Military Reaction Force

synonyms: Military Reconnaissance Force (MRF); Mobile Reconnaissance Force (MRF) The Military Reaction Force (MRF) was a special unit within Military (Army) Intelligence based at Palace Barracks, Holywood, County Down. The unit was probably set up during the summer of 1971 and consisted of approximately 40 British soldiers drawn from various regiments. The unit mainly conducted undercover (plain clothes) operations. It is believed that soldiers from elite regiments, including the Special Air Service (SAS), were members of the MRF. The unit was involved in a number of controversial incidents where Catholic civilians were killed. During 1972 undercover soldiers were operating in west Belfast using techniques that appeared to have based on 'counter gangs' (Kitson, 1960). A former member of MRF described the role of the unit as both 'defensive' and 'offensive' (Taylor, 2001; p129). The 'defensive' operations were intended to try to prevent the IRA from carrying out attacks. The 'offensive' operations appeared to be wide ranging. For example, on 12 May 1972 an MRF unit approached a checkpoint being operated by the Catholic Ex-Servicemen's Association (CESA) which was checking cars entering the Andersonstown area. The MRF car stopped and then reversed a short distance. One of the soldiers opened fire from the car with a Thompson sub-machine gun and killed Patrick McVeigh (44), a Catholic civilian, and wounded four other Catholic men. None of the men who were shot were armed and none of the soldiers were ever prosecuted. In another MRF operation on 22 June 1972 an MRF unit opened fire with a Thompson sub-machine gun on a group of Catholic men standing at a bus terminal in the Glen Road in Andersonstown, west Belfast. Four Catholic civilians were injured. Some of the operations of MRF were highly unusual. During the early 1970s the unit set up the Four Square Laundry in Belfast which offered a cheap cleaning service but was intended to collect information about Irish Republican Army (IRA) activities in west Belfast. Clothes sent for cleaning were routinely checked for traces of explosives or lead residues from bullets. The IRA subsequently found out about the MRF operation and on 2 October 1972 attacked a laundry van being used to collect and deliver clothes. An undercover British Army soldier was shot dead in the attack. It is believed that the unit was wound up in 1973 after being in operation for some 18 months. Records related to the unit were destroyed. On 21 November 2013 a BBC Panorama programme entitled 'Britain's Secret Terror Force' was broadcast, on BBC One at 2100 GMT, which included interviews with former members of the MRF. In the programme it was claimed that members of the unit killed unarmed civilians in drive-by shootings. Following the broadcast of the programme the Northern Ireland Director of Publlic Prosecutions asked the police to investigate the claims made. In May 2014 the family of one of those killed was informed by the DPP that the PSNI had decided not to proceed. The family said it would ask the Police Ombudsman to investigate. On 10 June 2014 the PSNI announced that it had appointed an officer to review the evidence. On 1 December 2015 the PSNI issued an appeal for information about 9 shooting incidents, two of which were fatal. Reading: Taylor, P. (2001) Brits: The War Against the IRA. (See also: Military Intelligence.)