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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

UVF ARMBANDS/BADGE


JON1971

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Armbands look to refer to 2nd South Down Bttn of the UVF. This was formed in 1913 as part of the Home Rule crisis. There is a picture of their colours on the the www.uvf.info site. The name Bttn was not indicative of the size of the unit, there were several South Down 'battalions'

They would not have an 'official' mark on them, as at the time it was believed t they would be fighting some or all of the Britsh Army. Equally they do not look as if they have seen the rigours of the front line in the trenches.

On the outbreak of war the UVF moved to join the 36th (Ulster) Div ( sometimes known as the 'political' division). Enlistment was mainly through the TF battalions, with 1st Co Down Volunteers being the 13th Royal Irish Rifles, but it was not a direct transfer of a unit ( unlike some of the privately raised Kitchener battalions, which were then adopted fully formed by the Army).

Adam

adam,

thanks for info.desmond had previously agreed they or pre ww1.i find this all very interesting and feel very lucky to have been given them.the uvf website

(uvf info.com)is well worth a look.i joined up.only 6 memebers so far but a good site.

thanks for your comments.

jon

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TF Btns. .. in Ulster?

As I understand it ( which means I could have got it wrong, being an eejit) ) The earlier protestant militia regiments were absorbed into the T.F. in the early 1900s...

Barbara... ;)

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I'd be surprised if this were so: the usual route was Militia >>> Special Reserve, or VF >>> TF in 1908.

Smiles winsomely.. :) , I said I was an eejit, but seriously, my grandad was in the South Down Militia, and I am genuinely curious to know how he ended up in the 36th Division( Irish Rifles), there's lots of family heresay but I would relish having some facts, like how did it all work??

Barbara..

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SD Militia was an ancestor formation of a btn of the Royal Irish Rifles. They may (or may not) have retained the title as a nickname (just as the Rifles were called the 'Stickies' and the Dublin Fusiliers as the 'Old Toughs' and the R Irish Fusiliers as 'The Faughs') but the SDMilitia were long gone by the WW1 period. Methinks Grandad was in a Down unit of the old UVF.

As far as I know there were NO TF btns in Ireland. The Black Watch TF had a number of men (quantity debateable) from Belfast & Dublin in their ranks but they had to go to Scotland for camp etc. Most Irish regts worked on the 'special reserve' scenario.

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Thanks Desmond, I was taught The South Down Song, and told it was grandads marching song, that he was in the S.D.M , I take it that was not correct, I did wonder, seeing as he was born in 1891, would the song have belonged to the Rifles? I've so many questions.....

Barbara..

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South Down Militia still a popular march - I was at the amalgamation of the Royal Ulster Rifles, the Inniskillings and the Irish Fusiliers in Ballymena on 30 June 1968 ... I remember it being played that night and have heard it played by teh Band of the Royal Irish Rangers/Regiment many times since. A stirring march. If you google for Royal Irish Regiment on You Tube you can see the band give one of their last performances before they were broken up under army cuts.

Which was a total and utter disgrace cos they were among the best crowd pleasers in the world --- witness their performances t the D Day anniversary.

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Desmond, thankyou I shall, I have all the words, could sing along..! Also my dad ( this grandads son ) was in the Gordon Highlanders in his youth, I'm glad he wasn't around when they got the chop as well.

Regards,

Barbara

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  • 1 month later...
HI,

I`AM NEW TO THE FORUM AND WANTED TO KNOW COULD ANYONE ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING THESE 2 UVF ARMBANDS I AQUIRED FROM A WORK COLLEAGUE.THEY HAD BEEN PASSED DOWN THROUGHOUT HIS FAMILY FOR YEARS.ALSO THE BADGE IF POSSIBLE. THE BUCKLES SAY "SOLIDE"

THANK.

JON

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