RUC Spearhead: The Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve Force 1950-70 Book

The RUC Reserve Force provided a highly trained mobile reserve, organised on a military platoon basis and often equipped with military equipment and vehicles they were intended to be the RUC's spearhead against any threat of IRA violence.Described by the IRA Council as "1,500 specially trained commandos" equipped with "armoured vehicles liberally supplied by the British Government, heavily fortified strong-points and the most modern war-equipment" at their peak they only numbered a total of 516 all ranks. Providing a valuable extension to the RUC resources, most of their duty was of a preventative nature, patrols, road checks and ambushes on likely targets, but their experience in searching open ground and finding arms caches and personnel dug-outs was some of the more successful aspects of their work. They were one of the casualties of the reforms in the Hunt Report. Drawing on personal reminiscences, records in the Police Museum, Belfast and previously unopened files within the Public Records Office, Northern Ireland and illustrated throughout this story is not just the story of the RUC Reserve Force but also twenty years of the RUC during a period of their history often overlooked in favour of the post '69 period.Read More