An Cosantóir

8 | VETERANS REMEMBER BY SGT WAYNE FITZGERALD PHOTOS BY ARMN NEVILLE COUGHLAN PTE JOHN WOOLLEY Unit: Spt Coy, 2 Inf Bn Service: 6 years, Enlisted 1 Jan 1960 Overseas: 34, 36, 2 Inf Gp – Congo and 41 Inf Bn – Cyprus "I was at the now famous 'Battle of the Tunnel', and one of my favourite memories is of our Pln Sgt Joe Scott, he was a great man and one who I greatly admire to this day" 50th Anniversary of the 36 Inf Battalion (United Mission ONUC) On the 30 Aug 20011, I met with some members from 'A' Coy, 36 Inf Bn – who served in the Congo 50 years ago. Here is a brief glimpse of their memories: PTE TONY CONFREY Unit: 5 Inf Bn Service: 3 years, Enlisted in 1960 Overseas: 36 Inf Bn Served as a Marksman on the Vickers Machine and was also at the Battle for the Tunnel. "My first experience was just before landing on 'Chalk 2', we received gun fire from the ground. On later inspection, we discovered 40 hits on the fuse- Pte Confrey's memorabilia including his latest piece of removed shrapnel lage; two storage tanks were leaking aviation fuel. Our biggest fear was unloading the US Globe master in double-time wearing hob-nailed boots". "Within two days we had our first casualty, Cpl Mick Fallon (5 Inf Bn) and within a week at Liege Crossroads, we came under heavy mortar fire for many days. Where I received shrapnel wound to my hip, I was medically treated locally and then about fifteen years later I was still being treated and doctors discovered more shrapnel". CQMS Clarke's photo album, where every page tells a story CQMS JAMES 'NOBBY' CLARKE Unit: 2 Garrison S&T Service: 43 years, Enlisted in 1959 "We all have many memories of our service with A Coy and it is very difficult to condense them into a few words. However, our long haul flight of 24 hours duration Dublin - Tripoli - Kano - Leopoldville and finally Elizabethville and a very hostile 'Reception' we got. We went out as Peace Keepers but overnight we became Peace Enforcers. One will never forget the prolonged bombardment at Liege Crossroads which included mortar, small arms and sniper fire and eventually leading up to the capture of the Tunnel - Our Tunnel. As a result of An Cosantóir October 2011 many acts of bravery and courage displayed by the members of A Coy, it later became the most decorated sub unit in the history of our Defence Forces - with the award of 14 Distinguished Service Medals an achievement unlikely to be surpassed. A conventional war fighting company-in-attack action had not, nor since, been undertaken by the Irish Army in combat. During the hostilities of that December we suffered 4 fatalities - Lt Paddy Riordan (DSM) & Pte Andy Wickham both Killed in Action (KIA), Sgt Paddy Mulcahy (DSM) & Cpl Mick Fallon both died from wounds received in earli- er actions. In addition 14 more were wounded - some seriously. An Annual Commemoration is held in December to remember our comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have died since". See reunion information on our Noticeboard page.

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