An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir February 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 38 | meeting the DeFence FOrceS' elDer veteranS: RQMS JoSeph Meade, aRtilleRy CoRpS A s part of the joint Defence Forces' 'Eldest Veteran' interview series, run in conjunction with Ireland's Military Story maga- zine, Military Archives and the National Museum of Ireland, An Cosantóir met with 83-year-old Newbridge man, Joseph Meade, on the 9th January in the Curragh Camp. A former artilleryman, Joseph was accompanied by his wife Phyllis, son Gerald, daughter Sandra, and grandson Richard (1 ACS), who is the fourth genera- tion of the family to serve in the DF. Joseph was born in the Curragh Family Hospital on 5th July 1934 and he remembers living on Spike Island for some years when his father was serving with the Coastal Artillery in the 1930s and playing on Spike Island. He also saw the last of the British forces depart when Fort Mitchel was handed over to the Defence Forces and fondly recalls how the British troops gave out chewing gum to the children. Joseph's father served in the Blue Hussars, which was part of the Eucharistic Ministry in 1932 and after this was disbanded he was transferred to Spike Island on promotion, where he also served in Camden and Carlisle before returning to Newbridge in 1947. Joseph grew up in Newbridge and went to work in the now famous New- bridge Cutlery factory before spending the rest of his civilian career in Irish Ropes, where he became the company's credit controller. Joseph contributes a lot of his work success to his long service in the FCÁ. "There wasn't a lot of future in the army in the 1950s," Joseph says, "but I still wanted to experience military life, so I joined the FCÁ." Joseph enlisted in the South Kildare Unit in Newbridge on 12th November 1953, where he completed his musketry training on the Lee Enfield .303 rifle. "In those days we brought our weapons home," he recalls: "there was no threat to society like there is now. We would go out on to the Curragh Plains for our training and our range practices." A number of years later his unit became 5 Bty of 6 Fd Arty Regt and moved to Magee Bks, Kildare Town. The regiment's other two batteries, 6 and 11, were based in Naas and Edenderry, respectively. After some years Joseph became the Signals NCO for the 5 Bty, before undergoing quartermaster training after which he was promoted to BQMS for the Bty. During their visit to the Curragh Camp, the Meade family visited the Curragh Military Museum, where curator Pte Dave Murray treated the family to a tour of the museum. Here Joseph was able to see the old gates of Magee Bks where he once served, and the family also viewed the priceless collection of weapons in the Sir Chester Beatty Room. A great treat for Joseph was the opportunity to sit on a 25-pounder artillery gun, a weapon Joseph would have been as- sociated with doing signals and admin from the OP, during his long artillery service, his last action was to fire a final shot in July 1994. As RQMS Joseph was responsible for training and admin, handing out weapons and ammunition and insuring the smooth running of operations. He said, "I always made sure they marched on a full stomach!" Joseph and his son Gerard remi- nisced together about the 25-pounder, as Gerald was very familiar with the weapon as well, having served alongside his father in 5 Bty from 1980 to 1990. Joseph's other son, Joseph Jnr, also served in the Defence Forces with the Naval Service for a number of years before moving abroad for work, and, as mentioned earlier, Joseph's grandson, Tpr Richard Redden (Sandra's son), is carrying on the family's military tradition. He is nearing two-year's service with 1 Armoured Cavalry Squadron and has recently completed his MT Drivers course. On 4th July 1994 , Joseph Meade retired at the rank of Regi- mental Quar termaster Sergeant (RQMS) af ter 40 years and 48 days' service. Joseph finished by saying he loved every minute of service in the Defence Forces and thinks military service is a great opportunity for the youth of today. REPoRt AnD PhotoS By Sgt WAynE FItzgERAlD

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