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Post by johnnykelly on Aug 6, 2010 15:35:41 GMT
Re:CONGO(ONUC) Hi all yes Congo Joe that is indeed Big Dan 0Driscoll and Red Doyle beside him and it is Tommy or Jimmy oNeill in the white shorts, Joe i have in my poscession an all Army medal with ONUC in the middle can you enlighten me as to what sports etc these were handed out for in the Congo. I know tug of war hurling gaelic football and soccer were the main ones, played in Africa, but was there inter coy or Battallion sports played, if you can help with thanks, Johnny Kelly x gym
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Post by congojoemallon on Aug 9, 2010 11:20:16 GMT
Hi Johnny. All I can tell you is that I won one of these in Cyprus in 1968 for winning the falling plate shooting competition against the Brits. I don't remember any competitions with my two trips to the Congo (32nd & 38th). The medals could have been handed out in later trips. regards congo joe
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Post by johnnykelly on Aug 9, 2010 21:56:07 GMT
Re:CONGO(ONUC) Hi recruit Joe, its a long time since you heard that one. Many thanks for the help ref the Medal ,will keep trying for more info, Was with the 13th Inf Gp in Kibris with your good friend Fintan and we also Beat the (BRITS) ROYAL GREEN JACKETS in the falling plates and they got 7 refires as they loged objection after objection and got refires after refires and we got ;;issed of in beating them as the more we shot the better we got so as Little Jas M said listen here now chaps we only have 6 months wheres the Mess we won now feck of home to blighty its over,we won, ( they the Green Jackets were flown in from England specially for the Falling Plates, waste of petrol as 81 Doyle was heard to say, and there is where the fallen plates compitation was brought into the Army shooting comperation, Just like the game of Volleyball brought back from the Congo, bye for now Johnny
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Post by congojoemallon on Aug 10, 2010 17:17:00 GMT
Too true, Johnny and don't forget who brought back the game of volleyball - the vets from the 32nd and 33rd battalions. We even wrestled with the Indians and the Pakistanis at Kamina airbase. While that was going on our lads were robbing their rations regards, congo joe
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Post by mul on Aug 11, 2010 20:06:52 GMT
hi anyone got info on the advance party to the congo, 6 nco's 2 officers and cathal o' shannon?
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 11, 2010 21:20:29 GMT
Mul,
Try RTE archives or google Cathail O Shannon, I am sure that it was repeated a while back on tv but I am also sure it was Cahail telling his life story and it covered his career
Andy
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Post by johnoconnor on Aug 12, 2010 0:45:23 GMT
hi anyone got info on the advance party to the congo, 6 nco's 2 officers and cathal o' shannon? Hi. I beleive my dad Cpl James (Ginger) O'Connor, RIP, 86367. 1st tank sqdn was a member of the advance party of the 32nd batallion. He was one of the first Irish soldier's to set foot in the Congo. He was also a member of a patrol that was captured and held overnight, but they refused to surrender their arms. (I have a newspaper cutting of same). I remember the night he came home from the Congo, it was in January 1961. We met the lorries at the Curragh church in the early hours of a frosty morning. When we got home my mum Sheila showed him a scrapbook she had made of newspaper cuttings, where he was mentioned in the Congo. He lifted the top off the range and put the scrapbook into the fire, saying "I dont need anything to remind me of the Congo". It was very sad and it had a profound effect on him. He spoke very little about the Congo, but he did tell me about the Niemba ambush and how they searched for days (without sleep) for their missing comrades. He was particurally upset about Tpr Anthony Brown who he knew very well. Regards John O'Connor
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Post by Sean Tracey on Aug 12, 2010 8:56:08 GMT
Hi John. How sad to hear your storie about your Dad . It shows you how strong in mind these men were they had no such thing as counciling in those days . How some of them kept there sanity after what they had gone through is a measure of there metal. My missus and myself were in the Curragh a few weeks ago and i stood in Ceannt no houses there now, i could remember all who lived there including yourselves the Dwyers and the Tobins, it was very sad indeed i was describing how we lived and played to my wife she found ir facinating. Iwas describing you late dad and his mechanicial abilities i considered him then and still consider him now to have a wonderful person. Thanking you for your memory Sean Tracey.
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Post by congojoemallon on Aug 12, 2010 9:59:55 GMT
re advance party to congo. I know that sgt mulcahy mul as we knew him was on the advance party. When he came home from the congo he was in the orderly room in mcdonagh bks with sgt paddy o'neill. Sgt mulcahy RIP lived in pairc mhuire in newbridge
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Post by kellquinn on Aug 12, 2010 12:36:35 GMT
Hi CongoJoe Throwing breaks again I see. What about Operation Rubicon? Regards JKelly
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 12, 2010 19:18:27 GMT
John O C, I felt a sadness reading of your dads story regarding the scrapbook your mother kept, I imagine you would prize it if you had it this day. I have two pieces of memorabilia from that time a bank note and a coin that came from the Belgium Congo.
