Themes
Conflict and Change
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Learning
Gunnery and Repository
Page 5 of 5
Anti-terrorism in Europe
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s modern troubles erupted in the late 1960s. The first Commando unit to go to Northern Ireland was 41 Commando in September 1969. The Commando learned the hard way in the October of 1969 when soldiers were deployed to the riot areas and had to face the insurgents without any proper anti-riot gear. The Corps recalled the unit after six weeks.
The Royal Marine Commandos alternated tours of duty with the Army. In June 1970 45 Commando began their first four month tour of Belfast. During what is termed as IS (Internal Security) tours not only would Marines patrol the streets and provide anti-riot protection and backup the local police, but they would also man roadblocks and perform searches on vehicles in attempts to find terrorist arms and weapons. In the early years of such tours accommodation was often poor and very basic. The unit would often have to sleep in cramped conditions on the floor of factories, school halls or even sheds.
Although the Royal Marines had much recent experience in riot and crowd control situations prior deployment to Northern Ireland, the anti-riot drills formerly used by the Corps were found to be inadequate for the conditions of Northern Ireland and had to be completely revised. Throughout the 1970s specialists slowly began to develop protective clothing to deal with the riot situations. The Armed Forces brought in flak jackets, visored helmets, gloves and other specialist clothing as well as new weapons, anti-riot shields and CS grenades. They also introduced night vision equipment for better surveillance at night. Royal Marine foot patrols would consist of four-man groups, but as the terrorists became more sophisticated in their methods over the years a number of other technologies and tactics were brought in to tackle the problems. Initially the Royal Marines used armoured vehicles to travel around. Later the Commandos travelled to their posts via helicopter as the streets became too dangerous.
From tours in Belfast the Corps expanded to tours of South Armagh and Commandos had to adapt from inner city to rural patrols as well. Each tour had different needs and working so closely within the Community required great diplomacy and skills to gain the trust of the locals. Commandos would sometimes find patrols in South Armagh frustrating. Terrorists often escaped over the border into the Republic of Ireland and all the Marines’ engagements were governed by strict protocols often making them feel like they had their hands tied behind their back. Snipers, bombs, radio-controlled mines and bloody ambushes meant that the Marines always had to be cautious and prepared for surprise attacks.
On 31 July 1972 22,000 British Troops from the Army and the Royal Marines were involved in Ulster Operation Motorman, which successfully cleared no-go areas of West Belfast and Londonderry. This close co-ordination with the Army signalled the respect the Commandos had earned in taking on Army roles. More crucially it highlighted the vital role of the Corps as a highly capable and adaptable force and as an asset to the many roles and responsibilities of the British forces as a whole at home and abroad.
As troubles in Northern Ireland have subsided over the years, the Royal Marines whilst on their tours of duty would play a crucial role of gathering intelligence and winning the hearts and minds of the local population. By June 2002 the Royal Marines had completed 40 tours of duty in Northern Ireland. During this time the Corps lost 14 killed and 95 wounded.
