Queen Elizabeth has bestowed the British army's second-highest award on the Northern Ireland battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR), which are being stood down.
The locally recruited members of the RIR in Northern Ireland completed their last duties at the end of August. They took part in a parade and final review before the queen at Balmoral showgrounds in Belfast yesterday.
In front of 9,000 spectators, including bereaved family members, she awarded the RIR the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the first time such an honour has been given to a unit rather than to an individual service member.
The Northern Ireland battalions will be formally disbanded next summer as part of the "normalisation" or demilitarisation programme announced in the immediate aftermath of last year's IRA announcement that its campaign had ended.
Col Mark Campbell, RIR regimental colonel, said: "The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross honours the service, sacrifice and achievements of the Royal Irish Regiment and its Home Service predecessor, the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). It will be emblazoned on to the regimental colours, a unique reminder of the gallantry of those who served in Northern Ireland."
The cross is awarded "in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy".
Queen Elizabeth said the battalions' "contribution to peace and stability within Northern Ireland is unique", and she praised their "uncommon courage and conviction". The regiment discharged its responsibilities without flinching, she added, in what was "often a climate of extreme personal intimidation".
The parade and final review was attended by serving soldiers, veterans, widows and families of the three battalions being disbanded and of the former UDR as well as a series of dignitaries and senior British officers.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain commended both the UDR and the Royal Irish for "the longest campaign of active service in British history".
"We must never forget those whose lives were taken during that period," he said. "We owe them and their loved ones a huge debt of gratitude."
Other guests included Church of Ireland Primate Lord Eames, DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley, former Ulster Unionist leader Lord Trimble and UUP leader Sir Reg Empey.