Hold-up in inquiry into medals for Jadotville soldiers
AN INDEPENDENT review group investigating whether medals of gallantry should be awarded to the 33 Irish men who fought at the epic siege of Jadotville has asked for more time to complete its work.
The six-member group was due to submit a report to Army Chief of Staff Vice Admiral
Mark Mellet on Wednesday over the troops whose bravery was portrayed in the Siege of Jadotville film starring
Jamie Dornan.
But a source said that the inquiry team has asked for an extension because of the sheer number of submissions – and the detail contained within – it has received from survivors of the battle, their relatives and retired members of the Defence Forces.
The source said: ‘One of the submissions they got was from a retired senior officer about people developing post-traumatic stress from fighting in a war situation.
‘A lot of relatives have given details about how their fathers were jeered when they came back from Jadotville and the impact that it had on their fathers, themselves and their children. It really has passed down the generations.’
Under the command of Colonel Pat Quinlan, 33 members from the A Company 35th Battalion put up a fierce resistance against enemy forces in what was then known as the Belgian Congo during a five-day siege in September 1961.
They were serving as part of a United Nations peace force and kept the enemy at bay despite being vastly outnumbered by the warring factions.
By the end of the five-day siege, all of the Irish contingent survived but on the other side 300 were dead and 750 injured.
The Irish soldiers were captured and after their release their commanding officer Colonel Quinlan not only recommended all 33 of his men be awarded a Distinguished Service Medal, the Irish Army officer also requested five of the men be decorated with the Military Medal for Gallantry.
However, on their return they were derisively known as ‘Jadotville Jacks’ because they had surrendered.
Last night, an Army spokeswoman confirmed the independent Jadotville review group had applied for a time extension.