Handmade Northern Ireland Red Hand Commando Plaque

A hand made leather plaque backed by a piece of varnished plywood and backed again by more leather with a hanging ring. The leather on the front has been tooled with the symbol and title of the Red Hand Commando, under this is painted Long Kesh and over UVF.
This was brought back from Ireland by a corporal in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who served there during the 1970’s.
The Red Hand Commando (RHC) is a small secretive Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland that is closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Its aim was to combat Irish republicanism – particularly the Irish Republican Army (IRA) – and to maintain Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom. The Red Hand Commando carried out shootings and bombings, primarily targeting Catholic civilians. As well as allowing other loyalist groupings to claim attacks in their name, the organisation has also allegedly used the cover names "Red Branch Knights" and "Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group" and It is named after the Red Hand of Ulster.
The Long Kesh at the bottom refers to
HM Prison Maze, previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as the Maze or H-Blocks; it was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to September 2000. On 15 October 1974 Irish Republican internees burned 21 of the compounds used to house the internees thereby destroying much of Long Kesh.
A really interesting and rare piece of one of Northern Irelands saddest times in history, it measures 7.75 inches in diameter.

Code: 30708