Person

John Patrick O’Brien, known as Jack, was born on 30 November 1889. He was of Irish descent through both his parents; Charles O’Brien (1850-1918) and Ann Lavelle (1853-unknown). His father was a Coal Miner and at the 1891 Census the family lived at Smokey Row, Quebec. At the 1901 census, John Patrick’s occupation is described as a Grocer’s Assistant the same occupation he held at the time of the 1911 Census when his family were now living with his Maternal Grandmother, Mary Lavelle, in Haswell Moor. In 1914, he married Ann Downes, the daughter of a Scottish Coal Miner working in Easington.

When he joined the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on 15-Jun-1917 John Patrick’s civilian occupation had advanced to Grocer’s Manager. He was given the RNAS service number F30908, the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Grade and the trade of Labourer. After 6 months service he was promoted to Aircraftman 1st Grade and when the RAF was formed in April 1918 he transferred with the equivalent rank of Private 1st Class and the new service number of 230908.

After induction at Crystal Palace, John Patrick was posted to RNAS Pulham, an airship station 18 miles south of Norwich. This was a major base for airship patrols over the North Sea. From Pulham he was posted to Lee-on-Solent, a seaplane base and the main training establishment and administrative centre of the Fleet Air Arm. Following this posting he spent 2 months in Dunkirk followed by 11 months in Strathberg, a float-plane base near Aberdeen. His travels continued when he was posted to the Headquarters of the Adriatic Group between October 1918 and Feb 1919. After returning to Pulham, he was discharged through Ripon Dispersal Station on 05-Apr-1919 and transferred to the RAF G Reserve on 05- May. He was finally deemed discharged from the service on 30-Apr-1920.

There is little on record for John Patrick after his service but it is likely he returned to the address given for his wife on his RAF record which was Front Street, Hesledon, Castle Eden where a son John was born in 1920 and daughter Anne in 1922.

John Patrick O’Brien was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in the RNAS and RAF.

Civil Parish: Esh

Birth date: 30-Nov-1889

Armed force/civilian: Air Force

Residence: 76 Smokey Row, Quebec (1891 Census)
17 Brockwell Street, Quebec (1901 Census)
16 Ranson Terrace, Haswell Moor (1911 Census)
Front Street, Hesledon, Castle Eden (1919 wife’s address on service record)

Military service:

Enlisted in Royal Naval Air Service, F30908, Aircraftman 2nd grade, 15-Jun-1917
Promoted to Aircraftman 1st grade, 15-Dec-1917
Transferred to Royal Air Force, 230908, Private 1st class, 01-Apr-1918
Discharged to G Reserve 05-May-1919

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham