Gusty Spence
| Gusty Spence | |
|---|---|
Gusty Spence in 1972, when UVF leader. It was taken while he was at large following his escape from prison.
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| Born |
Augustus Andrew Spence 28 June 1933 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 25 September 2011 (aged 78) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Residence | Shankill Road, Belfast |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | "The Orange Pimpernel" |
| Alma mater | Hemsworth Square school |
| Occupation | Soldier, shipyard worker |
| Years active | 1959–2007 |
| Organization | Ulster Volunteer Force |
| Known for | Ulster loyalist |
| Political party | Progressive Unionist Party |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment (later commuted) |
| Criminal status | Released |
| Spouse(s) | Louie Donaldson (m. 1953–2003, her death); 3 children |
| Children | Elizabeth Rea, Sandra Spence, Catherine Spence (daughters) |
| Parent(s) | Ned and Bella Spence |
| Relatives | Billy Spence (brother), Cassie Spence (sister), Jim Spence (brother), Bobby Spence (brother), Ned Spence (brother), Lily Spence (sister), Frankie Curry (nephew), Winston Churchill Rea (son-in-law) |
| Military career | |
| Service/branch |
 UVF
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| Years of service | 1965–1978 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion Shankill Road, Belfast Brigade |
| Conflict | The Troubles |
Augustus Andrew "Gusty" Spence (28 June 1933 – 25 September 2011) was a leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and a leading loyalist politician in Northern Ireland. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade.
During his time in prison Spence renounced violence and helped to convince a number of fellow inmates that the future of the UVF lay in a more political approach. Spence joined the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), becoming a leading figure in the group. As a PUP representative he took a principal role in delivering the loyalist ceasefires of 1994.
Spence was born in the Shankill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of William Edward Spence, who was born in Whitehaven, England and raised in the Tiger's Bay area of north Belfast before moving to the Shankill. William Edward Spence was a member of the Ulster Volunteers and had fought in the First World War. He married Isabella "Bella" Hayes, Gusty Spence's mother, in 1919. Spence was the sixth of seven children, their birth order being Billy, Cassie, Jim, Bobby, Ned junior, Gusty and Lily. The family home was 66 Joseph Street in an area of the lower Shankill known colloquially as "the Hammer". He was educated at the Riddel School on Malvern Street and the Hemsworth Square school, both on the Shankill, finishing his education aged fourteen. He was also a member of the Church Lads' Brigade, a Church of Ireland group, and the Junior Orange Order. His family had a long tradition of Orange Order membership.
Spence took various manual jobs in the area until joining the British Army in 1957 as a member of the Royal Ulster Rifles. Spence rose to the rank of military police sergeant. He served in the army until 1961 when ill-health forced him to leave. Spence was stationed in Cyprus during his time in the army and saw action fighting against the forces of Colonel Georgios Grivas. After leaving the army Spence found employment at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast where he worked as a stager (builder of the scaffolding in which the ships are constructed), a skilled job that commanded respect amongst working class Protestants and ensured for Spence a higher status within the Shankill.
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