RUC, Fire Brigade and Prison Service victims of IRA and INLA terrorism get posthumous Elizabeth Emblem honour as Troubles-era service recognised

They’re among more than 100 people to get the Elizabeth Emblem, the civilian equivalent of the military Elizabeth Cross, which was established last year to recognise public servants who were killed in the line of duty.

It’s the first time anyone from Northern Ireland has been given the honour – and almost one-third of the 2025 list goes to people killed by IRA and INLA paramilitaries during the Troubles, with 20 RUC officers among the names to be honoured.

Today, the News Letter brings you the stories of two of those brave heroes who gave their all in the service of this nation.

More will come tomorrow, though in the links below now we bring you the touching memories from families of two who made the ultimate sacrifice – the life and legacy remembered of UDR Major Ivan Tooms and RUC Reserve Constable Cherry Campbell.

The list of heroes recognised in receiving an Elizabeth Emblem also includes eight RUC reservists, a UDR man, a prison officer whose car was bombed, and a firefighter killed tackling a blaze from an IRA bombing, all of whom died at the hands of republican paramilitaries.

Outside of Ulster, two people killed in high profile IRA terrorist outrages also feature – the UK’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Sir Richard Sykes, who was assassinated in the Hague in 1979, and a Metropolitan Police sergeant who died when the IRA bombed Harrods department store shortly before Christmas 1983.

Four Northern Irish emergency services personnel who died in circumstances unrelated to terrorism are to be honoured as well, including an RUC reservist hit by a speeding driver who ran a roadblock, a firefighter who died when the burning building he was in collapsed, and two PSNI officers killed in road accidents while on duty.

Of 107 people across the UK to receive the posthumous honour, 32 died at the hands of the IRA while two lost their lives to the INLA.

The Elizabeth Emblem will be awarded to the next of kin of the brave public servants in a ceremony later this year.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said the country owes “a huge debt of gratitude to all of the public servants who will posthumously receive this honour today”.

He stated: “I want to personally thank the families of those police officers, firefighters and other public servants from Northern Ireland who are recognised for their bravery and service. Your loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the wider community, many during the deeply traumatic period of the Troubles, and for that we will be forever grateful.”

His sentiments were echoed by Justice Minister Naomi Long, who said receiving the Elizabeth Emblem is “a fitting testament to the dedication of those police officers and prison officers in Northern Ireland who lost their lives in the course of their duty, and to their families”.

Speaking of the “profound sacrifice” of the two firefighters killed on duty, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said their “courage remains deeply respected”.

“As the first from the Northern Ireland Fire Service to receive the Elizabeth Emblem, this important recognition pays lasting tribute to their service and bravery. I offer my sincere sympathy and gratitude to their families, who have carried this loss for decades.”

Today the News Letter is highlighting the stories of two brave public servants who gave their all in the line of duty. More will feature tomorrow.