An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 49 By SgT WAyNE FITzgERAlD G eorge Kerton was born in Clonmel in 1950 and he remembers the funeral of Ireland's first fatality on UN service when, as an 9-year-old, he saw the cortege of Coy Sgt Felix grant at Kickham Bks. "I remem- ber the coffin arriving in a Matador truck as I stood at the railings." He joined 3 Mot Sqn FCÁ in 1966, and in April 1972 he joined as a cadet in the 47th Cadet Class. He was commis- sioned as a 2/Lt into the Cavalry Corps in September 1973, serving in Depot Cav, 1 Armd Car Sqn and in 1976 he was posted to Curragh Comd HQ. He was selected as QM with No 1 Irish Component, UNIFIL in October 1979. Capt Kerton has vivid memories of the 7th April 1980 when Pte Stephen Griffin 46 Inf Bn was criti- cally wounded during the Battle of At-Tiri. "I was tasked with finding the Padre, Fr Sean Conlon CF who was on leave in Jerusalem. I found him in the Notre Dame Hotel and we drove at speed to Rambam Hospital in Haifa. I remember the atmosphere in the large open plan intensive care unit with 80 cots with critical patients. The neurosurgeon told us that Pte Griffin was fatally injured with no hope of recovery. Fr Sean and I drove back to Naqoura and my report was trans- mitted by radio to OC 46 Inf Bn. After a few days Pte Griffin's sister and brother arrived to Haifa and they gave permission for the ventilator to be switched off. The family donated his organs and a few days later the 'Jerusalem Post' reported that organs had been given to an Israeli man and an Israeli Arab boy. Stephen Griffin was the first Irish UNIFIL casualty to die from hostile action" On the 18th April 1980, Ptes Derek Smallhorne and Thom- as Barrett were abducted and killed by the De Facto Forces (DFF). Pte John O'Mahony was wounded three times and managed to get away. Mahmoud Bazzi, a local DFF com- mander at the time, is on trial in Lebanon for the killings. During the evening of the killings, an OGL and Nor Med Coy convoy brought the remains of the two murdered soldiers to Naqoura. The Irishbatt section guarding OP Ras was evacuated after enduring days of bombardment and they travelled in this convoy. Capt Ker- ton was tasked with debriefing the OP Ras guard. "I remember the commander Sgt John Power, who was cool and calm as he went through the unloading drills and in his reporting, he was later awarded a DSM for his outstand- ing courage and leadership at OP Ras." On his return from overseas George was posted as 2 I/C 1 Armd Car Sqn and later as an instructor in the Inf Sch followed by 2 I/C 1 Tank Sqn. In April 1985 he went back to Lebanon as Personal Staff Officer to the Irish Contingent Commander. On his return home in May 1986 he was posted to Trg Sec for four years where he was promoted to Comdt in January 1989. In May 1993 he was appointed as OC 2 Cav Sqn and in January 1995 he was posted to UNIFIL 76 Inf Bn as replace- ment for the Military Information Officer (MIO), he re- mained on as MIO 77 Inf Bn. He returned to Plunkett Bks as OC 1 Tk Sqn. In January 1997 he was selected for a yearlong tour of duty as Military Assistant to the Force Commander UNFICYP. "This was a busy period, we had seven fatalities on the 'Green Line' in 1996. Cyprus was very tense because of an arms race building in the background and Turkish Naval exercises off the coast" In 2000 it was overseas again, this time to the Western Sahara for six-months as a UN observer. He was promoted to Lt Col in January 2002 and in January 2005, he went to Sarajevo to EUFOR BiH to CJ 3/5/7 Cell (Ops/CIMIC/Trg). He was involved in the security operation for the commemora- tions of the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre. In 2007 he was promoted to Col as Dir HR Sec and in 2009 he was acting Assistant COS for six-months before he ended his service in Kickham Bks as Dir of Reserve Forces. Col george Kerton retd is the Vice President of the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers (ARCO). you can find out more here: http://iarco. info or write to: ARCO honorary Secretary at PO Box 10414, Freepost F4129, Dublin 6W Lt Gen William Callaghan DSM at Brashit in May 1986 on his last visit as FC UNIFIL to 58 Inf Bn. L/R: Capt George Kerton PSO to COMIRCON, Capt Brian O'Keeffe 2/IC C Coy, Comdt PJ Delaney C Coy Comd, Col Walter McNicholas COMIRCON (partly hidden), Lt Col Michael O'Hagan- Wright Bn Comd 58 Inf Bn and Lt Gen Callaghan.

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