Operation BANNER: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-2007 (Pen & Sword Military Books)

The book opens by setting the historic backdrop to The Troubles. In summer 1969 the annual Loyalist marching season sparked violence in Londonderry which spread rapidly. After three days of violence the British Government deployed troops in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Initially the Catholic community welcomed the Army's presence but this was to change over the years. The first soldier was killed in 1971 and a further 48 died that year. January 30 1972 - Bloody Sunday - galvanized IRA recruitment and the British Embassy was burnt in Dublin. The Official IRA bombed Aldershot HQ of the Parachute Regiment and in August 1972 the Army launched Op MOTORMAN to clear No Go areas. Internment followed and the Province was firmly in the grip of sectarian violence. The next 30 years saw a remorseless counter-terrorist campaign which deeply affected the lives of all the people of Northern Ireland and several generation of the British Army. The Peace Process ground on for over ten years but the campaign formally ended in 2007 with the establishment of hitherto unimaginable power sharing. A comprehensive chronicle of the British Army's decades-long campaign in Northern Ireland by a military historian and veteran of the conflict. In the summer of 1969, annual Loyalist parades known as the “marching season” sparked violence in the city of Londonderry. The unrest quickly spread across Northern Ireland, and the British Government deployed troops in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. So began Operation Banner, which would continue on for decades before the Peace Process officially ended the campaign in 2007.In Operation Banner, historian and British Army veteran Nicholas van der Bijl offers a compelling chronicle of that difficult time. Beginning with a historical overview of The Troubles, he recounts how British troops were initially welcomed by the Catholic community, and how the events of Bloody Sunday—January 30th, 1972—galvanized the IRA. Other notable events, including the burning of the British Embassy in Dublin and the bombing of a British Parachute Brigade headquarters are also covered. This detailed narrative demonstrates how thirty years of sectarian violence and a remorseless counter-terrorism campaign deeply affected the lives of the Northern Irish people as well as several generations of the British Army. The book opens by setting the historic backdrop to The Troubles. In summer 1969 the annual Loyalist marching season sparked violence in Londonderry which spread rapidly. After three days of violence the British Government deployed troops in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Initially the Catholic community welcomed the Army s presence but this was to change over the years. The first soldier was killed in 1971 and a further 48 died that year. January 30 1972 Bloody Sunday galvanised IRA recruitment and the British Embassy was burnt in Dublin. The Official IRA bombed Aldershot HQ of the Parachute Regiment and in August 1972 the Army launched Op MOTORMAN to clear No Go areas. Internment followed and the Province was firmly in the grip of sectarian violence. The next 30 years saw a remorseless counter-terrorist campaign which deeply affected the lives of all the people of Northern Ireland and several generation of the British Army. The Peace Process ground on for over ten years but the campaign formally ended in 2007 with the establishment of hitherto unimaginable power sharing. Nick Van Der Bijl. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [248]-250) And Index.