This note concerns the UVF only by this stage, 1979, Thatcher is the Prime Minister. In a hand written note she urged mention of the ‘Volunteer Ulster Defence Regiment (? Is that the name)’.
Letter from Secretary of State William Whitelaw to General Officer Commanding Harry Tuzo outlining criteria for internment orders and why loyalists 'may not fall' within the new Order.
An internal military Staff-in-Confidence memo on UDA membership of the UDR suggests that a 'moderate line' should be taken towards UDA members because of the role of the UDA as a 'safety valve'.
Memo to Lt Col Pownall, MoD from JF Howe, Civil Adviser to GOC re UDR - Membership of UDA, 31 July 1972
In this memo examples are given of possible joint membership of the UDR and UDA. Howe goes on to state: 'One important (but unspoken) function of the UDR is to channel into a constructive and disciplined direction Protestant energies which might otherwise become disruptive...it would be counter-productive to discharge a UDR member solely on the grounds that he was a...
CJ4-266 - Extract from document prepared by General Officer Commanding NI (GOC NI), Harry Tuzo, sent to SSNI Wm. Whitelaw on 9 July 1972
This document was sent in advance of the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire later that day. Tuzo anticipates its breakdown and writes of his plan for an all-out military offensive against the IRA. He proposed to deal with the threat of civil war being posed by the UDA by taking action against the IRA and by acquiescing in allowing UDA...
CJ4-4198 - Memo to PWJ Buxton from Stephen Boys-Smith re meeting with Chief Constable, 12 January 1982
Boys-Smith's memo reported on his meeting with the Chief Constable the previous day. He [the Chief Constable] had received intelligence that the UDA was planning to kill 15 IRA members. The police had taken some preventive measures but they might not succeed due to fear of exposing the source of the information. The Chief Constable complained about the government's failure...