Video fascinating footage of soldiers in congo released

The Defence Forces has released some fascinating restored footage of soldiers serving in the Congo from 1960 to 1964.


This archive film restored by Defence Forces Audiovisual Unit, shows personnel, a large number of whom came from Athlone, as they board a US Airforce C-124 in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel before setting off for the searing heat of Central Sub-Saharan Africa, where they can be seen on patrol, drilling, undergoing weapons training and even playing hurling, much to the entertainment of the assembled local populace.


In November 1960, the Irish contingent serving in the Congo were redeployed to Katanga, an area of operations fraught with danger where vicious inter-tribal warfare was taking place between the Balubas, the Conekats and the Pygmies.


Armed groups were rampaging through the countryside, burning villages and attacking trains. Shortly after moving into the area the tragic Niemba ambush took place on November 9 when nine of an 11-man Irish patrol were killed by Baluba tribesmen, Ireland’s single largest loss of life on a UN mission.


It was also during this mission that the controversial siege of Jadotville took place in 1961, where 150 Irish UN troops in the Congo, who were mainly from Athlone, were attacked by troops loyal to the Katangese Prime Minister Moise Tshombe.


Commandant Pat Quinlan, an Athlone-based soldier led the UN battalion against a force of 3,000 local troops fighting alongside French and Belgian mercenaries for a total of six days before a ceasefire was reached after ammunition and supplies had been exhausted.


Comdt Quinlan took the decision to do so to ensure needless loss of lives of his troops, however, on arrival home those who fought in Jadotville and kept as prisoners for a month afterwards were made to feel inferior in the army. The controversial incident is to be the subject of a new film next year starring ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ star Jamie Dornan.


http://youtu.be/wSLgZ1-KiGw