Young Citizen Volunteers ( 1912 ) The Young Citizen Volunteers ( YCV ) was an officially Ireland - wide , although in fact Belfast - based , militia group established in 1912 . Initially adopted an officially politically neutral stance it quickly became associated with Unionism and opposition to the Irish Home Rule Movement . During the First World War it became closely linked to the Ulster Volunteers before ultimately being subsumed by that group . Its name would later be resurrected by the YCV youth movement attached to the 1966 Ulster Volunteer Force ( UVF ) . Although there is no direct continuity between the two groups they share the same emblem of a shamrock surmounted by a Red Hand of Ulster . Establishment . The YCV had its origins in the Belfast Citizens Association , a conservative ratepayers group . The YCV had its first meeting just prior to the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant ( Ulster ) , opposing Home Rule , in Belfast City Hall on September 10 , 1912 . The group was inaugurated by Robert James McMordie in his role as Lord Mayor of Belfast and was led by Frederick Crawford . Other leading figures in the group ' s foundation included Councillor Frank Workman and foundry owner James Mackie . The group initially struggled to attract a Commanding Officer before eventually appointing Colonel R Spencer Chichster , a strongly right - wing Unionist who favoured purchasing guns for the YCV . Although officially called the YCV of Ireland it had no members beyond Belfast . Each member was to pay 2s . 6d ( 12 . 5 p ) on joining the YCV and a further 6d ( 2 . 5p ) each month as well as instalments on a £1 . 10s fee for purchase of their grey uniform . he was to attend weekly drills to learn " modified military and police drill , single stick , rifle and baton exercises , signalling , knot - tying and other such exercises " . If possible he was also to gain some knowledge of " life - saving and ambulance work " . The constitution of the YCV insisted that members should not take part in any political meeting or demonstration . They were stated as being " non - sectarian and non - political " and their objectives were considered to be : Membership was open to anyone aged between eighteen and thirty - five who was over five feet in height and could present " credentials of good character " . Some Roman Catholics did join the YCV , though it was overwhelmingly Protestant in numbers . Made up mainly of middle class members , the YCV was patterned after the Scout movement , albeit for young men who were too old for that group , as well as the Boys ' Brigade and Church Lads ' and Church Girls ' Brigade . The group was formed in part because the Territorial Force had not been extended to Ireland and members wanted a substitute . The foundation of the YCV was hailed by the " Northern Whig " , a Unionist daily paper , although the " Irish News " , a nationalist paper , was less enthusiastic , speculating that the YCV had been set up as an organised strike - breaking force , with memories of the 1907 Belfast Dock strike still fresh . Decline . From soon after its inception the YCV faced financial problems as it tried and failed to solicit donations from major local businesses . By early 1914 the situation had become so dire that Frank Workman , a wealthy industrialist who was a partner in Workman & Clark ship builders , was paying for the upkeep of the group out of his own pocket . Despite Chichester ' s attempts to fully militarise the group the British government refused to offer financial assistance to the YCV , in return for placing themselves at the government ' s disposal . As a result in 1914 with the YCV applied for membership of the Ulster Volunteer Force and became a battalion of its Belfast regiment . Plans for the merger were passed at a meeting of the YCV ' s council on 2 April 1914 although some opponents of the plan continued to meet in defiance until May when the YCV was effectively dissolved . At the time of the merger the YCV had around 400 Catholic members who drifted from the movement rather than switch to the UVF . First World War . The Ulster Volunteers were most closely associated with the 36th ( Ulster ) Division during the First World War and the YCV as a unit formed the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles , which was part of the 36th . The Battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Chichester , who addressed the soldiers as " young citizens " , and wore the grey uniform of the YCV although in fact the group ' s 750 members were augmented by more troops from mainland Britain ( who made up 25 % of the 14th ) and the rest of Ireland ( 17 % ) . A large group of English conscripts in the Battalion were nicknamed the " Gawd Blimey Brigade " by the original Belfast members , many of whom came from middle and upper - class families and so looked down on the more rough and ready English soldiers . The more well off origins of the YCV members saw the Battalion itself acquire the nickname " Young Chocolate Soldiers " . The group mutinied twice in 1915 , first in June when soldiers drilling at Shane ' s Castle near Randalstown refused to march back to barracks , insisting that a train be sent to carry them instead . Chichester acceded to this demand . This was followed in September when the group mutinied over the cancellation of leave as part of a wider mutiny within the 36th . The mutiny in the 14th was defused however by a " Major B " who convinced the soldiers to abandon their plans . Soon after this they were attached to the 12th Brigade following a reorganisation of the Ulster forces . The 14th was generally seen as one of the poorer combat units of the Ulster Division . A letter by Major General Oliver Nugent to the Adjutant General in December 1917 described them as " totally wanting in any military spirit " and stated that " the Brigadier says he cannot trust them and I know that he is right [ as ] they are poor stuff either as workers or fighters and have been a constant source of anxiety during the past three weeks " . The group was disbanded in early 1918 as part of a wider reduction in size for the 36th ( Ulster ) Division . Post - war . Plans were made in 1919 to revive the YCV under the patronage of James Johnston , the serving Mayor of Belfast . Edward Carson however reacted to the proposal with little enthusiasm and suggested they contact the British authorities at Dublin Castle for their opinion . When this line of contact was ignored the plan was abandoned and the YCV did not return . The name was revived in 1972 for a separate group with no direct connection to the original .