Andy
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Post by johnoconnor on Aug 12, 2010 19:20:06 GMT
Hi John. How sad to hear your storie about your Dad . It shows you how strong in mind these men were they had no such thing as counciling in those days . How some of them kept there sanity after what they had gone through is a measure of there metal. My missus and myself were in the Curragh a few weeks ago and i stood in Ceannt no houses there now, i could remember all who lived there including yourselves the Dwyers and the Tobins, it was very sad indeed i was describing how we lived and played to my wife she found ir facinating. Iwas describing you late dad and his mechanicial abilities i considered him then and still consider him now to have a wonderful person. Thanking you for your memory Sean Tracey. How are you keeping Sean it was good of you to reply to my post. I'm new to this game and I hope I'm doing it correctly. Your right what you said about the councilling etc. A lot of the men who came home from the Congo were never the same again, it had a terrible effect on them, so much so that they could not even talk about it. You spent a lot of time, working on cars with my dad and I'd be surprised if he ever spoke to you about his experiences in the Congo. By the way, last week I was going through some of my wedding photos from 1971 and spotted you in the group. It was sad to see that a lot of our neighbours and friends from the Curragh, who were also in the photo have passed on. If you send me your email address to johnoc51@yahoo.co.uk I will send you on the photo. Regards John O'Connor
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Post by Elizabeth Nolan /Shortt on Aug 15, 2010 15:51:47 GMT
my dad leo shortt,was in the congo, oct or nov 63 to march april 64 ,i have no other info on that he was in pearse barracks ,how would i find out, thank you ,elizabeth nolan [nee shortt]
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Post by Matt McNamara on Aug 15, 2010 16:12:04 GMT
my dad leo shortt,was in the congo, oct or nov 63 to march april 64 ,i have no other info on that he was in pearse barracks ,how would i find out, thank you ,elizabeth nolan [nee shortt] Hi Welcome to the Curragh History Forum. I hope the following is of use to you in your research. Researching ARMY RECORDS Over the last number of months I have received a lot of requests from visitors to the site inquiring about service records of family members who at some stage my have served in the Irish Army or indeed going back to pre 1922 in the British Army. For obvious reasons I don’t have access to that sort of information, but I will supply the following links for families who keen to track down the service records of family members. Before starting out on your research try and find as much information about your family member before contacting the relative archives. It will make your job explaining a lot easier and archivist job of finding any records a lot quicker. Although the following may seem obvious and some of the information you may not know. Any time spent here will pay dividends in the end of your research. Christian Names and Surname Date of Birth Address or even County at time of enlistment. Army Service Number (If you have this well then you are laughing) Unit’s Served Corps served in. Overseas Trips Armed with any of the above information then contact the following: I rish Military ArchivesPostal Address: Officer In Charge Military Archives Cathal Brugha Bks Rathmines Dublin 6 Ireland Telephone: + 00 353 1 8046457 Web Link: Irish Military Archives And good luck! Matt
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Post by johnoconnor on Aug 15, 2010 17:54:18 GMT
hi anyone got info on the advance party to the congo, 6 nco's 2 officers and cathal o' shannon? Hi. I beleive my dad Cpl James (Ginger) O'Connor, RIP, 86367. 1st tank sqdn was a member of the advance party of the 32nd batallion. He was one of the first Irish soldier's to set foot in the Congo. He was also a member of a patrol that was captured and held overnight, but they refused to surrender their arms. (I have a newspaper cutting of same). I remember the night he came home from the Congo, it was in January 1961. We met the lorries at the Curragh church in the early hours of a frosty morning. When we got home my mum Sheila showed him a scrapbook she had made of newspaper cuttings, where he was mentioned in the Congo. He lifted the top off the range and put the scrapbook into the fire, saying "I dont need anything to remind me of the Congo". It was very sad and it had a profound effect on him. He spoke very little about the Congo, but he did tell me about the Niemba ambush and how they searched for days (without sleep) for their missing comrades. He was particurally upset about Tpr Anthony Brown who he knew very well. Regards John O'Connor Hi Matt. Did you receive the photo I sent to you of the three Cavalry men on their way to the Congo in 1960. I sent it to matt@curragh.info I'm not sure I'm sending it correctly. If you did not receive it please let me know how to send in photos and I will have another go. I have a few photos from the Congo that I'm sure your members would recognise the Curragh men in them. Regards John O'Connor
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