. [130], Prior to and after the onset of the Troubles the UVF carried out armed robberies. Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said many nationalists would remember Spence as someone "who was central to the sectarianism that gave birth to the modern loyalist paramilitary". The newspaper also reported that the group refused to decommission its weapons. [1] Spence, along with other Shankill Road loyalists, broke from Paisley in 1965 when they sided with Jim Kilfedder in a row that followed the latter's campaigns in Belfast West. Another former PUP leader, Dawn Purvis, said Spence's opinions began to shift sooner than is generally perceived. [151][152] These shipments were considered enough for the UVF/UDA to wage its campaign, most of which were used to kill its victims. Gusty Spence, who has died aged 78, was the . Independentie. Twenty tons of ammonium nitrate was also stolen from the Belfast docks.[40]. [54], Spence died on 25 September 2011, aged 78, in a Belfast hospital;[53] he had been suffering from a long-term illness and was admitted to hospital 12 days prior to his death. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. His father was a Somme veteran who emigrated to Belfast after the war and became a member of the Orange Order. In 2007, he announced that the UVF and an associated group, the Red Hand Commando, would cease to exist in their previous form. [34] Spence was arrested along with around thirty other men at a UVF drinking club in Brennan Street; but after giving a false name, he was released. He had risen through its ranks to become a sergeant in the military police and the regiments flag was draped across his coffin. [2] His brother Bobby, also a UVF member, died in October 1980 inside the Maze, a few months after the death of their brother Billy. Augustus (Gusty) Spence Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Protestant paramilitary organization founded in Northern Ireland in 1966. [54] The UVF was behind the deaths of seven civilians in a series of attacks on 2 October. Spence claimed that he was approached in 1965 by two men, one of whom was an Ulster Unionist Party MP, who told him that the UVF was to be re-established and that he was to have responsibility for the Shankill. [29], On 12 August 1969, the "Battle of the Bogside" began in Derry. He was jailed for life for the murder of a Catholic barman in 1966 and served 18 years in prison. Spence's biographer Roy Garland said he had formed unlikely relationships and challenged conventional loyalist thinking. Bates was born into an Ulster Protestant family and grew up in the Shankill Road area of Belfast.He had a criminal record dating back to 1966, and later became a member of the Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisation, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). This was a large, three-day riot between Irish nationalists and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). [157] It was around this time that Sunday World journalists Martin O'Hagan and Jim Campbell coined the term "rat pack" for the UVF's murderous mid-Ulster unit and, unable to identify Wright by name for legal reasons, they christened him "King Rat." One study focusing in part on female members of the UVF and Red Hand Commando noted that it "seem[ed] to have been reasonably unusual" for women to be officially asked to join the UVF. Also, why did the author not probe the close relationship between Gusty Spence and the RHC? The no-warning car bombings had been carried out by units from the Belfast and Mid-Ulster brigades. Speaking from his home in Belfast last night, Mr Spence said he had become acquainted with Mr Lynch three or four years ago. A piper leads a procession for Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella in La Habra, CA on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. [35], Spence's time on the outside came to an end on 4 November when he was captured by Colonel Derek Wilford of the Parachute Regiment, who identified Spence by tattoos on his hands. The funeral of 78-year-old Gusty Spence, the former leader of the UVF paramilitary organisation, has taken place in Belfast. As a lone piper led his funeral cortege through the area, the streets were lined by mourners. [39], Spence began to move towards a position of using political means to advance one's aims, and he persuaded the UVF leadership to declare a temporary ceasefire in 1973. [45], Released from prison in 1984, Spence soon became a leading member of the UVF-linked Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and a central figure in the Northern Ireland peace process. 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. The UVF's declared goals were to combat Irish republicanism particularly the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and to maintain Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom. Less extreme measures will be taken against anyone sheltering or helping them, but if they persist in giving them aid, then more extreme methods will be adopted. Thirty-three people were killed and almost 300 injured. [citation needed] The feud between the UVF and the LVF erupted again in the summer of 2005. In March and April that year, UVF and UPV members bombed water and electricity installations in Northern Ireland, blaming them on the dormant IRA and elements of the civil rights movement. [21] This occurred despite Spence having been officially expelled from the Orange Order following his conviction. