Be informed:
Learning Respect

I am a volunteer, like all that serve in the British Army. Part of the process of application, would be the question “what would you do if your posted to Northern Ireland?” this was in 1983 and the “Troubles” (it’s always a point of fascination how the British politician uses another word for war), was very much part of the soldier’s life until the Peace agreement of 1994.

Ireland and Britain go back much further than this, the most recent of it’s “Troubles”. The more recent NI Troubles go back to the failure of the politicians in the 60’s and 70’s. It was the failure of the politicians going as far back to Oliver Cromwell a Puritan and Republican. His statute can be seen outside of the House of Commons upheld as hero for one of the oldest democracies today. Yet hated by many of the youthful Republic of Ireland, Eira.

As stated, the British Army is a volunteer Army and apart from the two world wars has always been the case. The advantage thereof being 1 volunteer is better than 10 pressed men, as is often stated by them. The discipline was always seen has harsh compared to the society of the day and it was quite the norm for the Army.

Both Cromwell and for formation of the British Army as is, historical stem from the same period, the Army was formed more for needs of the politicians to conduct its foreign affairs than it was for the King to conduct empire building. Indeed, to this day the Army grew or was reduced dependent on how many where need to govern the overseas territories. Much of the internal policing to which the army conducted in the inland was done by volunteers or yeomanry. Especially after the last civil war which was with the victory of Cromwell’s “New Model Army”, over the Royalist of Kings Charles 1^st.

The Army has been since the Republican period controlled by the Government the Kong or Queen is classed as the head of the Armed Forces this is more for show than the real politics.  Whilst offering its allegiance to the King or Queen of the day the purse strings have been in the hands of the House of Parliament. The Army is the tool of the Government as stated in the above to the needs of the ruling class.

This could be seen when I was serving in Northern Irelands East Tyrone, consider “Bandit country”, as no green vehicles could drive thru for the risk of a roadside bomb killing the soldiers inside. The vehicles were of a light armoured type. Tanks were not permitted it was after all only the Troubles. The enemy was not easy to spot and more than smart enough to adopt new situations.

How did it come this far it was the 1980’s Bob Geldof had done Live Aid, Britain was part of the EU, yes, a Cold War was on and the West was facing the East, but this was the emerald island?

Politicians had failed with imperialistic ambitions not to say the fear that Great Britain defended by its seas could be not only threated by the mainland Europe but from the West coast too. Does this seem silly? It was why Oliver Cromwell among others wanted to dominate Ireland. In many of a the citizens of the British isles the Commonwealth was what made the Great of Britain.

Thru history of Ireland the attempt to create a base of loyal citizens to the UK had been the drive behind the domination of Ireland in an imperialistic way. This led to the formation of NI when Eira gained independence- The Houses of Parliament did not concede the whole of Ireland to be freed from their reign as portion in the North voted for a remain. Thus, it was in the late 1960’s in NI the minority Roman Catholics were dominated by the Protestant. Ensuing in that the better housing, jobs etc went to the protestant. The catholic initially protested peacefully, when it fell on deaf ears the Irish Republican Army (IRA) started their reign of Terror and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) for the protestants. Initially the Army came in to support civil authorities (but being protestant led) this soon had them being seen as the tools for the oppressors the ruling protestants. By the time the Government in Britain had realised what had gone wrong the situation had become a powder keg that’s has exploded.

Here came a situation that was now unique in that the Army now had the say over the civil authorities in a country that was in the EU and not a third World nation and democratic ruling.

So as soldier serving with an Infantry Battalion, I was serving my country as part of the peace keeping force. This was no easy task the Regiment I served with was English and that meant they stood out even when in civilian clothing. As soon as they spoke, they stood out, they might have well, worn the uniform; for my part I’m welsh and therefore I did not. Indeed, I’m a fellow celt as one of the irish pointed out.

It gave me many an opportunity to integrate with the people and to see how they thought. From the one response to an Irish child laughing at the soldier’s on patrol. A predicament that he was a soldier having to patrol the streets of his (the child’s) town. To which the soldier replied, yes, I’m here today doing this tomorrow I’m back home in my town with no terrorist organisations, the likes of yours.

I saw on the local TV (we are in the days of 3 to 4 broadcasting channels), and a local liberal politician stated that he was resigning his position after several years of politics. “What’s the point when I can offer peace thru a balanced politics, when the people vote the one extreme or the other”.

NI was controlled by the Army answering to the Government in Britain holding the peace for a situation that came about as politicians had failed several times in what they should have been doing, representing the people as a whole and not the interest of a few.

The peace came about when the IRA and UVF no longer had the power over the citizens of Ireland the consensus was that they no longer represented one group or the other and had become less political and more a “mafia”, organisation. The intervention of impartial negotiators predominately from the USA. A British Government that saw peace over imperialistic ambitions. An Army that serving a democratic government could easily hand its power back to the people. The Irish a people tired of war.

But wait it does not stop there, 1994 the agreement was no inner Irish boarder. Yet again the politicians of the day have failed, and a BREXIT was passed thru. This means a boarder must go up as Britain has now left the European Market in such a way as to have isolated itself almost completely, it has become an island once more. A boarder must go up, either in the Irish sea or between the North and South. I fear that the politics in the Houses of Parliament will not see what is good for the people but what is in their interest. This could spark another set of troubles, and once again no thanks to those who should have prevented it.

Clwyd Owen