Battle of Jadotville relived at gripping talk

The Battle of Jadotville was relived on March 6 in The Greville Arms Hotel when Leo Quinlan, son of commanding officer Comdt Pat Quinlan, gave a presentation from the actual notes of his father, which creating an awareness of the positive legacy of Jadotville but also the moral injury suffered by those who were there.

In the siege of Jadotville in September 1961, around 155 members of A Company 35th Battalion, serving as part of the United Nations operations in the Congo (Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, ONUC) were besieged in the mining town of Jadotville by Katangese loyal to the secessionist State of Katanga.

The siege took place during the seven-day escalation of a stand-off between ONUC and Katangese forces during Operation Morthor. Although the contingent of 155 Irish soldiers repelled attacks by a 3,000-strong Katangese force for five days while an undersized relief force of Irish, Indian and Swedish troops attempted to reach them, they were eventually forced to surrender having run out of ammunition and water.

A Company were subsequently held as prisoners of war for approximately one month. The Defence Forces inflicted approximately 1,300 casualties (including up to 300 killed) on the Congolese force, with no deaths among A Company.

Among the large audience at the talk were Jadotville veterans Billy Kane and Tom Gunn, and family members of other veterans who served in Columb Barracks, including Noel Graham, Billy Reidy and James Lubo Scally.

The night belonged to the respect and loyalty of those soldiers from the past, who set the standards for us to follow, and to those who continue to look to honour the soldiers whose words and actions meant the same thing.