Jadotville families make history on ANZAC Day 2026 in Sydney
Marty O’Connor from Melbourne, son of Corporal Tom O’Connor, who fought in Jadotville, carried the Jadotville battle flag on ANZAC Day 2026 in Sydney, Saturday April 25.
Marty was accompanied by Geraldine Armstrong from New Zealand, whose father Private Gerard Hennelly also fought in Jadotville.
Private Hennelly, at the age of 16, was recommended for the Irish Military Medal for Gallantry, the highest award in the Irish Army,
Also marching in this parade were Emma Quinlan and Alex Quinlan Byrne, who are great-granddaughters of Colonel Pat Quinlan, who commanded the Irish troops in Jadotville.
Anzac Day commemorates the 1915 landing of Anzac troops in Gallipoli. It also honours the courage, endurance and sacrifice of service men and women in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. In the last 50 years Irish troops and Anzac troops served together in the Middle East on UN Peacekeeping operations, and in respect, it is significant that an Irish Peacekeeping operation was honoured the Anzac parade in Sydney in 2026.
The operation referred to is the Siege of Jadotville, in Congo in September 1961.
In that engagement, 154 Irishmen suffered a surprise attack by 3500 Katangese soldiers, including paratroopers, and led by mercenaries from France, Germany, Belgium and South Africa.
The Katanga forces were more heavily armed than the Irish, and with a jet fighter bomber and a 20:1 manpower ratio, the Irish found themselves in a vulnerable position.
The small Irish company were professionally trained and had a well-coordinated perimeter defence prepared.
After five days of intense fighting and with no food, water or ammunition remaining, the Irish troops became POWs for five weeks until they were released in an organised POW exchange.
That company of young men were immediately back in action during the remaining two months of their UN tour of duty.
In the Siege of Jadotville, the Irish suffered only five men wounded, while the enemy suffered 300 dead and 700 wounded.
The military action is taught in military academies in various armies around the world. The event has been the subject to date of one film, two documentaries and three books, and two more books due for release this year.