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade. Reverend Chris Hudson, who helped broker contacts between loyalist paramilitaries and the Irish government, said that aspect of the statement was significant. . During the riot, UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle. Donoghue noted the links between Orange Lodges in Scotland and loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland and that membership of the Orange Order in Scotland at the time was 80,000, and was concentrated in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Inverness. The UVF carried out dozens of sectarian murderers and it was while he was serving a sentence in Long Kesh prison for his role in the murder of a Catholic that Mr Spence began to change his views about the use of violence. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. [11] Whenever it claimed responsibility for its attacks, the UVF usually claimed that those targeted were IRA members or were giving help to the IRA. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade. The new Brigade Staff's aim was to carry out attacks against known republicans rather than Catholic civilians. 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." Another loyalist paramilitary organisation called Ulster Resistance was formed on 10 November 1986. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [2] He ran his part of the Maze along military lines, drilling inmates and training them in weapons use while also expecting a maintenance of discipline. Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Gusty Spence, who died over the weekend, was a paramilitary godfather in Northern Ireland and one of the founding figures of the UVF, but was also among the first to recognise the need for peace. [153], The UVF have been implicated in drug dealing in areas from where they draw their support. [54] This was endorsed by Gusty Spence, who issued a statement asking all UVF volunteers to support the new regime. [84] The Independent Monitoring Commission stated Moffett was killed by UVF members acting with the sanction of the leadership. [151][152] Between 1979 to 1986, Canadian supporters supplied the UVF/UDA with 100 machine guns and thousands of rifles, grenade launchers, magnum revolvers, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition. Spence's biographer Roy Garland said he had formed unlikely relationships and challenged conventional loyalist thinking. [17], He was entrusted by the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) to read out their 13 October 1994 statement that announced the loyalist ceasefire. Gusty Spence announced the loyalist paramilitary ceasefires in 1994, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Unable to find their target, the men drove around in search of any Catholic instead. [29] Unionist support for O'Neill waned, and on 28 April he resigned as Prime Minister. 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. [66] The UVF also killed senior IRA paramilitary members Liam Ryan, John 'Skipper' Burns and Larry Marley. Read about our approach to external linking. Leader of the, 414 (~85%) were civilians, 11 of whom were civilian political activists, 21 (~4%) were members or former members of republican paramilitary groups, 44 (~9%) were members or former members of loyalist paramilitary groups, 6 (~1%) were members of the British security forces. Nicholas Vella, a 14-year veteran of the Huntington Beach Police . [2] In 1978, Spence left the UVF altogether. During this time he restructured the organisation into brigades, battalions, companies, platoons and sections. Afterwards a plot was concocted where his nephew Frankie Curry, also a UVF member, would drive Spence back to jail but the car would be stopped and Spence "kidnapped". Mharaigh na Bistir thart ar 23 Caitliceach agus 8 Protastnach, dream dlseoir sceapatacha a d'fhuadaigh, a chiapaigh agus . . [89] The UVF leader in East Belfast, who is popularly known as the "Beast of the East" and "Ugly Doris" also known as by real name Stephen Matthews, ordered the attack on Catholic homes and a church in the Catholic enclave of the Short Strand. The community centre hosting the event and 25 nearby homes were evacuated and a funeral was disrupted. A number of friends and family members spoke at the service at St Michael's Church of Ireland on the Shankill Road. [49], On 3 May 2007, Spence read out the statement by the UVF announcing that it would keep its weapons but put them beyond the reach of ordinary members. [18][19] Some members have also been found responsible for orchestrating a series of racist attacks. In the 1960s, he founded the modern Ulster Volunteer Force, an organisation which was responsible for hundreds of sectarian murders during the Troubles. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. With a few exceptions, such as Mid-Ulster brigadier Billy Hanna (a native of Lurgan), the Brigade Staff members have been from the Shankill Road or the neighbouring Woodvale area to the west. [5] The family home was 66 Joseph Street in an area of the lower Shankill known colloquially as "the Hammer". Mr Lynch died following a brief illness. All were widely blamed on the IRA, and British soldiers were sent to guard installations. The crowds included a leader of the loyalist Ulster Defence Association Jackie McDonald. She said: "Some people have said that in his later life, he changed to become committed to peace. The Irish parliament's Joint Committee on Justice called the bombings an act of "international terrorism" involving the British security forces. 