Page 92 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

CANON ROBERT JENNINGS

instead it was string vests, long johns, flannel shirts and
pullovers under your uniform. It was nearly impossible to get
warm food as most of it was frozen and they had little means
of lighting fires to heat it. Some men often cooked their food
by burning diesel, which could be just as dangerous as the
shelling.'

Bob was bunkered behind the lines at Battalion HQ where he
built his own dugout beside the Doctor. He made it as
comfortable as possible.

One of these comforts was a bath, and as you can imagine
he soon was not short of friends who wanted to use it as regularly
as possible.

While chaplains do not usually carry guns, the Chinese did
not recognise the Geneva Convention so Bob was issued with a
38 revolver:

'I only really used it to take pot shots at the rats in my bunker
and there were plenty of them.'

In 1952 Bob returned from Korea and went on to Chaplain
plenty of other regiments. Among them were the Paras where he
enjoyed no less than 49 jumps.

He also served in England, Hong Kong, British Guiana,
Northern Ireland and Germany before retiring in 1967 after 17
years' service. In 1956 he married Jean and, throughout the
various postings, they raised their family: Kerry, Rosaleen,
Clodagh, Katie and Robert.

He was a Canon in the Church of Ireland and served in
Killeshandra, Co Cavan before going to Newcastle. He was
rector for 22 years in Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy and

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