O'Mahony-John-Joseph

This Page Is Dedicated To

845759

Sergeant

John Joseph O'Mahony

1915/10/04 - Born, Cork, Ireland

Occupation Scholar

Enlisted - 1935/04/11

Royal Artillery

5 Field Regiment

11 Indian Division

Service

1937/03/02 - Promoted to Lance Corporal

1939/01/07 - Promoted to Bombardier

1940/01/04 - Promoted to Lance Sergeant

1940/09/02 - Promoted to Full Sergeant

Report of Conspicious Acts of Bravery By Sergeant O’Mahoney

1941/12/28 - Kuantan, Malaya:-

On the night of 28th December 1941 when in action with 5th Field Regiment R, RA at KUANTAN in Malaya when under very heavy bombardment by enemy guns Sergeant O’Mahony, by his cool, calm and collected manner performed his duties in an efficient manner in spite of great difficulties and under trying conditions, and by his example and courage boosted up the spirits of all ranks.

1942/02/08 - Singapore:-

At Singapore on the 8th February when position was surrounded and heavily bombarded by enemy Aircraft and Artiliery fire as well as Machine-gun and Small Arms fire, Sergeant O’Mahony with 11 Colunteers went forward in spite of heavy oposition and captured a Japanese gun-post, killing 27 enemy and bringing back four wounded Japanese prisoners. Sergent O’Mahony lost 9 of his men in the first three minutes and all were wounded including himself. He showed a freat example to all ranks and throughout the encounter entirely disregarded his own safety.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrended to Japanese

1942/03/24 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 779. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/06/24 - WO 417/62, Casualty List No 1169. Previously reported on Casualty List No 779 as Missing now reported Prisoner of War.

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

PoW No. I 4828

Commander Maj-Gen. Key

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1943/05/13 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘H’ Force, train 5

81st train to Thailand

Commander Lt-Col. Henry Robert Humphries, 77 H.A.A., Royal Artillery

(Who was Commander of ‘H’ Force)

New PoW No. 8209

Information from Andrew Snow (Thailand Burma Railway Centre)

Camps on Railway:-

1943/06/ - Tonchan South, 131.50 km from Nong Pladuk

Commander Lt-Col. Newey, Group 5

Lt-Col. Newey was told to send 300 Officers and men to a new camp 28 kilometres further on. This party under Major Spencer, was called upon to march, carrying all its kit, cooking gear, tentage and a large amount of kit for the Korean guards, and complete the journey in one day. This was found to be impossible and it was late on the second day before they arrived at Hintock River where they built a camp on a cliff overlooking the river.

South Hin Tok River, 159 km from Nong Pladuk

Commander Major Spencer

Kanchanaburt, 53 km from Nong Pladuk

1943/12/ - Transported to back to Sime Road, Singapore

1944/05/ - Changi Jail

Worked in X6 Funk Holes. These were Japanese defenses of Singapore. These Funk Holes also had a more sinister role, the extermination of the PoWs if Allied forces landed in Singapore.

(See Funk Holes of Singapore)

1945/09/05 - On Changi Camp Roll

1945/11/02 - Liberated

General Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese Commander of Singapore, would not accept the surrender. Plus it gave him time to cover up all Japanese Atrocities in Singapore. The allied naval landing force 'Operation Tiderace' were delayed as it was still understood the Japanese would dispose of all the PoWs in Singapore if they landed. Mountbatten ordered British paratroopers into Singapore to protect the camps. To many of the PoWs in Singapore, those red berets of the paratroopers were the first signs that the war had ended. All this delayed organising the PoWs. It wasn't till the 12th September that Lord Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender at the Municipal Building. Hospital cases were the first to leave Singapore 1945/09/10 on the HMHS Koroa. They were soon followed by Repatriation ships which started reaching the UK about the 15th of October 1945. Why many of the liberated PoWs on these ships had November on their Japanese Index cards, I don't know as in other areas of the Far East, PoWs were marked as Liberated at their PoW camps with the correct date. Unless General Seishiro Itagaki did not make the cards available when the camps were liberated.

Liberation Questionnaire

1945/12/20 - WO417/100, Casualty List No. 1941. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1169 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.

Post War

Report of Conspicious Acts of Bravery By Sergeant O’Mahoney

1947/01/01 - Tele-Aviv, Palistine:-

At Tele-Viv, Palistine on the night of 1st January 1947, during an operation involving All troops of the 6th Airborne Division, Sergeant O’Mahony with three volunteers and one Officer entered a house in Tele-Aviv from which British troops were being sniped. The Officer who accompanied him states in his own words as follows:-

‘Sergeant O’Mahony, by his coolness and dovotion to duty on the night of 1sy January 1947 showed a wonderful spirit and regardless of his own safety entered a house from which we were being heavily sniped and routed the sniping party, taking up possession of the house and thoughout the skirmish with the sniping party showed bith tact and initiative and was a great example to the men under him’.

Service Summery Report