Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

12 - 15 September 1914. Following the defeat and retreat from the Marne, the German army stood and defended the next defensible river, the Aisne. This offered significant defensive potential on the high bluffs overlooking the river but the BEF succeeded in pushing back the Germans. The first examples of trench warfare emerged on the Aisne as trenches became necessary to offer protection from concentrated artillery barrages.

Detail :

Sources: The Great War and the R.A.M.C. - Brereton, F. S. The British Medical Journal 7/10/1914
Lieutenant John Forbes O'Connell was born at Neemuch, Central India, on February 18th 1889, where his father, Lieutenant Colonel D. V. O'Connell, R.A.M.C., was then serving. He was the great-grandson of Dr. James Forbes, Inspector-General of the Forces, who served with distinction in the Peninsular War, and was the founder of the Army Medical Mess at Fort Pete, Chatham, which was moved to Netley in 1860. .He was educated at Epsom College, where he gained an entrance scholarship in 1902. After passing the preliminary scientific examination of the London University in 1907 he proceeded to St. Marys Hospital, where he had a brilliant career, He became L.M.8 S.SA. Lond. in January. 1912, was a house physician at St. Mary's for six months and subsequently assistant resident medical officer at Hanwell Lunatic Asylum for nearly six months. In November, 1912, he graduated M.B., B.S.Lond., and in the following January joined the R.A.M.C., gaining the fifth place at the entrance examination. He was stationed at the Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, till he went in medical charge of the 2nd Highland Light Infantry with the British Expeditionary Force on August 14th. He was an ardent Rugby footballer, gaining his first XV cap at school, was twice captain of his hospital team, and played also for the London Welsh and London Irish; of the former he was vice-captain in 1913. He was a very general favourite with every one who knew him, his frank and generous nature and sunny disposition gaining him friends wherever lie went. An old school friend of his at Epsom writes to his father on hearing of his death: "For several years at Epsom and afterwards it was my privilege to know him intimately, and I shall always look back upon his friendship as one of the most delightful and valued possessions of my life. None who knew him could have failed to respect his frank and generous nature, or to love him for his warm and genial sentiments. It is indeed sad that so promising a life should so soon be cut off, and I am sure that all who had the honour of his friendship will suffer an irreparable loss. The loss to your of so -splendid and gallant a son must be a great blow, but you have the consolation of knowing that he died nobly in the service of his country, unselfishly laying down his life that others through him might live-a fine end to a fine life. I shall always remember him as a genial, kind-hearted comrade-one of the very best." Colonel Wolfe Murray, commanding the Highland Light Infantry, in announcing the sad news of his death to his wife, to whom he was married for only a few months, writes: "He was shot dead in the trenches while attending Lieutenant Fergusson, H.L.I., who had been very seriously wounded, and who himself died later in the day. We all feel his loss most acutely. He performed his duties as a medical officer most efficiently, and was a general favourite with us all. I have never seen any one pluckier; he was just as cool under fire as he was at any other time, and the act which cost him his life was characteristic of him." In a letter written to his brother after his death, the anonymous author writes of John Forbes O'Connell: "I am only too pleased to tell you anything I can about your brother, as he was quite one of ours, and in all your life you can never have a prouder boast than that you were his brother. As I expect you know, we went out on 13th August, and our first show was at Fanieve, near Mons, where he once came to notice. He established his dressing station in a little cottage quite in the open, about 200 yards behind my firing line... He personally went into the trench and helped to carry out the wounded, though the Germans had the range to a T, and were raining shells on it. Then they turned on to his cottage, and knocked it to bits, and again he carried everyone out, not losing a single man...The day I was 'downed' one of my subalterns was knocked out within 300 yards in a 'sort of trench'... As I was being tied up I mentioned him to your brother, and he at once insisted on going to see if he could do anything for him, although it was within very close range of a well constructed German trench, and while doing this he was killed by a rifle bullet through the heart."

The Hospital publication of 28th November, 1914 records: "The younger generation of St. Mary's men are deeply lamenting the death of Lieutenant John Forbes O'Connell, who was recently killed in action on the Aisne. O'Connell, who qualified only two years ago by taking the M.B., B.S. Lond., was a first-class athlete and distinguished himself as captain of the hospital Rugby team. In January 1913 he was fifth in the R.A.M.C. entrance examination, and entered on his new work with great interest. However, his experiences of military surgery were not to be extensive, for, when the call came, he left for the Front with the Highland Light Infantry in the early days of the war, and within a few weeks fell at his post."

Probate O'CONNELL John Forbes of Atherstone South Farnborough Hampshire died 20 September 1914 in France Administration London 10 December to Gladys Muriel O'Connell widow. Effects £410.

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley