An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 53 that they beat back two attempts to rescue them. After break- ing the terms of the cease- fire by moving more troops into the area, the Katangans demanded the surrender of A Coy. Comdt Quinlan, knowing his situation was untenable, he no longer had the ammuni- tion to defend his position, he decided against the needless slaughter of his men and reluctantly accepted the terms. Af ter all, the mission the men of A Coy were sent to carry out never existed. The local settlers were not in need of UN protection and were loyal to the rebel Katangan government. After a tense period in captivity, A Coy was released in a prisoner exchange on 26th October, 1961. The men slotted back into the Irish battalion and even participated in further action, including the Battle of the Tunnel. Lt Tom Quinlan and Sgt Walter Hegarty went on to win Distinguished Service Medals (DSMs) in these further actions. A Coy eventually arrived home to a torchlight procession through the streets of Athlone. Particular affection was shown to Comdt Quinlan for having brought home safely the sons, husbands, sweethearts and friends of so many. But then the story was quickly forgotten, some believed the surrender was an em- barrassment, some believed personal rivalry was the cause. In any event, though it lay dormant for years, the Jadotville story eventually resurfaced. Veterans of the battle like John Gor- man and Liam Donnelly continued to pressure politicians for an enquiry and a public setting straight of the record. Irish people were shocked to learn how the soldiers were deployed to an iso- lated area by UN authorities against the advice of senior military advisors only to be attacked by the very people they were sent to protect. In 2005, following the publication of Siege at Jadotville, Minister for Defence, Mr Willie O'Dea, publicly lauded the men of A Coy and their commanding officer for the stand they made and their devotion to duty. A plaque to this effect now stands in mute testi- mony outside the dining hall in Custume Bks. Some 11 years later this record was added to when the book was adapted for film and released internationally via Netflix as The Siege of Jadotville. But the quest for setting the record straight did not end there. There was continued agitation. Comdt Quinlan's son, retired Comdt Leo Quinlan, embarked on a lobbying cam- paign for medals to be issued. This was a thorny issue, as there was a gap in the paper trail that would allow the Defence Forces and Dept of Defence to follow through on recommendations that Comdt Pat Quinlan had made. Eventually an accommodation was reached and the surviv- ing veterans of Jadotville, as well as the next-of-kin of those since deceased, were decorated with An Bonn Jadotville, or The Jadotville Medal. This originally was to have been the insignia to go with the unit citation the Dept of Defence issued to the Jadotville veterans in September 2016, just before the film came out. However, due to public pressure it was eventually issued as a specially commis- sioned Defence Force decoration by the Minister with Responsibil- ity for Defence, Mr Paul Kehoe TD at a special ceremony for the veterans and their next-of-kin at Custume Bks in December 2017. The wheel of life had now turned full-circle. For new generations of Irish soldiers, Jadotville has now be- come a place synonymous with courage and honour…as it was and as it should be. Declan Power wrote 'Siege at Jadotville' published by Maverick house in 2005. he is a former soldier and now works as an inde- pendent security and defence analyst. Preparing Defensive Positions in Jadotville, September 1961. Photo John Gorman (l-r) Private Matt Quinlan and Sgt Walter Hegarty, September 1961. Photo John Gorman Jadotville, Comdt Pat Quinlan is on the left. Photo John Gorman Jadotville Veteran John Gorman and his wife Joan with author Declan Power.

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