CAVALRY CLUB NEWSLETTER - SPRING 2017 Newly Appointed Cav Officers. On 26 Jan 17 three members of 92 Cdt Class were commissioned as Cav Corps officers at a ceremony in the Gymnasium of the Defence Forces School of Physical Culture, Curragh Camp. 2/Lts John Nevin, Jason Nugent and Karl Dempsey received their commissioning scrolls from the Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe, TD on behalf of An tuachtarán Michael D Higgins. 2/Lt Nevin 2/Lt John Nevin (28) is from Newbridge, Co Kildare and he has been appointed to 1 Armd Cav Sqn. He has ten years service in the Defence Forces and this includes two overseas tours of duty, one with 108 Inf Bn UNIFIL and the second with 46 Inf Gp UNDOF. He was Cadet Captain for the first half of training. He was the recipient of the Col Justin McCarthy Trophy, an award given to the best individual debater. He was also presented with the Capt Mary Jo O Sullivan Award as the Cadet who achieved the highest marks in Academic Studies. Col George Kerton (Retd) presented 2/Lt Nevin with the ARCO (Association for Retired Commissioned Officers) Sword (An Claiomh Gaíscíochta) for the best overall Cdt. 2/Lt Nevin possesses an Advanced Certificate in Print Media and Design from Dublin Institute of Technology. His interests include current affairs, reading and clay pigeon shooting. 2/Lt Dempsey 2/Lt Karl Dempsey (24) is from Palmerstown, Co Dublin and he was appointed as Tp Comd 2 Cav Sqn. He was Cadet Captain for the second half of training. He was a Gym Manager in Dublin prior to being awarded his cadetship. He has completed a Degree in Leisure Management in Dublin Institute of Technology. His hobbies include soccer, general fitness and strength training.
2/Lt Nugent. Photos courtesy of DF PR Br. 2/Lt Jason Nugent (24) is from Ballycallan, Co Kilkenny and he was appointed to 2 Cav Sqn. He was awarded the Lt Gen William Callaghan Sword as the best Cdt in tactical exercises and practical leadership. The award is given annually to the Cdt who obtained first place in Tactical Training and Practical Leadership Ability. Prior to joining he studied English, Geography and Sociology in UCD. He then joined the army and served as a Pte for three years in 1 Inf Bn and 3 Inf Bn. His interests include hurling, rugby, soccer and mixed martial arts. Generations of Service to the Cav Corps. Our thanks to Col Michael Dawson (Sch Comdt Inf Sch & Dir of Inf) for bringing to our attention photographs that show the connection between two families and their decades-long contributions to the DF. The Lawless family from North Co Dublin came from a long line of ardent nationalists and five members of the family fought with 5 Bn Dublin Bde of the Irish Volunteers in the 1916 Rising. Frank Lawless was the Bn QM, his brother, Jim, was Capt of the St Margarets Coy, another brother, Ned was a Volunteer in the Swords Coy. Also in the Swords Coy were Frank s eldest son Joe (18 years of age) who was a Lt and a second son, Colm at 15 years of age was one of the youngest in 5 Bn. Joe served through the War of Independence and the Civil War, he remained in the army until his retirement as Dir of Cav in 1958 he was Cav Club President in 1950. Joe s son, Frank (Senior) was a member of 20 Cdt Class and he served from 1945 to 1983, he was Club President in 1968. The late Col Frank Lawless (Junior) was a member of 58 Cdt Class and he passed away last Oct while serving as J7 Dir DF Trg & Res. Like his father and grandfather before him, he had a great interest in mechanical engineering and AFVs and he served as Tech Offr on two occasions in UNIFIL, as well as being Tech Offr and later OIC Cav Wkshps. Paddy Lynch joined the National Army in Feb 1922 and he was initially employed as a motor cycle dispatch rider in Dublin. He was a driver of Crossley Tenders and was one of the drivers assigned to Gen Michael Collins. He was then posted to the Curragh where he was promoted to the rank of Sgt in Aug 1922. One month later he was back in Dublin working for Comdt Joe Hyland, the first OC Armd Car Corps in Portobello Bks in Rathmines where he was involved in the recovery and repair of AFVs that had been damaged or rendered unserviceable. He was the first military fitter in the newly established Cav Wkshps in 1924 at Tintown. He continued to serve there in the rank of Coy Sgt through the Emergency until 1947 when he took up the civilian appointment as Charge Hand Fitter, he was later appointed as Foreman in the Wkshps until he retired in 1972. His son Pat, who was born in 1925, served for a period in the Air Corps and in 1947 he followed his footsteps in Cav Wksps, Pat Lynch became foreman in 1977. Pat s son Padraig has also worked in the workshops. Col Joe Lawless and Paddy Lynch along with Comdt Aubrey Mayne (President of the Cav Club Pres in 1946) were responsible for the design and production of the Leyland, the Ford and Dodge armoured cars in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
In 1973, An Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave TD visited Plunkett Bks and he met with (the then) Comdt Frank Lawless (Senior) OIC Cav Wkshps and Paddy Lynch Foreman Cav Whshps. Photo courtesy of Mil Archives. On 03 Sep 2011, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD and the Defence Minister Alan Shatter TD attended the annual Cavalry Corps Memorial Day and this was the first public viewing of the Sliabh na mban Armoured Rolls Royce following its extensive restoration by Mr James Black and the staff of Combined Vehicle Base Workshops. L to R: the late Col Frank Lawless (RIP), An Taoiseach Mr Kenny TD and Pat Lynch retired Foreman Cav Wksps. Photo courtesy of Sgt JJ Ryan HQ DFTC. Col JV Lawless photographed with the staff of Cav Wksps in 1958, Paddy Lynch is to his right and Pat Lynch is second from the left in the second row. Photo courtesy of Mil Archives.
1 Armd Cav Sqn GOH. Brig Jeffrey Curmi, Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, paid a visit to DFTC at the Curragh Camp. He attended the commissioning ceremony where six Maltese Cdts received their certificate from the Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility for Defence. Brig Curmi inspecting the GOH commanded by Lt Colm Fahy. Photo courtesy of DF PR Br. 72 nd AGM 2017. The Annual General Meeting of Club Members was held in UNTSI on Thursday 23 Feb 2017 and twenty members attended. History was made with the election of the first female President in the club s history. The incoming committee is: Lt Joanne McCarthy President, Lt Col Ray O Lehan Vice-President, Lt Col Gerry Brennan (Retd) Honorary Treasurer, Lt Damien O Herlihy Honorary Secretary, Committee Members: Lt Col Gerry Cooney (Retd), Comdt Jayne Lawlor, Lt Gen Seán McCann (Retd), Capt Lisa McMahon, Comdt Peter O Kelly, Comdt Seamus Ryan. Lt Gen Sean McCann the outgoing President congratulating incoming President Lt Joanne McCarthy.
Scorpions Taken Out of Service. Some of the attendees at the AGM. Photos courtesy of Capt Mick Bohan (Retd). The fourteen Alvis Scorpion Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) [CVR(T)] have been taken out of service with 1 Armd Cav Sqn following thirty seven years of service in the DF. The first four CVR(T)s were delivered in Mar 1980 and 1 Tk Sqn was re-established with the late Comdt Jack McCarthy as Sqn Comd. Two further deliveries each of four tanks followed with the final two tanks arriving in Dec 1985. A CVR(T) on the security operation for the meeting of Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and the UK Prime Minister John Majors at Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel in 1993.
Capt Eamonn Smyth (Comdt Retd and Club President in 1993) and Sgt Mick Fahy in a CVR(T) mounting a 12.7 mm HMG. Photos courtesy of Comdt Eamonn Smyth (Retd). 22 May 1992. All fourteen CVR(T)s lined up in sequence with the first tank that was registered in 1980 on the right of the photograph. Promotion. Comdt Colin MacNamee J1 HR Br has been listed for promotion to Lt Col. He is the son of Brig Gen Liam MacNamee (Retd, Club President in 1987) and grandson of the late Col Hugh MacNamee. We wish Colin every success in the future. Comdt Colin MacNamee.
Historical Cavalry and Armoured Vehicles Photographs. 1920s. Circa 08 Aug 1922. During the Civil War, the National Army commandeered two ships, the Arvonia and the Lady Wicklow, to transport a large contingent of troops supported by two Peerless armoured cars, one Armoured Rolls Royce and a number of Lancias with two 18 Pounder artillery pieces under the command of Gen Emmett Dalton for sea landings in Counties Kerry and Cork. The Manager (later ARR 5 and YI 6453) and one opened-top Lancia being was transported on board the Arvonia from the North Wall in Dublin to the south west for operations against the Anti-Treaty Forces. 1930s. Aug 1935. In 1934 Ireland agreed to purchase two L60s Landsverk in Sweden and both of the Irish L-60s were completed by Aug 1935. The seven ton tank had a top speed of 45 kph. Maj Anthony Teadsle (Tony) Lawlor (Dir Armd Car Corps Nov 1931 Mar 1934, Dir of the Cav Corps Mar 1934 Jun 1935 and from Jan 1943 Feb 1952, OC Curragh Training Camp 1952 1959 and Cav Club President in 1954) attended a demonstration of the tank in Sweden and as the demonstration was about to finish, the tank caught fire and was burnt out. As a result one tank was delivered in Nov 1935 and the second in 1936. The two L60s given the designations L-601 and L-602 were assigned to the 2 Armd Sqn and they served alongside the Vickers Medium Tank Mk C. The L60s remained in service until 1953, one tank is on display in the National Museum Collins Bks Dublin and the other is in the Curragh. This photograph shows the Landsverk L60 light tank undergoing mobility testing near the Landsverk factory at Landskrona in Sweden in Aug 1935.
1940s. 1946. This photograph was donated by Tommy Kinsella from Gorey Co Wexford. His father Capt Robert G Kinsella served in the Cav Corps through the Emergency period and up to 1947. He commanded 7 and 9 Cyc Sqns and served in Cav Dep from 1945 until he retired. The photograph shows the Cavalry Corps Rugby Team winners of the Curragh Command Championships in 1946. The following are details of some of those in the photograph, Standing L to R: Morgan Crowe (the referee), Col Sean Collins Powell OC Curragh Command (later Lt Gen COS 1961 1962 and Cav Club President 1971), Lt Eamon Walsh 1 Armd Sqn, Dan Kirby, Capt Robert Kinsella Cav Dep, Maj Scanlon, Lt Dan Kennedy 4 Mot Sqn (Cav Club President 1980), Lt Art Magennis Cav Sch, Cecil Sylvester, Lt Jack Coffey 1 Armd Sqn (he was the President of the IRFU in 1977 78 and Cav Club President in 1957), Comdt Donal McCormack HQ Curragh Command, -, Lt Tommy Roche 1 Armd Sqn. Front row: Cpl Mick Bohanna 9 Cyc Sqn, Lt Jeremiah (Jer) Delaney, Cav Dep, Pat Sweeney, J Prendergast, -, Capt Murray, Brendan Cassidy. 1950s. 1958. This photograph was taken in Lebanon in 1958 and it shows three of Ireland s first peacekeepers on duty as UN Military Observers with UNOGIL. Fifty DF officers served in UNOGIL and they included six Cav Corps officers: Capt Pat Lavelle, Capt Pat Keogh, Lts Ted Sheehy, Mark Carroll, Jack O Brien and Roger McCorley (later Col & Cav Club President in 1972) This mission, Ireland s first overseas peacekeeping, was established to prevent troops and weapons entering Lebanon during the Lebanese political crisis caused by political and religious tensions in the country. The three Irish UNMOs are L to R: Lt Fergus O Connell, Lt Roger McCorley, and Lt John Ryan (looking to the rear). The late Col McCorley s second tour of duty was as Pl Comd C Coy 35 Inf Bn ONUC and he was awarded An Bonn Seirbhíse Dearscna Le Dearschacht (The Distinguished Service Medal With Distinction) for courage and initiative during the period 13 to 17 Sep 1961 during the fighting in the Elizabethville area. Photo courtesy of Col John Ryan (Retd).
1960s. Jan 1961. This photograph shows Col Jim Cogan D Cav (a member of the First Cdt Class and Cav Club President in 1960) with the pennant of the first ever Cav Corps Sub-unit to serve overseas Armd Car Gp 34 Inf Bn ONUC with five of the seven officers of the Gp. Capt Edward O Neill and Lt Brendan Smyth are missing from the photograph. The first two units deployed to the Congo (32 & 33 Inf Bns) did not have a Cav element but after the killings of nine personnel in the Niemba Ambush on 08 Nov 1960 it was decided to send AFVs. The Armd Car Gp had a strength of 54 personnel; 7 officers (1 Comdt, 4 Capts, 2 Lts) and 47 enlisted Personnel. 34 Inf Bn served in the Congo from 04 Jan to 27 Jun 61. L to R: Col Jim Cogan, Lt Dermod Coffey, Capt Ray Whyte, Capt Harry Costello, Capt Bill Manahan and Comdt Joe Foley Armd Car Gp Comd (Cav Club President in 1962). Photo courtesy of Mil Archives. 1970s. 31 Aug 1976. This photograph was donated by Col Joe Dowling (Retd) and it shows 2 Mot Sqn escorting the cortege of President Eamon de Valera Éamon on the dual carriageway from a nursing home in Dunlaoighre and was taken from the overpass at Stillorgan. He died on 29 August 1975 and he lay in state for two days in Dublin Castle before a state funeral on 02 Sep 1975 to Glasnevin Cemetery. He was Taoiseach between 1932-48, 1951-54 and 1957-9 and he served as President from 1959-1973. The Escort of Honour was commanded by Capt Niall Daly (Club President in 1989) with Lt Joe Dowling in front and 2/Lt Ollie Barbour with the rear Tp. Photo courtesy of Col Joe Dowling (Retd).
1980s. 1988. Four of those who attended the Cav Club AGM at Plunkett Officers Mess in 1988. L to R: Capt Pat Carey 11 Mot Sqn and Cav Club President 1988, Col Pat Lavelle who retired as Inf Sch Comdt in 1980, Capt Frank McMahon 11 Cav Sqn who was Cav Club President in 1978 and in 2001 and Comdt Tommy Roche who retired in 1970 as EO Dep Cav. Photo courtesy of Brig Gen Liam MacNamee (Retd). 1990s. 1997. This photograph was taken in Jul 1997 and is shows members of a Cav Young Officers Course on exercise in the Munster area. L to R: Lts Ruairi O Brien, Eugene Cooke, Johnathan Mills, Trevor Ging, Charlie Dineen, Joe Mullins, Micheál Conneely and Liam Toland. Photo courtesy Col Seán O Keeffe. Carpe diem.