2nd Battalion , Ulster Defence Regiment 2nd ( County Armagh ) Battalion , Ulster Defence Regiment ( 2 UDR ) was formed in 1970 as part of the 7 original battalion s specified in the The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969 , which received Royal Assent on 18 December 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January 1970 . It was , along with the rest of the regiment , amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment . was amalgamated in 1991 with the 11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment to form the 2nd / 11th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment . History . Along with the other 6 original battalions , 2 UDR commenced operational duties on 1 April 1970 . Headquarters was originally in the ancient Gough Barracks in Armagh City , formerly home to the Depot , Royal Irish Fusiliers , but was later moved to purpose built accommodation on a new site on the Hamiltonsbawn Road called Drummadd Barracks which was shared with the regular army and also later served as an HQ for 3 Infantry Brigade . At various times the battalion had companies in Armagh , Loughgall , Glenanne , and Lurgan , plus platoons in Keady and Newtownhamilton . Lieutenant Colonel Michael Torrens - Spence previously County Commandant for County Armagh of the Ulster Special Constabulary ( B Specials ) was the first Commanding Officer and served from 1970 to 1972 . Major P . R . Adair , Coldstream Guards , was the first training major ( TISO ) . Part of his job was to find accommodation for the new companies of the battalion . Where possible accommodation was sought in army bases although the old Ulster Special Constabulary platoon huts were vacant and available . To have used those would have attracted criticism from those who were already claiming that the UDR was the B Specials under a new name . Due to its location and patrol territory in the " bandit country " of South Armagh . This was one of the most heavily engaged battalions of the Ulster Defence Regiment and had the longest list of casualties . The battalion was always under strength as a result so the decision was taken in 1982 , when the permanent cadre had dropped to 184 , to transfer an entire platoon from 9 UDR ( who were patrolling one of the quietest areas in the province ) into the 2nd battalion . This wasn ' t as straight forward as transferring soldiers from regular units as UDR soldiers lived at home and their barracks had very limited accommodation but it was effected successfully . 2 UDR was responsible for 650 square kilometers of County Armagh , the smallest UDR battalion area but probably the most violent area during The Troubles . The battalion provided the station guard for the RUC barracks at Bessbrook . On one occasion when a Proxy bomb arrived at the barracks they had to clear the area and carry several children to safety before the 30 lb device exploded . Appointment of NCOs . The appointment of Non - commissioned officers ( NCOs ) was carried out by the men themselves , choosing who they felt would make the best corporal s and sergeant s etc . The filling of senior NCO posts in this manner did have a drawback in that many men of comparatively young ages who had considerable years of service before retirement or promotion created a " promotion block " Intimidation . Protestant and Catholic soldiers were both intimidated out of the regiment . Following the introduction of internment however more Catholic soldiers found themselves the subject of intimidation from within their own community . A corporal from 2 UDR was threatened that his mother would be burnt out if he didn ' t leave the regiment . Uniform , armament & equipment . See : Ulster Defence Regiment Uniform , armament & equipment Greenfinches . The first Greenfinch ( female soldier ) was enlisted at the battalion ' s Headquarters ( HQ ) in Armagh on 16 September 1973 . By 1991 she had risen to the rank of Warrant Officer . Destruction of Glenanne Barracks . See also : Glenanne barracks bombing & Ulster Defence Regiment Two companies of the 2nd Battalion were based at the border outpost of Glenanne Barracks which had been built in 1972 . Prior to the attack seven had already been killed whilst serving . At 11 : 30 PM on the 31 May 1991 a truck loaded with 2 , 000 lb ( 1 , 100 kg ) of a new type of home made explosive was rolled ( driverless ) down a hill at the rear of the barracks and crashed through the perimeter fence , coming to rest against a corner of the main building . According to a witness , in addition to the truck there was a Toyota Hiace van carrying at least two men acting as a support vehicle . They were seen outside the parked van , masked and armed ; one with a handgun , the other with a submachine gun . Automatic fire was heard by other witnesses just before the main blast . It was later determined that the lorry had been stolen the day before in Kingscourt , in the Republic of Ireland . The bomb crater was 200 ft deep ; the blast threw debris and shrapnel as far as 300 yards . The explosion was heard over 30 miles away in Dundalk . It was the largest bomb detonated by the IRA until that point in time . Most of the base was destroyed by the blast and the fire that followed . There was also substantial damage to local dwelling houses and other buildings . The barracks guard was usually eight soldiers , but that night there were 40 people in the barracks , attending a social event . Three soldiers : Lance Corporal Robert Crozier age 46 , Private Sydney Hamilton age 44 and Private Paul Blakely age 30 , died of horrific injuries and ten were wounded . Four civilians were also wounded . The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility two days later . The base was never rebuilt . All that remains is a line of trees marking where the main gate stood and a memorial by the main road inscribed with the names of all the UDR soldiers from the base who were killed whilst serving there . Casualties . 2 UDR had the highest casualty rate of all the UDR battalions losing 65 men and women on active duty . The first recorded use of the Provisional Irish Republican Army ' s Mk12 device fired horizontally was against a mobile patrol from 2 UDR on 1 March 1991 . Two soldiers died as a result of the attack . The funeral of one , Private Paul Sutcliffe , an Englishman , was held in Barrowford , Lancashire - the only UDR funeral to be held outside Northern Ireland . The second casualty , Private Roger Love , from Portadown , died after three days . His kidneys were donated to the NHS . Amalgamation . The numbers in the battalion fell so low that it was decided , under the " Project Infancy " Options for Change recommendations , to amalgamate it with the 11th ( Craigavon ) Battalion . This took place on 30 September 1991 , forming 2nd / 11th ( County Armagh ) Battalion , based at Mahon Road Barracks , Portadown but retaining companies in Drumadd Barracks , Armagh .