Congo Galleries

 

Irish Defence Forces
with the
UN forces in the Congo


The galleries are listed in no particular chronological order

 

 

Introduction  

It is fifty years since Irish soldiers went to serve as part of a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo in July 1960. As part of this commemoration we, MHIT, have added image galleries to our website. Most of these galleries are small and in a lot of the galleries the names of personnel are unknown to us. We would be grateful if visitors could put names to images and give any other additional information. If you have digtal copies of images from this era we would be delighted to add them to our galleries. To contact us please use this email link.

 

 

The Pre-Departure Gallery              

This gallery shows images of the troops in prepartaion and on deployment to the Congo.

Images in gallery

  1. Kit Bag belonging to Sgt Keane, No. 1 Platoon.
  2. Troops undergoing their medical preparations.
  3. The Battalion proudly parades through Dublin.
  4. Capt Reidy briefs MP detachment..
  5. Troops prepare to depart barracks.
  6. Young William O'Connor and his mum say farewell to dad.
  7. Troops march out.
  8. An Irishman loves his music as a soldier brings his guitar.
  9. Col W Donagh, Gen S McKeown and Col P Halley inspect the flag.
  10. A Family snap?

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Congo General Gallery

This gallery shows general images taken in the Congo.

Images in gallery

  1. 30 UNOC group photograph?.
  2. Local village dwelling.
  3. Unknown gathering.
  4. Local child
  5. Baluba tribemen.
  6. Irish Checkpoint.
  7. Congo Warrior?.
  8. Frank Aitken on a visit.
  9. Gen Sean McKeown and Conor Cruise O'Brien.
  10. Possible Checkpoint?
  11. Irish sandbag position - Soldiers carrying Gustaf and Bren machine gun.
  12. Irish Soldiers with Gustafs at road block/checkpoint.
  13. Irish soldiers in negiotiations?

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Niemba & Niemba Funeral

This gallery shows images from Niemba including the Niemba Platoon the site of the ambush and the monument erected in their honour. .

Images in gallery

  1. The Niemba Platoon.
  2. Sgt Hugh Gaynor.
  3. The Site of the Ambush.
  4. Erecting the monument.
  5. Erecting the monument 2.
  6. The caskets arriving at Baldonne with RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) personnell.
  7. The funeral through Dublin City.
  8. A Modern day Picure of the Monument.

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Jadotville & Elizabeth

This gallery shows images from Elizabeth and the Siege of Jadotville.

Images in gallery

  1. 81mm Mortar Crew in action.
  2. Dug in in Jadotville.
  3. Dug in in Jadotville
  4. Jadotville during the siege.
  5. A Helicopter at Jadotville.
  6. Jadotville after the 5 day Battle.
  7. Elizabethville Guard Duty.
  8. Observation Post Elizabethville.
  9. Elizabethville (Unknown Situation).
  10. On Guard at the Railyard Elizabethville

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Military Equipment in The Congo.

Selection of Images of the various pieces of Equipment used in the Congo. Names of personnel not available.

Images in gallery

  1. 81mm mortar crew .
  2. Armoured vehicle with Irish patrol.
  3. Ford Armoured Car Congo Vehicle (DFTC)
  4. Ford armoured car on patrol in Congo
  5. Line up of Ford armoured cars in Congo.
  6. On foot and armoured car patrol in Congo.
  7. Jeep being loaded on a Globemaster.
  8. Landrover in the Irish camp.
  9. Logistics store with baggage for Congo.
  10. Lulua weapons.
  11. Wireless operator on duty Congo (Possibly A Coy).

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Baldonnel and Departure

Images of Irish Forces from the 32nd and 34th Battalions in Baldonnel prior to Departure. Names of personnel not available.

Images in gallery

  1. 32nd Battalion personnel embark on the Globemaster.
  2. 32nd Battalion embark on Globemaster -2.
  3. 32nd Battalion officers on barod the Globemaster.
  4. 32 Battalion on board the Globemaster.
  5. The 32nd Battalion embark
  6. Archie Raeside - photographer 32 Battalion.
  7. Baggage loading at Baldonnel
  8. Loading an armoured car for the 34th Battalion
  9. Congo airlift Baldonnel 1960
  10. Loading a Globemaster
  11. Lt Col Buckley with Frank Aitken and Kevin Boland
  12. Sean Lemass reviews the 32nd Battalion.
  13. Irish and US airforce officers at Baldonnel.

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Logistics & personnel

Images of Defence Forces from Logistics and varous personnel of the battalions in the COngo.

Images in gallery

  1. A nice can from home.
  2. Fuel transfer.
  3. Pack Rations for the journey.
  4. Preparing the sangers.
  5. A casevac.
  6. Comdt Lous Hogan.
  7. 34 Bn Congo.
  8. Conor Crusie O'Brien.
  9. Unkown detail for this Image 33.
  10. Indian troops in Congo.
  11. Lake Kivu - possibly.
  12. Liaison meeting
  13. Officers,-NCOs-and-privates-A-Coy-32-Bn-Christmas-Day-1960.
  14. Pipe band relaxing.
  15. Taking a break.
  16. Tug-a-war.
  17. US Airforce personnel.

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Siobhan Pierce Gallery

Image Gallery by kind permission of Defence Forces Military Archives

Images in gallery

  1. Irish Soldiers & Native Soldier (Force Publique?).
  2. On patrol December 1961 Elizabethville .
  3. Soldier in steel helmet & with FN Rifle.
  4. 34th Battalion pennant and soldier of 34th.
  5. Irish soldier washing brassard with Irish flag.
  6. 33rd Battalion  marching up ramp of U.S. Globemaster at Baldonnel.
  7. Convoy including Ford APC in Congo
  8. Three Irish Defence Forces soldiers returning from Congo with Baluba arrows.

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  • Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowldege Defence Forces Military Archives who kindly donated the images for these galleries and the images in the gallery associated with the Siobhan Pierce article

 

 

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