Instead of sending the controversial Black and Tans into Northern Ireland, the British government replaced the now-defunct Royal Irish Constabulary with a Special Constabulary that would eventually evolve into the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). In Northern Ireland, an auxiliary police force, the then-called Ulster Special Constabulary, was recruited for counter-insurgency purposes.This police force consisted of three tiers of servicemen; the A-Specials were uniformed and paid, the B-Specials (the largest section) were uniformed volunteers patrolling mostly their own areas and the C-Specials were a reserve unit. From the onset, the USC was almost exclusively Protestant with members of the prewar UVF and its commanders joining the B-Specials. When the Constabulary was placed under the control of the Northern Ireland government, Craig expanded the B-Specials in an effort to re-establish order in the country. On 29 April 1922, King George V granted to the police force the title of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).