MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Commemorations for the 50th anniversary of operations in Northern Ireland

The MOD supported The Royal British Legion’s event to honor the service and sacrifice of those on Op Banner

To mark the 50th anniversary of the start of Operation Banner in Northern Ireland, commemorations were held on Wednesday at the Arboretum in Staffordshire. Op Banner lasted almost 38 years between 14 August 1969 and 31 Jul 2007 - more than 300,000 members of the UK Armed Forces were deployed in this time. Some 1,441 serving personnel died on deployment or in related paramilitary acts.

Focused around the Armed Forces Memorial, which individually commemorates those who fell, Wednesday event featured a service led by television presenter Alastair Stewart, a fly-past of a C-130 plane and Puma helicopter, The Band of the Royal Logistics Corps and tri-service personnel providing logistical support.

The MOD supported The Royal British Legion’s event to honor the service and sacrifice of those on Op Banner. In 2017, the government awarded the charity £1.5m in funding to deliver national commemorative events, specifically to include this 50th anniversary.

Attendees included current personnel and veterans who deployed in Northern Ireland, MOD Civil Servants and Civilian Services who supported Op Banner, and families of UK Armed Forces and Civilian Services personnel killed because of the operation.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace deployed to Northern Ireland with the Scots Guards in the 1990s.

He said: “Such a significant number of our Armed Forces community were involved in Op Banner across four decades. It was a challenging and complex operation, and their dedication and sacrifice must not be forgotten. The men and women of the armed services should be proud of what we achieved for Northern Ireland. The peace process, and the vast majority of the population’s rejection of terrorism and violence, is testament to their efforts. We remain grateful for their service on the nation’s behalf.”

Major General Ian Cave, Chief of Staff Field Army, read at the service, which also included a two-minute silence and other readings of contemporary military accounts.

Also at the National Memorial Arboretum, the Ulster Ash Grove of memorial trees honors all those who fell in Ulster. Dedicated in 2003, this memorial was funded by the Government and commemorates not only the UK Armed Forces who fell but also those of the RUC and the NI Prison Service.

In September 2008, to mark the end of Op Banner, the Government held a service at St Paul’s Cathedral to honor those that served.