Honour, Service, Sacrifice

The backdrop to the Red Hand Commando memorial garden in Rathcoole has been repainted (compare with the final image, below) with the emblem of the “Red Hand Comrades Association” (for background see We Await In The Shadows). “The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s faith, community and country. [George S. Patton, Jr.] Honour, service, sacrifice.” With the names “N[orman]. Williamson, L. Orr, S. Wasson, N. Anderson, A. Moore.” (Anderson and Moore are new additions, compared to M16237 and M16236, below;

For the plaque to Williamson on the main mural see the Peter Moloney Collection.

It is in the same colour-scheme as the main wall, which is now fading somewhat: Founded in 1970, “To this day our principles remain the same: to protect the loyalist community, to retain our Britishness. It is not for glory or riches we fight but for our people. Lamh Dearg Abu.” The mural shows the “Rathcoole Elite” unit (1st Batt., B. Coy) of the Red Hand Commando, complete with four masked men each bearing weapons.