Martin O'Meara

Martin O'Meara
Victoria Cross Medal
Born	31 December 1882 Terryglass, Lorrha, County Tipperary
Died	20 December 1935 (aged 52) Perth, Western Australia
Buried at	Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	16th Battalion (S.A. & W.A.), Australian Imperial Force
Wars	World War I Battle of Pozières Western Front
Awards	VC

Martin O'Meara VC (31 December 1882 – 20 December 1935) was both an Irish recipient (by birth) and an Australian recipient (by naturalisation) 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.

Early Life

O'Meara was born at Terryglass, Lorrha, County Tipperary. He had been working as a labourer in Pinjarra Western Australia^[1] when on 19 August 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force.

Military Career

Assigned to 16th Battalion (S.A. & W.A.) as a private, O'Meara embarked for France on 22 December 1915.

Between 9 August and 12 August 1916 at (Mouquet Farm) Pozières, France, during four days of very heavy fighting, Private O'Meara repeatedly went out and brought in wounded officers and men from "No Man's Land" under intense artillery and machine-gun fire. He also volunteered and carried up ammunition and bombs through a heavy barrage to a portion of the trenches which was being heavily shelled at the time. O'Meara was wounded three times during the war and returned to Australia on 15 September 1918, having reached the rank of sergeant.

O'Meara (right) meeting fellow VC recipient, Lt. Albert Jacka, following the fighting at Pozières.

Later Life

O'Meara was diagnosed by the OC, 24th Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Stromness on 19 December 1918 as:

"suffering from Delusional Insanity, with hallucinations of hearing and sight, is extremely homicidal and suicidal, and requires to be kept in restraint. He is not hopeful of his recovery in the near future.' Admitted to Claremont Mental Hospital (insane patient), 3 January 1919"^[2]

O'Meara died at the age of 52 and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Army Museum of Western Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia.

References

1. ^ Richards, Ronald (2003). The McLarty Family of Pinjarra (soft cover ed.). Nedlands, Western Australia: J.D.McLarty. ISBN 0-9750632-0-0.  chapter 12, p. 156
2. ^ The AIF Project: Martin O'Meara profile

Listed in order of publication year

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword XVI (64): 185–287. 
• VCs of the First World War - The Somme (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)
• Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

Persondata
Name	Omeara, Martin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	31 December 1882
Place of birth
Date of death	20 December 1935
Place of death