17 Facts About Martin O'Meara

Martin O'Meara, VC was an Irish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Martin O'Meara spent his early years in County Tipperary and by 1911 had moved to County Kilkenny where he was working as a wood cutter.

Martin O'Meara arrived in South Australia in 1912, where he initially worked as a labourer at Wild Horse Plains.

Martin O'Meara travelled to Western Australia in 1914 and worked as a labourer in the Pinjarra area before making his way to the Collie area.

Martin O'Meara was working as a sleeper cutter near Collie before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force on 19 August 1915.

Martin O'Meara arrived at Port Suez in Egypt on 13 January 1916.

Martin O'Meara initially served with the 16th Battalion in Egypt as an infantryman and as a machine gunner with the 4th Machine Gun Company before arriving in France on 7 June 1916.

Between 9 and 12 August 1916 at Mouquet Farm, Pozieres, during four days of very heavy fighting, Private Martin O'Meara repeatedly went out and brought in wounded officers and men from "no man's land" under intense artillery and machine-gun fire.

Martin O'Meara 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.

Martin O'Meara was wounded three times during the war: near Mouquet farm in August 1916, near Bullecourt in April 1917 and near Messines in August 1917.

Martin O'Meara was presented with his Victoria Cross medal by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 21 July 1917.

Martin O'Meara was promoted to Sergeant in late August 1918 and left England on 17 September 1918 on the troopship Arawa, arriving at Fremantle in Western Australia on 6 November 1918.

Martin O'Meara had a mental breakdown in November 1918 at the Woodman's Point Quarantine Station south of Perth, shortly after arriving in Western Australia.

Martin O'Meara is not hopeful of his recovery in the near future.

Martin O'Meara was transferred to the Claremont Hospital for the Insane on 3 January 1919, and to the newly constructed Lemnos Soldier's Hospital on 20 September 1926.

Martin O'Meara remained at Lemnos until returning to the Claremont hospital shortly before his death in December 1935 at the age of 50 years.

Martin O'Meara's body was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia.