British troops deployed onto the streets of Northern Ireland on the 14 August 1969, in response to growing sectarian unrest. The military campaign was code named OP BANNER and the General Service Medal (Northern Ireland) was awarded to over 300k Service personnel that were deployed into Northern Ireland over the subsequent 38 years. In total, 1,441 UK Armed Forces personnel died as result of operations in Northern Ireland or paramilitary actions in other countries. All of their names are listed on the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The Royal British Legion will host a commemorative event on Wednesday 14 August 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK Armed Forces’ deployment on operations in Northern Ireland – the longest continuous campaign in British military history. The event will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Please note that the event will be a closed, accredited event, you can apply for an invitation using the form link below, if you hold the General Service Medal (Northern Ireland).
All applicants who complete this form before Friday June 7th will be submitted to the RBL, who will then send tickets via email in the final week of July.