28 September 2011 Gusty Spence announced the loyalist paramilitary ceasefires in 1994 Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of the former loyalist leader Gusty Spence. He later became involved in politics and announced the landmark loyalist paramilitary ceasefires in 1994. [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. Scores of houses and businesses were burnt out, most of them owned by Catholics. Spence now argued that UVF members were soldiers and soldiers should not kill civilians, as had been the case at McGurk's Bar. [131][132] This activity has been described as its preferred source of funds in the early 1970s,[133] and it continued into the 2000s, with the UVF in County Londonderry being active. [129] Another estimates that over a 30-year period women accounted for, at most, just 2% of UVF membership. It was the UVF's deadliest attack in Northern Ireland, and the deadliest attack in Belfast during the Troubles. [155], Billy Wright, the commander of the UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade, is believed to have started dealing drugs in 1991[156] as a lucrative sideline to paramilitary murder. ", "Ulster Volunteer Force is no longer on ceasefire, police warn", "Gary Haggarty: Ex-senior loyalist pleads guilty to 200 terror charges", "Police seize drugs and arrest 11 during raids on east Belfast UVF", "Nine men charged after east Belfast UVF police raids", "Brexit: loyalist paramilitary groups renounce Good Friday agreement", "NI riots: What is behind the violence in Northern Ireland? [21] The shootings led to Spence's being sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum sentence of twenty years. [38] This came to a climax on 4 December, when the UVF bombed McGurk's Bar, a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast. Read about our approach to external linking. [9] He was also associated loosely with prominent loyalists such as Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal and was advised by both men in 1959 when he launched a protest against Gerry Fitt at Belfast City Hall after Fitt had described Spence's regiment as "murderers" over allegations that they had killed civilians in Cyprus. "He was really a role model for many young men who would follow.". [9] According to the book Lost Lives (2006 edition), it was responsible for 569 killings. [71], On 14 September 2005, following serious loyalist rioting during which dozens of shots were fired at riot police and the British Army the Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain announced that the British government no longer recognised the UVF ceasefire. [36], Spence soon became the UVF commander within the Maze Prison. The UVF launched further attacks in the Republic of Ireland during December 1972 and January 1973, when it detonated three car bombs in Dublin and one in Belturbet, County Cavan, killing a total of five civilians. "While the talks may be slow, they are the only glint on the horizon, he said. What's he waiting for? The family of the former UVF leader Gusty Spence is planning a funeral with the emphasis on his British army past rather than his time in the paramilitary group. Read about our approach to external linking. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos Sinn Fin's Gerry Kelly claimed that while Spence had been central to the development of loyalist paramilitarism, "he will also be remembered as a major influence in drawing loyalism away from sectarian strife". Fifteen Catholic civilians were killed and seventeen wounded. A former leader of the UVF's political wing, the Progressive Unionist Party, described him as "one of the pivots on which a page of Irish history turned". "[23] It was led by Gusty Spence, formerly a soldier in the British Army. So when her husband had first made contact with Mr Spence "it was like talking to someone we had always known". The chip shop has since been closed down. [121][122] The UVF did not return to regular bombings until the early 1990s when it obtained a quantity of the mining explosive Powergel. [9] Spence served until 1961 when ill-health forced him to leave. In Belfast, loyalists responded by attacking nationalist districts. The Shankill loyalists supported Kilfedder and following his election as MP sent a letter to Paisley accusing him of treachery during the entire affair. [29] The loyalists "intended to force a crisis which would so undermine confidence in O'Neill's ability to maintain law and order that he would be obliged to resign". The party's former leader Dawn Purvis told his funeral in the loyalist heartland of Belfasts Shankill Road that Mr Spence became involved in violence in the 1960s. House of Commons: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Cusack & McDonald, p.3435, 105, 199, 205, The Lost Lives, David McKittrick, Page 1475, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 06:47, Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions, protests throughout Northern Ireland, some of which became violent, Provisional IRA campaign 1969-1997 Loyalists and the IRA killing and reprisals, Republic of Ireland national football team, Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, "Report drawn up on behalf of the Political Affairs Committee on the situation in Northern Ireland", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfGe4WO8yok, "Sutton Index of Deaths: Organisation responsible for the death", "Sutton Index of Deaths: Crosstabulations", "Inside the UVF: Money, murders and mayhem - the loyalist gang's secrets unveiled", "UVF mural on Shankill Road being investigated by police", "UVF 'behind racist attacks in south and east Belfast'", Chronology of Key Events in Irish History, 1800 to 1967, "Irish tighten security after Dublin bombing", "Call for probe of British link to 1974 bombs", "Collusion in the South Armagh / Mid Ulster Area in the mid-1970's". 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