Bravery of UDR should be remembered 50 years after the first murder of one of its members – Beattie

Marking the 50th anniversary of the murder of Winston Donnell, the first member of the Ulster Defence Regiment to be murdered in the Troubles, Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie MC MLA, who has served for over 35 years as a member of the Royal Irish Rangers and Royal Irish Regiment, said:

“50 years since the murder of Winston Donnell, the first member of the Ulster Defence Regiment to be murdered in the Troubles, is an appropriate time to stop and remember the tens of thousands of men and women in the UDR who served their country with bravery and distinction. 197 UDR members were murdered, 61 former members were murdered after they left the regiment and a further 6 died after the formation of the Royal Irish Regiment. Thousands more live with the physical and mental injuries of their service.

“Winston Donnell`s name may not be well recognized by the majority of people in Northern Ireland, but he epitomised the bravery of local men and women who donned a uniform to serve and protect their communities. He was only 22 years old when he was murdered on 9th August 1971, but he symbolised the strength of service of so many members of the UDR by sacrificing his own life to save that of his colleagues on a border road with Donegal. Today I think about the family left behind and the circle of grief that was created so many times after that first murder.

“The vast majority of UDR members served with bravery and distinction and for that we should be eternally grateful. If it wasn`t for their service and sacrifice, and that of the rest of their colleagues in the security forces, Northern Ireland would have been plunged into even greater despair in the face of a terrorist onslaught of shootings, bombings and killings. The men and women of the UDR helped create the peace which we have today.”

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