William John McIlveen

Royal Ulster Constabulary GC — NIR

Felonious

End of Watch August 13, 1973

Age 36

The Vigil Panel 209 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 468

Incident

Reserve Constable McIlveen was shot by four terrorists when he went to investigate a car that had pulled up outside the bar fixtures factory on Cathedral Road, Armagh, where he had worked as a security guard for about a year.

In September 1975 a nineteen-year-old man was ordered to be detained at the Secretary of State’s pleasure for the murder. The judge described the killing as a cold-blooded and horrible crime. The man was released from prison in 1988 after 13 years.

William’s brother Wilfred, a part-time member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was killed by a terrorist booby-trap in 1982.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-GB-RUC-5379E3A5
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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Reserve Constable McIlveen served with the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Reserve Constable McIlveen.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Royal Ulster Constabulary GC

Location NIR

Platform Identity ruc.bfs.nir.gb.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 13, 1973

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Homicide - Shot

Reserve Constable William John McIlveen is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NIR, 422 of 599 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.5% of this state's fallen. That is 70.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, 351 of 469 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 74.8% of this agency's fallen.

Royal Ulster Constabulary GC

351

of 469 officers

74.8% Felonious

NIR — Statewide

422

of 599 officers

70.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious