4th (County Fermanagh) Battalion,Ulster Defence Regiment (4 UDR) was formed in 1970 as part of the seven originalbattalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which receivedRoyal Assent on 18 December 1969[1] and was brought into force on 1 January 1970.[2][3] It was amalgamated with the6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1992 to form the4th/6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.
Along with the other six original battalions, 4 UDR commenced operational duties on 1 April 1970.
The first training Major (TISO) was Major KW Battison of theRoyal Welsh Fusiliers.[4] Part of his job was to find accommodation for the various companies of the new battalion and, where possible, accommodation was sought in army bases. While the oldUlster Special Constabulary platoon huts were vacant and available, to have used those would have highlighted the continuity in personnel between the B Specials and the UDR. This reached 87% in the 4th Battalion, the highest of all UDR battalions.[4]
The battalion was initially based in the ladies' restroom of theTerritorial Army centre inEnniskillen but was moved to Grosvenor Barracks, Coleshill, Enniskillen, where a new "hardened" barracks was eventually built, partially underground, to withstand mortar attack. The modified barracks was opened byGerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster[5] (who had long-standing family and military connections with the area) in 1991.
Most patrols from Grosvenor Barracks went out byhelicopter or boat. Because of the danger of ambush, vehicles were only used in the urban area around Enniskillen.County Fermanagh is surrounded on three sides by theRepublic of Ireland. Boat patrols were common as the county containsLough Erne.[6]
See: Ulster Defence RegimentUniform, armament & equipment
Protestant and Catholic soldiers were both intimidated out of the regiment.[7] Following the introduction ofinternment however more Catholic soldiers found themselves the subject of intimidation from within their own community.[7] InEnniskillen one member of theconrate guard was Catholic. Some of his neighbours came to his home in the early hours of the morning and beat him as well as scrubbing his face with a hard brush. He was a frail man but was beaten black and blue and his face badly damaged by the brush. He resigned from the battalion the next day.[8]
