An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir July / August 2026 www.military.ie/magazine 28 | Can you give me a brief description of your career? On 06 Dec 1973, I signed up in the Army Apprentice School, Devoy Bks Naas, No 18 Platoon as App Francis Dillon 828193 Fitter/Armourer, aged 16. On completion of my trade, I passed out June 1976 as a 2-star Technician. In July 1976 I was sent to 3rd Batt in the Curragh Camp for my 3-star course and on completion was sent to my Assigned Unit, 2 Garrison Army Ordnance Corps in Cathal Brugha Bks. For the next few years, I was sent to various barracks within the Eastern Command on inspection, where with a team of Armourers, we would inspect and repair all small arms in the battalions within our Jurisdiction. I would also attend Annual Range Practices (ARP) with various units as their Armourer and would inspect their weapons prior to firing and zero each firer in Kilbride or Gormanston, in all weathers. I attended All Army Shooting Competitions at Command and All Army level as part of an Armourer team. In 1979, myself and a few others from the Unit went on an NCO course and after completion I was promoted to Corporal in 1980. Later that year I began learning about EOD duties as it was a specialist area, and after some time I completed a basic EOD course in Clancy Barracks where the Ordnance School was based, there was a lot of activity because of the Northern Ireland situation at the time. After completion, duties as a No 2 on EOD were my main duties in Dublin and on the Border in Dundalk, where I gained valuable experience and knowledge. I attended an EOD IEDD instructor course and became the Unit EOD NCO. I was promoted to Sgt in 1983 and put in charge of Annual Ordnance Inspection teams, so now I had a team of Armourers under me and new guys that would learn from what I was taught as a young Armourer. I attended the Ordnance School with 8 others from around the country on an Artificer course, an extension of the Armourer course but with Artillery Weapons, 3 weeks on each weapon including 25 pounder gun (used in Gun Salutes for Dignitaries), 105 Light Gun, 120mm Mortars, L60 Anti-Aircraft, Panhandle 90, and 76mm Naval gun. On completion I was sent to 2nd FAR and 7th FAR regiments as a Tiffy for 12 year's total. For Overseas Service we had to wait as senior NCOs got in before us young guys, it was 1993/94 when I served with the 74th Unifil Bn as EOD NCO, a very rewarding experience dealing with battlefield EOD and IEDD Threats. I again volunteered for KFOR with 29th Inf Gp as Armourer/EOD, a very rewarding experience dealing with unfamiliar terrain and extremely harsh weather conditions at -30 degrees and seeing PEOPLE OF THE DF NAME: RANK: OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS: COMBINED MILITARY AND CIVILIAN SERVICE: FRAN DILLON SGT (RETIRED) 2 53 YEARS Preparing for the Medal Parade with the 74th Inf Bn Off on convoy to Beirut picking up members of the section

• Cover