The B Specials by Hezlet, Sir Arthur

paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.

1997. Belfast, Mourne River Press, 1997. Octavo. 246 pages. Softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military reserve special constable police force in Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the partition of Ireland. It was an armed corps, organised partially on military lines and called out in times of emergency, such as war or insurgency. It performed this role in 1920–22 during the Irish War of Independence and in the 1950s, during the IRA Border Campaign. During its existence, 95 USC members were killed in the line of duty. Most of these (72) were killed in conflict with the IRA in the years 1921 and 1922. Another 8 died during the Second World War, in air raids or IRA attacks. Of the remainder, most died in accidents but two former officers were killed during the Troubles in the 1980s. The force was almost exclusively Ulster Protestant and as a… Read More