The first major overseas deployment came in 1960, when Irish troops were sent to the Congo as part of the UN force ONUC. The Belgian Congo became an independent Republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the United Nations to maintain its territorial integrity. On the 28th July 1960 Lt-Col Murt Buckley led the 32nd Irish Battalion to the newly independent central African country. This was the most costly enterprise for the Irish Army since the Irish Civil War, as 26 Irish soldiers lost their lives (9 died in one action, the Niemba ambush). One of the largest engagements Irish troops were involved in was the Siege of Jadotville, in which a small party of 150 Irish soldiers was attacked by a much larger force of almost 4,000 Katangese troops, as well as French, Belgian and Rhodesian mercenaries. The Irish fought back ferociously until their ammunition ran out, they took no casualties and inflicted heavy losses on their attackers. A total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 until 1964
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Irish in the congo
I found these photos on a military website.
The first major overseas deployment came in 1960, when Irish troops were sent to the Congo as part of the UN force ONUC. The Belgian Congo became an independent Republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the United Nations to maintain its territorial integrity. On the 28th July 1960 Lt-Col Murt Buckley led the 32nd Irish Battalion to the newly independent central African country. This was the most costly enterprise for the Irish Army since the Irish Civil War, as 26 Irish soldiers lost their lives (9 died in one action, the Niemba ambush). One of the largest engagements Irish troops were involved in was the Siege of Jadotville, in which a small party of 150 Irish soldiers was attacked by a much larger force of almost 4,000 Katangese troops, as well as French, Belgian and Rhodesian mercenaries. The Irish fought back ferociously until their ammunition ran out, they took no casualties and inflicted heavy losses on their attackers. A total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 until 1964
The first major overseas deployment came in 1960, when Irish troops were sent to the Congo as part of the UN force ONUC. The Belgian Congo became an independent Republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the United Nations to maintain its territorial integrity. On the 28th July 1960 Lt-Col Murt Buckley led the 32nd Irish Battalion to the newly independent central African country. This was the most costly enterprise for the Irish Army since the Irish Civil War, as 26 Irish soldiers lost their lives (9 died in one action, the Niemba ambush). One of the largest engagements Irish troops were involved in was the Siege of Jadotville, in which a small party of 150 Irish soldiers was attacked by a much larger force of almost 4,000 Katangese troops, as well as French, Belgian and Rhodesian mercenaries. The Irish fought back ferociously until their ammunition ran out, they took no casualties and inflicted heavy losses on their attackers. A total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 until 1964
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