THE SIEGE OF JADOTVILLE PART III: THE FORGOTTEN VICTORY
Tony Dykes’s United Nations photo ID, which was issued shortly before he was deployed to the Congo
Irish UN peacekeepers at Elisabethville Airport during the Congo Crisis. After the Siege of Jadotville Tony Dykes fought with other members of A Company to keep the airport in UN hands
The Siege of Jadotville is one of the most remarkable stories in Irish military history. Between 13-17 September 1961, 156 inexperienced United Nations peacekeepers of A Company, 35th Irish Infantry Battalion fought a heroic defence in the Congo against 2,000-4,000 armed secessionist Katangese gendarmeries and mercenaries.
Against all the odds not one member of A Company was killed, while 300-400 of their attackers became fatalities, and approximately 1,000 were wounded. However, the remarkable efforts of the Irish soldiers, led by Commandant Patrick ‘Pat’ Quinlan, were not fully supported by the UN high command, and the garrison was eventually surrounded and forced into a tense captivity by the Katangans. They were eventually released in late October 1961.
A Company’s bravery was not just confined to Jadotville (now Likasi): after they were released from captivity approximately 95-100 members of the company came under attack in the Katangan capital of Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi) before they were scheduled to return to Ireland in December 1961.
Known as the ‘Second Battle of Katanga’ this fierce fight was the UN’s attempt to clear rebel gendarmeries and mercenaries from enemy roadblocks around Elisabethville Airport and restore freedom of movement. 58 members of A Company had already flown home on 28 November, so it was left to the remnants of the veterans of Jadotville to face their attackers once more.
Working with Swedish and Indian peacekeepers, A Company led the vanguard and once again inflicted many casualties under Pat Quinlan’s command without losing a single man. Along with substantial UN air support, the mercenaries and gendarmeries were comprehensively defeated, and many surrendered. The remainder of A Company finally returned home just before Christmas in 1961.
Among those battle-weary troops was Private Tony Dykes. Born in 1941, Dykes was 19 years old when he was deployed to the Congo and tells the gritty but forgotten story of how A Company finally inflicted a satisfying victory over their formidable foes.
Private Tony Dykes (back row, fourth from left) when he had finished training at Custume Barracks, 1959.
Lieutenant Noel Carey is seated front row, fifth from right
A peacekeeping ‘policeman’
When did you join the Irish Army?
I joined as an ordinary recruit in 1959. A neighbour of mine called Frank MacManus – who was at Jadotville with me – said, ”Come on, we’re off!” I went
