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THE NIEMBA ANBUSH IN THE CONGO 1960.
On Tuesday, 8 November 1960, an eleven-man patrol from 2 Platoon, "A" Coy, 33 Inf Bn was attacked by a large
number of Baluba tribesmen at a crossing point on the Luweyeye River approximately 30 Km from the
platoon base at Niemba village.
Nine of the patrol died, eight at the ambush site, and another member of the patrol was subsequently killed a few days later near the village of Tundula, 5 Km from the ambush.
The eight who were killed on 8 Nov were: -
Lt. Kevin M Gleeson (30), home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy,
Sgt. Hugh F Gaynor (29), home unit 2 Mot Sqn ,
Cpl. Liam Dougan (24), home unit 5 Inf Bn,
Cpl. Peter J Kelly (25), home unit 5 Inf Bn,
Pte. Matthew Farrell (22), home unit 2 Hosp Coy,
Tpr. Thomas A Fennell (18), home unit 2 Mot Sqn,
Pte. Gerard Killeen (27), home unit CTD (E), [Command Training Depot, East]
Pte. Michael McGuinn (21), home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy.
Tpr. Anthony Browne (20) MMG [Military Medal of Gallantry] 2 Mot Sqn (he is believed to have been killed a day or two after 8 Nov. 1960. His remains were recovered two years later on 7 Nov 1962.)
Two members of the patrol, Pte Joseph Fitzpatrick (21) from North King St, Dublin and Pte Thomas
Kenny (24) from Ballinteer Cottages, Dundrum survived the ambush.
On 10 Nov at approximately 2100 hours, during an alert at Niemba,
Pte. Patrick Hubert Davis, home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy who was a sentry on a veranda was wounded by an accidental weapons dischargeand he died as he was being transported by road to Albertville.
We remember Kevin Gleeson, Hugh Gaynor, Liam Dougan, Peter Kelly, Matthew Farrell, Thomas
Fennell, Gerard Killeen, Michael McGuinn, Anthony Browne and Patrick Davis on the anniversaries of
their deaths and the loss to their families; their comrades and the Irish Defence Forces.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dhílse agus suaimhneas síoraí i measc na naomh dóibh.
May they all + Rest In Peace +
Photo caption. A DF poster with photographs of the nine casualties . Credit DF
Printing Press.
On Tuesday, 8 November 1960, an eleven-man patrol from 2 Platoon, "A" Coy, 33 Inf Bn was attacked by a large
number of Baluba tribesmen at a crossing point on the Luweyeye River approximately 30 Km from the
platoon base at Niemba village.
Nine of the patrol died, eight at the ambush site, and another member of the patrol was subsequently killed a few days later near the village of Tundula, 5 Km from the ambush.
The eight who were killed on 8 Nov were: -
Lt. Kevin M Gleeson (30), home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy,
Sgt. Hugh F Gaynor (29), home unit 2 Mot Sqn ,
Cpl. Liam Dougan (24), home unit 5 Inf Bn,
Cpl. Peter J Kelly (25), home unit 5 Inf Bn,
Pte. Matthew Farrell (22), home unit 2 Hosp Coy,
Tpr. Thomas A Fennell (18), home unit 2 Mot Sqn,
Pte. Gerard Killeen (27), home unit CTD (E), [Command Training Depot, East]
Pte. Michael McGuinn (21), home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy.
Tpr. Anthony Browne (20) MMG [Military Medal of Gallantry] 2 Mot Sqn (he is believed to have been killed a day or two after 8 Nov. 1960. His remains were recovered two years later on 7 Nov 1962.)
Two members of the patrol, Pte Joseph Fitzpatrick (21) from North King St, Dublin and Pte Thomas
Kenny (24) from Ballinteer Cottages, Dundrum survived the ambush.
On 10 Nov at approximately 2100 hours, during an alert at Niemba,
Pte. Patrick Hubert Davis, home unit 2 Fld Engr Coy who was a sentry on a veranda was wounded by an accidental weapons dischargeand he died as he was being transported by road to Albertville.
We remember Kevin Gleeson, Hugh Gaynor, Liam Dougan, Peter Kelly, Matthew Farrell, Thomas
Fennell, Gerard Killeen, Michael McGuinn, Anthony Browne and Patrick Davis on the anniversaries of
their deaths and the loss to their families; their comrades and the Irish Defence Forces.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dhílse agus suaimhneas síoraí i measc na naomh dóibh.
May they all + Rest In Peace +
Photo caption. A DF poster with photographs of the nine casualties . Credit DF
Printing Press.
