South Mayo war veteran is honoured





Willie McHugh



SEVENTY-FIVE years after he served with the British Royal Navy in the Second World War, John O’Connor of The Derries, Cross has received a coveted Arctic Star Medal.

The Arctic Star is a military campaign medal commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence and approved by the monarchy in 2012. It is awarded for any length of operational service north of the Arctic Circle by members of the British Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy.

“I went to a recruiting base in Cornwall,” John (96) recalled when he spoke to The Mayo News last week. “I told them I was only interested in the navy because, growing up here in Cross so near to Lough Corrib, and because of my interest in fishing, I suppose I had a fondness for boats.

“We only got seven weeks’ training because so many British vessels were getting hit by German U-boats. There was even an air-raid in Cornwall and we all had to flee to the shelters.”

The HMS Vindictive was the first naval vessel John served on as helmsman on their maiden voyage to Sierra Leone and from there to South Africa. In October 1942, Vindictive was nominated for transfer to Oran as part of a convoy following the success of the allied landings in North Africa.

Narrowly escaped

John recalls the dangers it presented. “West of Gibraltar, where I saw the famous rock, we were joined by the HMS destroyer ship Hecla and escorted by HMS Venomous, and Marne. We narrowly escaped torpedoes fired by the German U-boat U515, but the Hecla was hit and its crew suffered a heavy loss of life.

“We could only look on, helpless, as hundreds of our comrades died before our eyes in the Mediterranean Sea. I suppose I was always fairly religious and, as the attack was happening, a comrade on our ship looked at me and said: ‘John, where is your God now?’

“Africa was my favourite and I loved Cape Town when we docked there.”

John was helmsman on HMS Essington sent to the English Channel to prevent access to enemy U-boats during the allied landings in Normandy.

From there they sailed to Russia and it was there that John earned the coveted Arctic Star medal. The northern waters were a dangerous stretch, heavily populated with German U-boats, and they were in constant danger of attack.

John humorously tells how it was another matter entirely that forced him ashore for a week-long spell. “I had a ferocious toothache and the captain sent me to a hospital in Burmask. That was nearly as hazardous as being at sea because the place was full of Russian soldiers. But after I got sorted I returned to port where another British Naval vessel docked there was looking for a helmsman and I sailed with them.”

Last sailing

The Atlantic Ocean was John’s last sailing. In September they berthed in New York believing they might have to spend time in the Pacific, but word reached them of the Japanese surrender and the ending of the war.

They sailed back to Belfast on the luxury liner The Queen Mary.

Piqued by her interest in history, and her granddad’s war stories, his grand-daughter Jenny Biggins from Dringeen made contact on his behalf with the Ministry of Defence to inquire about the Arctic Star medal.

“We often said we’d do something about it so I googled the Internet and found a contact,” Jenny explained. “I knew Granddad’s service number ‘CJX2386655’ off by heart so I emailed. They replied saying they were compiling a list of service men that were entitled to the Arctic Star decoration and Granddad was one of them.

“They sent on the forms and there was a lot of bureaucracy and red tape but, once we sent everything back, they expedited the process in order the older veterans would get their medals first. “

A few weeks back a registered letter from the British Ministry of Defence and the prestigious medal inside arrived to John O’Connor in The Derries.

The clasp now commands of pride of place on a plaque on John’s sideboard alongside the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star, the Atlantic Star and the War Medal issued to all full-time personnel of the British Armed Forces who served at sea in the Second World War.

For John O’Connor the medals are a proud reminder of a time a young man from a lakeside village between Cross and Cong sailed the high seas when the world was at war.