LieutenantJohn O'NeillVCMM (also spelt O'Niell) (10 February 1897 − 16 October 1942) was a British Army officer and a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
No. 4119 Sjt. John O'Niell, [sic] M.M., 2nd Bn., Leins. R. (Glenboig). For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Moorseele on 14th October, 1918, when the advance of his company was checked by two machine guns and an enemy field battery firing over open sights. At the head of eleven men only he charged the battery, capturing four field guns, two machine guns and sixteen prisoners. Again, on the morning of the 20th October, 1918, Sjt. O'Niell, with one man, rushed an enemy machine-gun position, routing about 100 enemy and causing many casualties. Throughout the operations he displayed the most remarkable courage and powers of leadership.
O'Neill later served in the RAF as an armourer sergeant where he served alongside T. E. Lawrence
On 1 June 1940 O'Neill was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps.[2] In that year he was an officer on HMT Dunera, taking to Australia "enemy aliens", most of whom were German Jews. Possessions of the internees were rifled through and stolen. He appeared as a witness at a subsequent court martial.[3] 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.
O'Neill's CWGC gravestone at Holy Trinity, Hoylake
john, neill, lieutenant, john, neill, also, spelt, niell, february, 1897, october, 1942, british, army, officer, scottish, recipient, victoria, cross, highest, most, prestigious, award, gallantry, face, enemy, that, awarded, british, commonwealth, forces, john. Lieutenant John O Neill VC MM also spelt O Niell 10 February 1897 16 October 1942 was a British Army officer and a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross VC 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 NeillBorn 1897 02 10 10 February 1897Airdrie North Lanarkshire ScotlandDied16 October 1942 1942 10 16 aged 45 Hoylake Cheshire EnglandBuriedHoly Trinity churchyard Hoylake Cheshire EnglandAllegiance United KingdomService wbr branch British ArmyRankLieutenantService number4119 World War I 144348 World War II UnitPrince of Wales s Leinster RegimentAuxiliary Military Pioneer CorpsBattles warsWorld War IWorld War IIAwardsVictoria Cross Military Medal Order of Leopold II Belgium Medaille Militaire France O Neill 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 in October 1918 near Moorsele Belgium he won the Victoria Cross The citation reads No 4119 Sjt John O Niell sic M M 2nd Bn Leins R Glenboig For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Moorseele on 14th October 1918 when the advance of his company was checked by two machine guns and an enemy field battery firing over open sights At the head of eleven men only he charged the battery capturing four field guns two machine guns and sixteen prisoners Again on the morning of the 20th October 1918 Sjt O Niell with one man rushed an enemy machine gun position routing about 100 enemy and causing many casualties Throughout the operations he displayed the most remarkable courage and powers of leadership The London Gazette 26 December 1918 1 O Neill later served in the RAF as an armourer sergeant where he served alongside T E LawrenceOn 1 June 1940 O Neill was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps 2 In that year he was an officer on HMT Dunera taking to Australia enemy aliens most of whom were German Jews Possessions of the internees were rifled through and stolen He appeared as a witness at a subsequent court martial 3 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 tragt O Neill Lt O Neill now wears our shirts O Neill s CWGC gravestone at Holy Trinity Hoylake John O Neill died of a heart attack on 16 October 1942 He is buried at Holy Trinity Church Hoylake in The Wirral 4 References edit No 31082 The London Gazette Supplement 26 December 1918 p 15118 No 34965 The London Gazette Supplement 8 October 1940 p 5953 The Pioneer PDF April 2013 Retrieved 24 November 2021 Casualty Details John O Neill Commonwealth War Graves Commission Retrieved 24 November 2021 Bibliography editRoss Graham 1995 Scotland s Forgotten Valour MacLean Press ISBN 978 1899272006 Gliddon Gerald 2014 2000 The Final Days 1918 VCs of the First World War The History Press ISBN 978 0 7509 5368 9 External links editLocation of grave and VC medal Cheshire Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John O 27Neill VC amp oldid 1196236533, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
