Matthew retires after 44 years
A man from Fethard-on-Sea has been presented with a specially commissioned statuette from the Reserve Defence Forces to mark his standing down after a career in the armed forces that had entered a fifth decade.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant Matthew Colfer was presented with the piece by Lieutenant Aidan Douglas, from Carnew.
Speaking to this newspaper about his career CQMS Colfer said he joined the defence forces in 1974 at St Stephen’s Barracks in Kilkenny; which was also where the presentation and standing down ceremony took place.
‘I’m from Fethard-on-Sea and my father and brother were in the FCA and I always had an interest in the military anyway even from a young age,’ he said.
‘ Two of my brothers joined up on the same day as me and we signed up in Fethard-on-Sea where there used to be a recruitment office at that time,’ he added.
Having spent that length of time in the service there are some memorable events etched in his mind, however, one of the things that stands out most was an occasion during severe flooding in Enniscorthy when he saved a person from drowning in the river Slaney.
‘ That is definitely my most memorable moment,’ he said.
Having been promoted to Sergeant 14 years ago he was further promoted two years later to the rank of Company Quartermaster Sergeant and in that role and as part of his standing down ceremony he inspected the company and spoke to the soldiers about his time in service.
In addition to his army duties he also served four years in the Irish Naval service and was assigned to the LE Grainne out of Haulbowline on which he became an able-bodied seaman (AB).
‘I was involved in arrests of Russian trawlers at the time,’ he said.
‘It was between 1976 and 1980, when it was in full swing,’ he added.
However, when he got married he left the navy and returned to land-based duties with the RDF: ‘My wife, Angela, is from Wexford town and when we got married I remained here from then on.’
The couple have two children, Andrew, who was a member of the RDF for four years, and Gavin, who has been a member of the Gardai for 16 years
He said there is great camaraderie in the force and that’s something he will miss. He is also very proud of his time in the service.
There will be a retirement party in the New Year for a number of Wexford based RDF personnel, including CQMS Colfer, who have retired recently after many years in the service.