2725308 Sgt Michael O'Byrne


Hello Ivor

I joined the Mick's in Coventry in 1944  for 7yrs and 5yrs and I have many memories of my first weeks at the Guards Depot, some good, some bad and some very funny. . . . . .

 Trained Soldier McGrath who lost an eye in Norway was the one taught us how to clean and polish equipment and make up our beds, he used take his glass eye out whenever he went out of barracks, saying when he got back he would put it back in, and would see every thing we had done while he was away,

Well, one night some of the lads decided to play a prank and hid his eye which was always placed on his pillow, and that was alright until he came back
and could’nt find his eye. He got us all out of bed, chased us all out of the room, then threw all our beds and equipment out the windows and locked us out for a while until someone told him where to find his eye. Needless to say no one ever dared to do anything to him , or complain about anything after that..

I think it was in High Wycombe that I first got into real trouble, the lads told me that my name was on the detail for cookhouse fatigue on a Sunday morning.
I went along to make sure and found it was a Guardsman O’Brien who was on the detail so I decided I wasn’t going to be on the parade. Ironically I was charged the next day with failing to report on the detail, and was marched in before the Company Commander. The Sgt in waiting was L/Sgt Kenneally V.C. When asked if had I anything to say in defence, I took the pace forward and said: "My name was not on the detail Sir"   Kenneally said "It was Sir"
and again I said  "I didn’t see it Sir"   . . . .
The detail was sent for, and when the Co Commander saw the name O’BRIEN he told Kenneally a bit of Irish History about Irish Names - the case against me was dismissed, and I was marched out. When dismissed I heard the C.S.M telling Kenneally to "Watch out for that O’Byrne, he’s no eejit."

I was in Chelsea when the war in Europe ended, they were looking for instructors to train troops in the R.W.A.F.F and I was accepted  and found myself out in Nigeria, but the war with Japan ended before we saw any action, and after an 18 month tour I returned to the UK and Chelsea Barracks

In 1948 I went out to the 1st Battalion in Palestine, and from there to Tripoli.

I returned to the U.K. on P.Y.T.H.O.N. before the Battalion was due to return to the U.K. and reported to Pirbright with instructions to take responsibility for the pre war uniforms for the Battalion to take up Public duties in tunic order. the Micks were the first in the Brigade to do this.

I left the Micks in Pirbright in October 1952.

As a Civilian I joined the Rhodesia Railways as a guard and then went to Kenya  as an A.S.P Kenya prison's and after the Mau Mau problem was over I went into the Agriculture Department, and I left Kenya in September 1963 and returned to IRELAND and have lived in Westport ever since.

I met John Hyland and the Irish Guard Singer’s last September in Westport, they brought back a lot of happy memories and I look forward to seeing them again next September. They are the best ambassadors England has between our two countries. 

2725308 Sgt Michael O’Byrne