An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 37 jumped up onto the truck, pulled out an army bag and emptied the contents onto the ground. There was a Bren gun tripod along with army cutlery and three gasmasks. He instructed three of us to wear the gasmasks and take the front line and the rest of the section to fall in behind us. We were then ordered to fix bayonets and take up the on guard position. He handed another solider a tin mug, army issue, and ordered him to the centre rear of the sections telling him to hit the mug hard with his bayonet on every step as we advanced forward. He said, "lads, just remember all those hours practicing riot drills and do exactly that and we will be okay." Checking that we were in the correct positions, he then told us to advance forward very slowly to the beat of the rear soldier. I wasn't happy wearing the gas mask or being in the front line as we approached them. I was sweating and my vision wasn't that good with this mask on my face but I kept my finger on the trigger with my FN rifle set at automatic. I prayed that I wouldn't have to squeeze the trigger. The three of us in the front line never spoke, Private Kavanagh to my left and Private Jordon to my right. We took very slow steps towards the Balubas to the beat of the rear soldier. The thought crossed my mind as we moved forward that with our three hearts pounding so hard, we didn't need any drum beat to keep us in step. Several of the Balubas moved towards us waving their weapons and ranting at us. It was at this moment that I was convinced we were going to be attacked and we were outnumbered. Once they began to move towards us Sergeant Mooney shouted, "as you were, keep moving forward and wait for it, wait for it". Private Kavanagh spoke to me, "You OK Christy?" I made a swallow and replied, "I think so." I wasn't ok, I was shit scared and I know most of us were scared but we were well trained and prepared to put that training into action When we were about fifteen feet from them one of the Bal- ubas lowered his hands and signaled to the others to lower their arms. They stopped ranting and shouting and very slowly and quietly retreated back into the bush. The sergeant ordered us to continue as we were, but by the time we reached the roadblock they had all disappeared without a sound. That water patrol stuck in my mind for many years, the incident gave me a clear insight of what the lads in the Niemba ambush, months earlier, must have gone through. How scared they must have been, knowing they hadn't a chance and the brutal way nine of our comrades were killed. I felt a deep sadness within myself that night thinking and praying for them. The UN garrison was not re- placed there, as the Nigerian advance party reported back that the posts were not suit- able for soldiers to live in. The conditions there were not up to any kind of living standard for humans. The 1st Infantry Group had spent months in these conditions and 'carried out their duties to a man' as ordered. But troops from Africa found them to be uninhabitable. Kamina, Katanga Provence our next post wasn't much better, apart from a few weeks of trouble free periods. Once the trouble started we found ourselves under attacks for several days, these at- tacks were beaten off without any losses on our side, but a number of the enemy lay on the ground. This was followed by several days of air attacks and again we managed to hold off. Had the enemy taken Kamina, Katanga Provence would have been lost. The sound of gunfire and mortars exploding around our trenches and behind us was very frightening because they were so close. At sixteen and seventeen years of age, in the middle of a heavy fire fight many of us thought we wouldn't get home alive. Six months peacekeeping in the Congo in the middle of a civil war and unrest is a lifetime experience, an experience that stays with you for life. When you return safe and well, things are never really the same as when you left for the Congo. We witnessed villages being burnt down, the awful injuries and killings, and the utter fear and despair amongst the women and children. All the excellent training that we had completed back home could never, ever have prepared us for this type of carnage. Much has been omitted from my personal experience in the Congo with the 1st Infantry Group except to say, I have no regrets, it was one hell of an experience and most of my thoughts are always with the 26 Irish soldiers who never came home. Because of my close encounter with the Baluba tribe in the bush I will always relate that encounter with the nine Irish soldiers ambushed and killed by the Balubas. I still think of those poor souls regularly and they are always in my prayers. Passing out parade - three months later Christy was off to the Congo. Christy is back row, second from the left. UN Peacekeepers erecting the Niemba ambush memorial. Irish UN Veteran Christ Fleming pictured in 2015.

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