Woodvale Defence Association
Encyclopedia
The Woodvale Defence Association (WDA) was a loyalist vigilante
group in the Woodvale district of Belfast
.
The organisation grew from a few smaller vigilante groups. It initially met in a pigeon fancier's club on Leopold Street, a location found on the initiative of Charles Harding Smith
, who kept some birds. Sources differ on its actual date of foundation; many claim it was founded in 1969, around the same time as the Shankill Defence Association
, which covered a neighbouring area, but Ian Wood's detailed study of the Ulster Defence Association dates its origin to June 1970, when a loyalist pipe band
on the Springfield Road was attacked by Catholic protesters, leading to a riot.
The WDA was initially led by Alan Moon, with Sammy Smyth acting as its main spokesman, although Moon was soon replaced by Harding Smith. Initial membership of the WDA was primarily middle-aged and disinclined to take violent action. However, Davy Fogel
interrupted an early meeting to call for members to receive military training. Harding Smith instructed him to start this, members bringing both legally held guns and dummy weapons.
In 1971, a large number of local loyalist groups merged to form the Ulster Defence Association
. Its core components were the Woodvale and the Shankill Defence Associations, the Woodvale organisation being the largest of its forerunners. The new organisation was a loose confederation, and the Woodvale group continued to publish a newsletter, the WDA News. Its 1 May 1972 issue carried a notorious article justifying genocide
against Roman Catholics and calling for racial purity. When the UDA was restructured, the WDA became its "B" Company.
Several leading members of the UDA started out in the WDA, including Jim Anderson
, Davy Payne
, Ernie Elliott
and John White
.
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
group in the Woodvale district of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
The organisation grew from a few smaller vigilante groups. It initially met in a pigeon fancier's club on Leopold Street, a location found on the initiative of Charles Harding Smith
Charles Harding Smith
Charles Harding Smith was a loyalist leader in Northern Ireland and the first effective leader of the Ulster Defence Association...
, who kept some birds. Sources differ on its actual date of foundation; many claim it was founded in 1969, around the same time as the Shankill Defence Association
Shankill Defence Association
The Shankill Defence Association was a loyalist vigilante group formed in May 1969 for the defence of the loyalist Shankill Road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland during the communal disturbances that year....
, which covered a neighbouring area, but Ian Wood's detailed study of the Ulster Defence Association dates its origin to June 1970, when a loyalist pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
on the Springfield Road was attacked by Catholic protesters, leading to a riot.
The WDA was initially led by Alan Moon, with Sammy Smyth acting as its main spokesman, although Moon was soon replaced by Harding Smith. Initial membership of the WDA was primarily middle-aged and disinclined to take violent action. However, Davy Fogel
Davy Fogel
David "Davy" Fogel also known as "Big Dave" , was a former loyalist and a leading member of the loyalist vigilante Woodvale Defence Association which later merged with other groups becoming the Ulster Defence Association...
interrupted an early meeting to call for members to receive military training. Harding Smith instructed him to start this, members bringing both legally held guns and dummy weapons.
In 1971, a large number of local loyalist groups merged to form the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
. Its core components were the Woodvale and the Shankill Defence Associations, the Woodvale organisation being the largest of its forerunners. The new organisation was a loose confederation, and the Woodvale group continued to publish a newsletter, the WDA News. Its 1 May 1972 issue carried a notorious article justifying genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against Roman Catholics and calling for racial purity. When the UDA was restructured, the WDA became its "B" Company.
Several leading members of the UDA started out in the WDA, including Jim Anderson
Jim Anderson (loyalist)
James "Jim" Anderson was a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary who from April to December 1972 was the acting leader of the Ulster Defence Association while its commander and the founder of the organisation, Charles Harding Smith was in jail on remand for gun-running...
, Davy Payne
Davy Payne
David "Davy" Payne was a senior Northern Irish loyalist and a high-ranking member of the Ulster Defence Association during the Troubles serving as brigadier of the North Belfast Brigade. He was second-in-command of the Shankill Road brigade of the Ulster Freedom Fighters , which was the "cover...
, Ernie Elliott
Ernie Elliott
Ernest "Ernie" Elliott , nicknamed "Duke", was a Northern Irish loyalist activist and a leading member of the Ulster Defence Association during its early days. Unusually for the generally right-wing UDA Elliott expressed admiration for socialism and communism and frequently quoted the words of Che...
and John White
John White (loyalist)
John White is a former leading loyalist in Northern Ireland. He was sometimes known by the nickname 'Coco'. White was a leading figure in the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association and, following a prison sentence for murder, entered politics as a central figure in the Ulster Democratic...
.