James Lawrence O'Brien
Born 2 Aug 1894 - Died 6 Apr 1988
- Service number
- WWI 10250 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Sergeant AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- James Lawrence AWMM
- Surname
- O'Brien AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 10250 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 2 Aug 1894 Public Source
- Date of birth
- 2 August 1894Public - Sarndra - Researcher - 14 August 2015 - Polaschek, A. J. (1983). The Complete N.Z. Distinguished Conduct Medal: An account of the New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Christchurch, New Zealand: Medals Research Christchurch; p163
- Place of birth
- Greymouth, New ZealandPublic - Sarndra - Researcher - 14 August 2015 - Polaschek, A. J. (1983). The Complete N.Z. Distinguished Conduct Medal: An account of the New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Christchurch, New Zealand: Medals Research Christchurch; p163
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- —
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs H. Day (sister), 17 Milton Street, Nelson, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- —
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 10250 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Victory Medal AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) AWMM
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has fought in every action but one in which the battalion has been engaged. He distinguished himself at Grévillers and Bapaume, in August, 1918, by the cool handling of his Section, and his gallantry under heavy fire. On the 10th October, in the advance to the River Selle, he was again noticed for his excellent work. London Gazette 3 June 1919, p6864 Citation, London Gazette 11 March 1920, p3135 Citation, London Gazette 11 March 1920, p3135 AWMM - London Gazette 30 May 1919
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has fought in every action but one in which the battalion has been engaged. He distinguished himself at Grevillers and Bancourt in August, 1918, by the cool handling of his section and his gallantry under heavy fire. On 10th October, in the advance of the River Selle, he was again noticed for his excellent work."Public - Sarndra - Researcher - 14 August 2015 - p163; The Complete N.Z. Distinguished Conduct Medal; Collated by Alan Polaschek;
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM Sheep farmer/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 01 Apr 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 49 or HMNZT 50 AWMM Vessel was Tahiti or Maunganui AWMM Private AWMM 11th Reinforcements, J Company AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Unknown AWMM Sergeant AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- James Lawrence O’Brien served overseas during World War I and saw considerable action on the Western Front. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry and distinguished service in the field. His citation recorded that he had participated in almost every action involving his battalion and particularly distinguished himself during operations at Grévillers and Bapaume in August 1918, when he handled his section under heavy fire. He was again noted for his conduct during the advance to the River Selle in October 1918.
Following his return to New Zealand, O’Brien became a prominent Auckland rugby league player. He played for Maritime before joining Devonport United, where he became a regular member of the senior side and also captained the team. A forward, he represented Auckland between 1922 and 1927 and later represented the North Island.
In 1925 O’Brien was selected to represent New Zealand against the touring Queensland side, becoming Kiwi number 182. He continued playing for Devonport into the late 1920s and later coached the club. His rugby league career spanned much of the decade following his wartime service and included club, provincial, inter-island and international representation. AWMM - Wikipedia page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lawrence_O%27BrienPublic - Sarndra - Researcher - 16 December 2022 - Compiled by Jamie Murdoch; researcher & writer of wikipedia pages for New Zealand rugby league players.
- James Lawrence O’Brien served overseas during World War I and saw considerable action on the Western Front. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry and distinguished service in the field. His citation recorded that he had participated in almost every action involving his battalion and particularly distinguished himself during operations at Grévillers and Bapaume in August 1918, when he handled his section under heavy fire. He was again noted for his conduct during the advance to the River Selle in October 1918.
About death
- Death
- 6 Apr 1988 AWMM
Age 91 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Waikaraka Cemetery, 1 Alfred Street, Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21381388
Further Reference - Wikipedia Entry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_O%27Brien_(rugby_league,_born_1896)
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
28: 18 - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.