MRF Shadow Troop

The Untold True Story of Top Secret British Military Intelligence Undercover Operations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1972-1974

By: Simon Cursey

Narrated by: Johnathan Rufus Welsh

Some thought it stood for "Military Reconnaissance Force", others "Mobile Reconnaissance Force". Many people thought it didn't exist at all....

For decades there has been argument in the media and amongst politicians about the possible existence and extent of a shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland. MRF Shadow Troop confirms there was such an agenda in the early, chaotic days of British military intervention across the Irish Sea. But amongst the mountain of speculation there is little of any accuracy or authority relating to this period.

The speculation about the unit's name and mission only added to the uncertainty amongst their targets: members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the IRA, the provos. Simon Cursey was recruited into the Military Reaction Force - the unit's true name - in 1972. This book is his personal account of his time with the group and in it he reveals the truth about their operations-the briefings, missions, political wrangling, and government-sanctioned law-bending.

MRF Shadow Troop is a fascinating, exciting but above all accurate historical audiobook about the pioneers of counter-terrorism.

©2013 Simon Cursey (P)2021 Tantor

Entertaining yet informative

The author pre dated my experiences of NI by ten years. Like Simon, I have been recently on a quest for answers for things that happened there years ago. Simon’s book has filled in some more of those gaps and dispels some wild untruths I had heard. I truly echo his final sentiment.

It’s an entertaining read yet informative and interesting to the historian.

Thank you !

Words doesn't or can not say enough how thankful I am for your and your fellow heros’ service !

Fails the Fact Check

If true, this story tells of a casual yet eager slide into fascism. The author tells of his participation in several questionable/wildly unlawful activities. He reveals his derision for anyone that questions his actions

But the facts just don't add up. The CAIN archive has a highly detailed list of casualties during the troubles, so when the author claims to have shot two men in the chest at point black range in a pub, then a couple of weeks later shoots two or three people in a drive by, but those multiple shootings don't show up in the CAIN archive, you have no option but to believe these are fabrications.

He tells of an encounter with a harmless innocent drunk one night. He points his pistol in the drunk's throat while his partner strangles him (not to death). Then they laugh about it. Then they tell all the guys at the barracks about it, and they all have a good laugh. The author is oblivious to the fact that he is an unchecked fascist at this point.

He claims to have pulled his gun on two RUC detectives, he claims that he made a high ranking politician's Special Branch security detail surrender their guns. He claims that a twelve year old boy discharged a pistol in his face at point black range but missed, so he didn't bother to report it. All nonsense.

Then, out of the blue, he pontificates on how Lee Harvey Oswald couldn't possibly have killed JFK. He does this twice, in two separate chapters.

I was about to give up about half way through, but I'm glad I stayed to the end because he really reveals his hand at the end. This is a person that believes themself to be above the law; he claims that he felt like he had a license to kill. He closes the book with his wish to return to Northern Ireland so that he can piss on the graves of the people he killed.