HQ Northern Ireland
Active1922–2009
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeCommand
Garrison/HQThiepval Barracks, Lisburn

HQ Northern Ireland was the formation responsible for the British Army in and around Northern Ireland. It was established in 1922 and disbanded, replaced by a brigade-level Army Reserve formation, 38 (Irish) Brigade, in 2009.

History

Ireland was partitioned in mid-1921. On 7 December 1922, the day after the establishment of the Irish Free State, the Parliament of Northern Ireland resolved to address King George V to opt out of the Irish Free State.[1]

The same year (1922), the first General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland District was appointed, Major General Sir Archibald Cameron.[2] His headquarters was established at Victoria Barracks, Belfast;[3] he served until 1925.[4]

During the Second World War the role of the District was enhanced from internal security to that of combatting any threat of invasion from the Republic of Ireland.[3] In June 1940, VI Corps was formed to control the British forces based in Northern Ireland. The following month, it was transformed into HQ British Troops in Ireland (BTI, later renamed HQ British Troops in Northern Ireland or BTNI). Northern Ireland District was made responsible for local defence, and under certain conditions would control at least one division based there. However, BTNI became responsible for the overall defence of the territory and if needed would control forces assigned to Plan W, to counter a German invasion of the Republic of Ireland. The British Army's presence reached a peak of four divisions and generally maintained this strength (through the use of American troops after 1942) for most of the war.[5] BTNI was disbanded at the end of the war, leaving Northern Ireland District as the sole command. The status district was upgraded to Command, under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Sir John Hackett, in 1961.[6]

With the emergence of the Troubles, which started in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s, the role of HQ Northern Ireland increased substantially as it took responsibility for "assisting in the defeat of terrorism and the maintenance of public order"[7] and by 1972 it had 27,000 troops under its command.[8]

On 31 July 1972, Operation Motorman was launched, the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence.[9] It aimed to eradicate the 'no-go zones' that had built up in several areas across Northern Ireland. In the days before 31 July, about 4,000 extra troops were brought into Northern Ireland.[9] Almost 22,000 soldiers were involved,[9] including 27 infantry and two armoured battalions, aided by 5,300 soldiers from the local Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).[10] Several Centurion AVRE demolition vehicles, derived from the Centurion tank and fitted with bulldozer blades, were used. They were the only heavy armoured vehicles to be deployed operationally by the British Army in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The tanks had been transported to Northern Ireland on board the amphibious landing ship HMS Fearless, and were operated with their turrets traversed to the rear and main guns covered by tarpaulins.[11]

On 30 January 2006 the Secretary of State for Defence announced to the House of Commons that 19 Light Brigade, then stationed at Catterick, would be re-roling into a light brigade and relocating to Scotland and Northern Ireland.[12] On 10 May 2006 it was further announced that "in addition to the HQ and other units of 19 Light Brigade that we expect to relocate to Northern Ireland in 2007 and 2008, a new and non-deployable regional brigade headquarters will form at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn. The current 107 (Ulster) Brigade, based at Ballymena, will merge on 15 December this year into HQ 39 Infantry Brigade, which will itself be replaced by the new regional brigade headquarters, 38th (Irish) Brigade under the command of the 2nd Division, on 1 August 2007".[12]

On 6 August 2007 HQ Northern Ireland and 38 (Irish) Brigade combined to create a single transitional headquarters with a two star General Officer Commanding. At the same time the British military presence in the Province was reduced to about 5,000 troops.[8]

On 1 January 2009 the name of the formation changed to 38 (Irish) Brigade and HQ Northern Ireland was dissolved[13] with residual regional functions being migrated to HQ 2 Division in Edinburgh.[14]

Other services had a smaller 'footprint' in the province during the Troubles. The RAF's presence in Northern Ireland was based at RAF Aldergrove, and 230 Squadron was based there for many years, among other units. The Royal Navy no longer maintain a regular presence in Northern Ireland waters with the disbandment of the Northern Ireland Squadron. The Royal Navy's main presence is HMS Hibernia, which serves as the HQ of the Royal Naval Reserve's Ulster Division.[15]

Orders of battle

Northern Ireland District Organization in 1939

Before the start of the Second World War, the British Army in Northern Ireland was known as "Northern Ireland District". It controlled many units including:[16][17]

HQ Northern Ireland formations, December 1989

Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, command headquarters

In December 1989 the following units were based in Northern Ireland under command of HQ Northern Ireland:[18]

General Officers Commanding Northern Ireland

General Officers Commanding have included:[19][20][21]
Northern Ireland District

Northern Ireland Command

Citations

  1. ↑ "Northern Ireland Parliamentary Report, 7 December 1922". Stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  2. ↑ Archives catalogue for Sir Archibald Rice Cameron Collection, The Black Watch Castle & Museum, Perth, Scotland.
  3. 1 2 "Northern Ireland District". British Military History. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Cameron, Sir Archibald Rice". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Blake 1956, pp. 158–159.
  6. ↑ "Hackett, Gen Sir John Winthrop". Liddell Hart Military Archives. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "The mission". HQ Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 16 August 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Security forces in the Troubles". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "A Chronology of the Conflict: 1972". CAIN. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  10. ↑ An Analysis of Military Operations in Northern Ireland, prepared under the direction of the Chief of the General Staff. Retrieved 2 September 2007. Archived at Internet Archive.
  11. ↑ Osprey Publishing: Centurion Universal Tank 1943–2003 ISBN 1-84176-387-X
  12. 1 2 Written Ministerial Statements for 10 May 2006
  13. ↑ Heyman, Charles (2011). The British Army: A Pocket Guide, 2012-2013. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1848841079.
  14. ↑ 38 Bde/HQ NI website accessed January 2008
  15. ↑ Battle of Jutland veteran HMS Caroline to stay in Belfast Belfast Telegraph, 1 December 2009
  16. ↑ "British Northern Ireland District on 3 September 1939 :: The Patriot Files :: Dedicated to the preservation of military history". www.patriotfiles.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  17. ↑ Niehorster, Dr Leo. "Northern Ireland District, British Army, 03.09.1939". niehorster.org. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  18. ↑ "NATO Order of Battle". Andy Johnson. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Whitaker's Almanacks 1922 – 2010
  20. ↑ Northern Ireland Command at Regiments.org
  21. ↑ "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.

References

  • Blake, John William (1956). Northern Ireland in the Second World War. Belfast: H.M. Stationery Office. OCLC 252242666.

54°31′27″N 06°3′6″W / 54.52417°N 6.05167°W / 54.52417; -6.05167

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