Those who Served
Seaman David O'Brien . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HM Rescue Tug Frisky from St John's, Newfoundland) (d.28th Sep 1942) David's brother Michael was an Able Seaman in the Candian Merchant Navy fell on the 30th of March 1941
while on the SS Eastlea out of Newcastle upon Tyne. His brother Maurice was lost on HMS Forfar on the 2nd of December 1940. |
Able Seaman. F. O'Brien . Royal Navy HMS Forfar F. O'Brien is listed as a survivor of the crew of HMS Forfar. |
Able Seaman Maurice Francis O'Brien . Royal Navy HMS Forfar from St John's Newfoundland) (d.2nd Dec 1940) Maurice's brother, David also fell 28th Sept 1942 whilst serving on HM Rescue Tug Frisky. Their brother Michael was an Able Seaman in the Candian Merchant Navy fell on the 30th of March 1941
while on the SS Eastlea out of Newcastle upon Tyne. |
Able Seaman. Michael O'Brien . Canadian Merchant Navy SS. Eastlea from St John's, Newfoundland) (d.30th Mar 1941) Michael was an Able Seaman in the Candian Merchant Navy fell on the 30th of March 1941 while on the SS Eastlea out of Newcastle upon Tyne. His brother Maurice was lost on HMS Forfar on the 2nd of December 1940 and his brother David also fell 28th Sept 1942 whilst serving on HM Rescue Tug Frisky.
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Cpl. Daniel O'Callaghan . British Army Royal Army Medical Corps from Liverpool) I would like to find any one who knew my Danny O'Callaghan, he served with the 15th Scottish Division. |
P/O J. C. O'Connell . Royal Canadian Air Force 419 Sqd. |
"Red" O'Conner . US Navy 105 Sqd. Fleet Air Wing 7 This photo is from Virginnia Quaifs's collection, my Mother was the Red Cross Director, assigned to Dunkeswell Navy Base during the last years of the war. |
John "Paddy" O'Connor . Army Ox & Bucks Light Infantry from Dingle, Rep of Ireland) My father's name was John 'Paddy' O'Connor. All I know is that my father joined the Ox & Bucks Regiment when he was 15/16 years old in about 1937. He lied about his age (so he used to say!) He came over from Ireland as there was nothing for him there. He said he was at Dunkirk. We have a photo of him, very young, in his uniform but with no insignia - I presume he was a private. Mum said he was a 'valet to the Padre'. He also mentioned being 'in the Gliders'. His only physical war wound was losing his big toenail of his right foot!! My father hardly ever talked about the war. He died over twenty years ago now but as a family we would love to know his history. He was demobbed at the Cowley Barracks in Oxford sometime between 1947 and 1949. Post war he worked as a Brickie, and at Morris' Car Works in Cowley Oxford. |
K O'Dell . Land Army I was a Land Army girl and one memory I have was when my friend and I had a
job to do collecting brussels sprout stalks with a horse and cart and
filling in bomb craters.
The idea was to back the horse and cart to the crater, put the back down and
release the sprout stalks. Being such conscientious girls we pushed the
horse as well as the cart down into the crater - and my friend went down,
too. You can imagine the pandemonium. I yelled for help and eventually some
farm men came running over and.
One had to unharness the horse and another saw to my badly shaken friend
while a tractor pulled out the cart. The dear old horse, Deba, was none the
worse for wear and we carried on with our work, feeling quite sheepish about
the whole affair.
The friend,Vera, still lives in America. She married a GI and moved there
after the War.
It was a great life on the land - hard, hard work, often in the icy cold and
wet, but we did have some lovely summers. We worked till late at night,
cutting corn, stacking sheaves, thrashing, but the worst for all of us was
collecting the ghastly barley chaff with its dirt and prickles in your
clothes in the sweltering heat.
Can any ex-Land Girl remember the lovely harvest teas we had brought out to
us by the farmers' wives? Do they remember cutting the legs off our
dungarees in the summer to get a lovely tan?
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Kathy O'Donnell . Timber Corps |
Sergeant Donald O'Donoghue . RAF 460 Squadron (d.9th October 1943) |
Sqd Ldr. Gerard Wilfrid O'Donovan DSO. DFC.. Royal Air Force 582 Squadron Aged 89. Living near Bath although in poor health. His rear-gunner, Ernest Baker, wrote of Gerard O'Donovan, 'We all felt safe with Gerard. Wherever we went I never had any worries knowing Gerard would get us home. Gerard was a man to be respected and admired.'
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Greaser Michael O'Hagan . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar from Glasgow, Scotland) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Trimmer Thomas O'Hanlon . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar from Liverpool) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
F/S Leo Francis "Pat" O'Hara . RCAF mid upper gunner 419 Sqd. from Canada) (d.10th Oct 1944) |
F/Sgt. Leo Francis O'Hara . Royal Canadian Air Force air gunner. 419 Sqd. (d.9th Oct 1944) |
Lilian O'Hara . Land Army My mother-in-law, Lilian O'Hara, died last year, and amongst her posessions were two badges - one which I think is a Land Army hat badge and the other looks like the Olympic rings. We also found a photo of her with the Olympics ring badge fastening her shirt at the collar. Please can anyone tell me if the Olympics badge is something to do with the Land Army? We would love to know.
