This speech was read out by the commanding officer C Company 1st Belfast Battalion Sunday 11th November 2001
WE ARE STANDING HERE TODAY TO REMEMBER OUR FALLEN COMRADES VOLUNTEERS CHAPMAN, McGREGOR, McINTYRE, HANNAH, WADSWORTH, FREEL, RIDINGS, MORELAND, McCULLOUGH, REYNOLDS, AND MARTIN. THESE BRAVE MEN FOUGHT THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT JUST LIKE THE MEN OF THE 36TH ULSTER DIVISION WHO FOUGHT IN FLANDERS FIELDS SO MANY YEARS AGO. THE OFFICERS AND VOLUNTEERS OF C COMPANY 1ST BELFAST BATTALION SHALL NEVER FORGET THESE BRAVE MEN AND THE ACTION THEY TOOK IN THE DEFENCE OF OUR COUNTRY. IN 1912 WITH ULSTER IN UPROAR AT ATTEMPTS TO ENFORCE TYRANNY UPON THE LOYALIST PEOPLE OF THIS PROVINCE, IN BARS AND BACK ROOMS THE SEEDS OF RESISTANCE WERE SOWN, AND SOON THE PUBLIC WOULD SEE A NEW FORCE, A FORCE THAT WOULD SHAPE THE HISTORY OF ULSTER FOR NEARLY A CENTURY. WITH CARSON AND CRAIG GUIDING THE POLITICAL FORTUNES OF ULSTER, RICHARSON AND CRAWFORD SET ABOUT TO REALISE THE DREAM OF A VIABLE DEFENCE FOR THE PROVINCE, AND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY DIVISIONS OF OUR MIGHT MARCHED FOURTH TO BATTLE. WITH EUROPE IN TURMOIL, CARSONS VOLUNTEERS ENLISTED IN BRITIANS WAR EFFORT. WITH BRAVERY, LOYALTY AND THE ULTIMATE DEDICATION, THE FLOWER OF ULSTERS MANHOOD WOULD FALL IN THEIR THOUSANDS TO SECURE THIS COUNTRYS FREEDOM, THERE EFFORTS IMMORTALISED IN BLOOD DRENCHED FIELDS ACROSS NORTHERN EUROPE. AS ULSTERMEN SACRIFICED ALL ON FOREIGN CAMPAINS THEIR ACTIONS INSTILLED A TRADITION OF RESILIENCE WHICH IT HAS MAINTAINED THROUGH OUT ITS RECENT HISTORY. IN THEATRES OF CONFLICT SPANNING THE WORLD IN ADDITION, HERE IN OUR HOMELAND, ULSTERS VOLUNTEERS RESISTED REPRESSION. BUT ALAS ONLY THROUGH REFLECTION CAN THE TRUTH BE GAINED. IN 1912 CARSONS VOLUNTEERS WERE MALIGNED, DESPISED ATTACKED AND REFUTED, HISTORY HAS VINDICATED THERE ACTIONS, AND THROUGH THE ANNALS OF HISTORY, ULSTER'S FIRST DEFENDERS HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED AS THE HEROS THEY WERE, JUSTIFIED IN THEIR ACTIONS, SURE OF THEIR CAUSE AND TRUE IN THEIR AIMS. LET US NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF HISTORY, NOR THE POWER OF PROPAGANDA IN TODAY'S MURKY WORLD OF MYTH AND DECEIT. THE MEN I HAVE NAMED ARE BUT A FEW IN THE BLOOD DRENCHED HISTORY OF ULSTER. WE IN THE ULSTER VOLUNTEER FORCE OWE IT TO THESE BRAVE VOLUNTEERS, TO CONTINUE IN THE DEFENCE OF OUR HOME LAND. DO NOT GAZE AT THIS MEMORIAL AND FEEL ONLY PAIN, BUT ALSO FEEL PRIDE, BUT FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS AND SO MANY OTHERS LIKE THEM, ULSTER WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. VOLUNTEERS WITHOUT WHOM WE WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM
