An Cosantóir

21 JADOTVILLE – 60 YEARS ON Company were strafed and bombed by a Fouga Magister jet. By the morning of 15 September Comdt Quinlan was urgently seeking reinforcements from Elisabethville. Food and water had become a major issue. On 16 September a reinforced relief column comprising of Irish and Gurkha troops left Elisabethville for Jadotville. Once again the relief force was blocked and engaged in action at Lufira Bridge. The Gurkhas suffered five fatalities and twelve wounded. Four Irish troops were also wounded. Having negotiated a ceasefire, Comdt Quinlan knew that without reinforcements they were in a perilous position. On 17 September the ceasefire broke down. Ammunition and water were in critically low supply. Comdt Quinlan agreed to meet Katangese Interior Minister Godefroid Munongo who called for A Company's immediate surrender. Comdt Quinlan was able to return to his position and consult his men. Considering their five casualties, the lack of food, water and ammunition and the welfare of his troops, Comdt Quinlan returned and signed the terms of surrender. CAPTIVITY On 18 September A Company was taken into captivity and held at a hotel in Jadotville. Reports came through that the prisoners were being well treated and were in "high spirits". When A Company was moved to Kolwezi on 11 October the atmosphere changed, and fear intensified. Following the ceasefire that took place in Katanga on 14 October, A Company prisoners were not immediately released. They were eventually released on 25 October. RECEPTION AT HOME As well as the memories of battle and captivity, the men of Jadotville had to face the scrutiny of some of their fellow soldiers and the general public at home. Soldiers returned to their barracks and were met with white flags being waved at them. Many Jadotville veterans have described being the subject of such derision. Family members of soldiers involved also tell of similar experiences. For some Jadotville veterans, they were able to carry on as normal, others felt they had to leave the Defence Forces. Many continue to have flashbacks and nightmares to this day. MATERIAL AVAILABLE IN MILITARY ARCHIVES Military Archives holds several collections that cover the period during which the Battle of Jadotville took place. The main source of information comes from our Overseas Congo collection. This collection holds materials from the Irish battalions and armoured car groups that served in the Congo. This includes thirteen boxes of material for the 35th Infantry Battalion. Our private collections include donations made by veterans with first-hand accounts. They contain private diaries, logbooks, photos etc. Other collections that contain relevant files for Jadotville are: 'A' Administration Files; Assistant Chief of Staff Collection; Chief of Staff Collection; Departmental Files (3/Series); Independent Review Group Collection; Jadotville Medals Queries; Medals Boards Collection; and Oral History Project Collection. The unit history for 35 Inf Bn is also available on our website. These collections can be consulted in our reading room by appointment. JADOTVILLE ONLINE EXHIBITION To commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Jadotville (13 – 17 September 1961) and the period of captivity which followed, Military Archives has curated an online exhibition. This exhibition will be available from 13 September on www.militaryarchives.ie and will highlight some of the material held in Military Archives. It draws on a mixture of official documents and private collections and outlines the stages leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and the aftermath in detail. A letter from Maj Gen J.A. Sweeney to the Army Press officer about an update on a visit to the Irish troops inprisoned in Jadotville by the International Committee of the Red Cross 2 members of A Coy on watch at a defensive position prior the attack on A Coy's AO

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