John O'Neill (VC)

John O'Neill VC MM (also spelt O'Niell) (10 February 1897 – 16 October 1942) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

John O'Neill
Born(1897-02-10)10 February 1897
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died16 October 1942(1942-10-16) (aged 45)
Hoylake, Cheshire
Buried
Holy Trinity Churchyard, Hoylake
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
RankLieutenant
Unit
Battles/warsWorld War I
Awards

He was 21 years old, and a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 14 October 1918 near Moorsele, Belgium, when the advance of his company was checked by two machine-guns and an enemy field battery firing over open sights, Sergeant O'Neill, with 11 men only, charged the battery, capturing four field guns, two machine-guns and 16 prisoners. Again on the morning of 20 October with one man he rushed an enemy machine-gun position, routing about 100 and causing many casualties.[1]

He also served in the RAF as an Armourer Sergeant when he served alongside Lawrence of Arabia.

In 1940 he was commissioned into the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps defending Liverpool's docklands from air attack.

In 1941 Sergeant John O'Neill was First lieutenant at HMT Dunera. He was one of the leading persons when internees' possessions were rifled through and disposed of. The internees used the Russian song Stenka Rassin with new ironic german text:

1. Strophe:1. verse:
Deponiert auf der Dunera We're being deported on the Dunera
und Australien ist das Ziel. Australia is our destination;
Uns're Koffer sind erbrochen, Our suitcases have been forced open
uns're Hemden trägt O'Neill. Lt. O'Neill now wears our shirts.

John O'Neill died of a heart attack on 16 October 1942. He is buried in Trinity Road Cemetery, Hoylake, Wirral.

References
  1. "No. 31082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 December 1918. p. 15118.
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