Orange Volunteers 1

The Orange Volunteers (OV1) was a Loyalist vigilante group active in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. The group was established in 1972 as the military wing of the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal group. The group conducted very few attacks, all of them resulting in no casualties. The Orange Volunteers focused on providing security at Loyalist rallies and parades and supporting workers' strikes. During its participation in the 1974 Ulster Worker's Council strike, its membership supposedly grew to over 3000. Following the strike, the Orange Volunteers participated in several Ulster committees and councils. However, the group soon fell into disarray and was considered inactive by 1980.