An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 5 Manager Capt Declan Barrett info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Editor Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Connect Sgt Karl Byrne connect@military.ie Photo/Journalist: Cpl Lee Coyle Photographer Cpl Neville Coughlan photo@military.ie 045 44 5307 Subscriptions Cpl Kelly Gallagher +353 (0)45 44 5312 subs@military.ie DF/PR Information: VACANT admin@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 DF Webmaster Sgt Mick Burke +353 (0)45 44 5309 webmaster@military.ie Magazine Archivist Mr Sean Shinnors Designer/Advertising JM Publishing & Media, Arklow, Co. Wicklow,Ireland Tel: +353 1 533 1911 Tel: +353871344135 Web: www.jmpublishing.ie Email: info@jmpublishing.ie Printer Turner's Printing Co., Ltd Earl Street, Longford, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)43 3350500 The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval of the views expressed by the author. © Published by OiC Public Relations Branch for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Block 5, Ceannt Bks, DFTC, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 445312 Front Cover Pictured is a participant in this year's DF Triathlon by Sgt Karl Byrne. For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www.flickr.com/photos/ dfmagazine editorial Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald - Editor H ello and welcome to our bumper July and August issue, which has 8 extra pages and a 2-page poster included. The A3 poster designed by Sgt Mick Burke which features photographs from Sgt Karl Byrne and Cpl Neville Coughlan of the SRAW weapon being fired - shows a great collaboration. As ever this issue starts with your photos standing tall On Parade. In Focus features two pieces on Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) Post 32 Kerry and Post 27 Portlaoise. In Veteran's News we have four photos from Galway, Dublin, Tipperary and Athlone. Our first main story comes from the 2nd Medical Detachment in Sierra Leone who are Fighting Ebola. In our front cover story Emergency Aeromedical Service, we not only get to hear about this great life saving joint services provision, but also to celebrate its 1,000th mission. Our next main article is on the 2nd Weapons Intelligence Team course and how WIT trained personnel are attaining lasting institutional benefit. In Sharp Shooters, I visited our close colleagues in 105 Airborne and Imagery Squadron, who were running an Air Corps Photography course, we also spoke to the five students and got to see some of their fine work. On page 20 we have a feature congratulating PROTAC on 20 Years of Service to the Defence Forces community and we thank them for their generous competition of a €200 voucher. In Reserved Judgment: 7 Inf Bn RDF Recruits, Eoin O'Shea now a recruit follows up on his previous article about joining the RDF. Next RDF Sgt Stephen Conran informs us about his journey as the first RDF member to participate in a motorcycle Escort of Honour. In Strategic Review, Cian Moran a PhD candidate, Hardiman Fellow at NUI Galway and a serving member of the RDF reminds us of the terrible 1994 Rwandan Genocide in The Devil's Dancefloor. In the first of our History features, Terry McLaughlin reminds us of the Disaster in the Dardanelles on the 100th anniversary of famous Gallipoli battles of WW1. Then we have a WW2 feature by author Stephen O'Connor in Irish Officers in the British Forces, 1939-45, where an approx 8,000 Irish volunteers served in the commissioned ranks. In Sport, Comdt Máirtín Coffey gives us an update on this year's Defence Forces Triathlon, and we have the results of the DF One-Wall Handball Championships 2015 by Sgt Eric O'Brien. Plus we have all our regular features and reviews. COMPETITIONS: Don't forget to check out our competition on Page 20. Winner of last Month's The Hobby Den €50 voucher was Alan Kelly, Kinnegad. In MeMory of Sgt PatrIck gIllen retd By Lt Col Kevin Byrne Retd, Air Corps A short while before his death late last year, Patrick Gil- len was presented with the Legion d'Honeur by the French Ambassador while he was in hospital in Cork. Pat, as he was known, was being honoured for his efforts in the liberation of France on D-Day, June 1944 (See An Cosantóir June 2015). On a recent visit to Normandy two of his nieces, Linda Gillen- Byrne (my wife) and Ann Gillen, daughters of Michael 'Chick' Gillen from Galway, laid a wreath in his memory, and that of his comrades, at the Commando Memorial in the village of Amfreville, north-western France. The No 6 Commando Bde, of which Galwayman Pat Gillen had been a member, occupied a farm in the village for forty days. After the war Pat moved to Cork City where he lived for the rest of his life.

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