Niemba

In 1960 civil war broke out in the Congo, following independence from Belgium. A UN
peace-keeping force was dispatched there, which included a contingent of Irish troops.
Irish Army HQ in the Congo was located in Albertville (now Kalemie in DRC). Two
outlying bases were located in Kamina 800 kilometres to the south-west and in Goma
500 kilometres to the north. The radio equipment then in use by the Irish army in the
Congo could not operate above 10 MHz. This restriction meant that, while contact could
be made between Albertville and the bases, contact with army headquarters back in
Dublin was almost impossible.

Terry happened to be tuning around the 7 MHz band one day when he heard an Irish accent calling "CQ", using the Curragh Army
Radio Club call-sign EI5C. The radio operator was Capt. Brendan Deegan operating from Goma. For several days afterwards, Terry
relayed news from Ireland to Capt. Deegan.

Terry offered to construct a 28 MHz transmitter for Capt. Deegan and also donated a BC348 receiver. Delivery was arranged near
Kinsoro on the Uganda/Congo border. The 500 kilometre drive from Ginga to Kinsoro took Terry twelve hours over rugged terrain
and through hostile territory. At last, Terry was relieved to see the lights of Kinsoro in the distance as he arrived at the rendezvous.

After a short while, a white UN truck approached flying the Irish flag. Captain Deegan introduced himself and his men. Terry
explained the setting up and operation of the radio equipment before handing it over to the captain. Terry was presented with some
Irish biscuits, a supply of tea and some petrol for the long drive back to Ginga.

After a few days the equipment was set up in Goma and the first of many regular contacts was made directly with Jim Stone in
Dublin who happily provided news from home and passed on m. General Seán McKeon, chief of staff of the Irish Army, got to hear
of these regular radio contacts and was invited to the parish house in Killester to address the troops in the Congo.

He arrived on the morning of 8 November 1960 and was in communication with Colonel Buckley, CO of the 32nd Battalion in the
Congo when the sad news began to filter through to Goma of an ambush on an Irish army patrol, operating out of Kamina. The
ambush, by Baluba tribesmen, took place at Niemba as the Irish soldiers tried to repair a bridge over the Luweyeye River. Details
of the ambush and of the casualties were given to Gen. McKeon over the air that morning. Nine Irish soldiers lost their lives and two
survived.

Shortly thereafter, a telex link was installed allowing reliable communications between Army HQ in Ireland and the Congo.
However, amateur radio stepped into the breech to provide telecommunications backup when it was needed.

This account is based on an account related by Jim Stone to Jimmy Upton (EI8Z). Sadly, both have now passed away, as has Captain
Deegan. However, Jim Stone's Heathkit Apache Transmitter is now on exhibition at the radio museum in the Martello tower at
Howth.