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Cook John Joseph O'Keefe . Merch. Sea. Cook RMS Athenia from Helensburgh, Scotland) (d.4th Sep 1939) My maternal Grandad John Joseph O'Keefe was the ship's cook onboard the fated Athenia - the 1st ship to be torpedoed in the 2nd World War.
His name is on the Cenotaph in our local park in Helensburgh, Hermitage Park, although my Nanny, Mary O'Keefe was never given a war widows pension. He didnt die straight away but did die eventually as a result of his injuries sustained during the attack.
He was landed at Galway and spent several months in hospital. A lot of his injuries were burns due to the stock pot pouring over him during the blasts.
He left behind his wife Mary(d) and 6 children, Margaret(d), Rose(d), Frances (my Mum), Mary(d), Effie and his only son, John(d).
I would love to have any other information that anyone may have about the crew and survivors. Many thanks. |
Flight Lieutentant John "Jack" O'Leary D.F.C. A.F.C.. RAF 106 Squadron from 9, Glendower Rd Liverpool) My late father John O'Leary flew with 106 squadron from Oct 1943 till June 1944. I am still in posession of his log books covering all the missions he flew. There are names in the logs that I heard mentioned when I was very young. Names like F/O Harvey, P/O Perry, P/O Starkey and P/O Miffin. Sadley my father died from a heart attack when I was only 15 years old (now 63). and I never got to find out what part these people played in my parents life. I say parents because my Mother Winifred Boddy and her sister Mary Boddy, as they were then know were attached to 106 Sqd.
Why do we always leave it till late in life to wonder about our parents or is it just me.
I would be interested if anyone knew my father and can shed some light on his wartime activities |
James O'Neill . Bevin Boys My father James O'Neill, who is still alive, served as a Bevin boy from start to finish. Although he was an air cadet and wanted to join the RAF as a rear gunner, he was dismissed and sent down the mines. He did his initial training at Humber Hill and Victory mines in County Durham where he lived and then went onto Bettshanger Collery in Kent for the remainder of the war. He was one of the last to be demobbed in 1948. If anyone has any records that I can pass on to him of people, places and names that would help him to remember I would be eternally grateful. |
Peter Paul O'Neill . British Army from Dublin, Ireland) My grandad, Peter O'Neill was in the British Army and survived the war. He was only nineteen when he joined the Army and fought in Dunkirk. My auntie lived in England and was watching the television and saw her father coming off the boat. |
Warrant Officer Norman Oakes . Royal Australian Air Force 460 Sqd. from Bolton) My Grandfather Norman Oakes, was in the flight crews of RAAF 460 Squadron. He was one of a handful of British men assigned to this squadron but apart from this information, we don't anything more about his service during WWII. If anyone knows more please get in touch.
Editor's note: It's quite likely that your Grandfather was a Flight Engineer, as only British air crew were trained for this role. |
James William Charles Oakley . British Army 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade from London UK) I was wondering if anyone had any information on where my grandad James(Jim) Oakley ( 6911761 ) was imprisoned as a POW during WW2. Unfortunatly it was a traumatic event for him - like all of those involved and he never spoke of his experiences to us. We know he was in the Rifle Brigade and that he had served in India as an army regular in the later part of the 1920's. He fought at Dunkirk where he was captured during the fighting on about the 2nd of June. We think he was ordered north from Bastion 1 in Calais to Dunkirk as reinforcements possibly being captured on the way as we have spent time in France looking for information and found references pertaining to this in the Calais war museum. My sister and I would dearly love to see where he spent most of the war-as some sort of closure for all of us. He remembered a long journey through Belgium when he was liberated and before he died would always holiday there. We do not, however, know where he passed through all those years ago.
If anyone knew him or could help us then we would appreciate the help.
Thank you. |
Able Seaman Joseph Cecil Oakman . Royal Navy HMS Forfar from Eltham, London) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Capt. Arthur Henry "Titus" Oates MC.. British Army 2nd Battallion East Yorkshire Regiment from 6 Brooklyn St, Beverley Road,Hull) Dad joined up I think early 1940 and I have his letters written during training when he served in Iceland, Scotand and then D Day where he was awarded the MC. I have pictures of Dad training, in Iceland, and newspaper reports of his landing on Sword Beach on D Day and commendation for MC, also pictures of him with FM Montgomery and his medal. |
Joseph Dennis Oates . Royal Navy from Goit Terrace, Stocksbridge, Yorkshire) Does anyone remember my father Joseph Dennis Oates? He served in WW2 in the Royal Navy We would like to know the ships he served on so we can trace more information on him. If anyone remembers him, I'd be grateful for any recollections. |
Roy Obermeister . British Army Royal Sussex Regiment Looking for information on the gentleman. His son wants to buy him a membership into the American Legion for Father's Day, but wants to surprise him. He is also wanting to join the Sons of the American Legion so he and his father can share something in common.
Thank you for your time and consideration
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Lt. Joseph Obosla . USAAF 360th Fighter Squadron 356th Fighter Group (d.8th Jun 1944) My uncle, Lt. Joseph Obosla, served at Martlesham Heath during World War II. He served in the 360th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group until he was KIA on June 8, 1944. He served with Captain Bertrum E. Ellingson.
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F/O Harold Engman Oddan . Royal Canadian Air Force air gunner. 419 Sqd. (d.13th May 1944) |
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