James O'Meara

Infobox Military Person
name= James Joseph O'Meara
lived= 20 February 1919 – 1974
placeofbirth Barnsley, Yorkshire, England
placeofdeath=


caption=James Joseph O'Meara
nickname= "Orange"
allegiance= flag|United Kingdom
serviceyears=
rank= Squadron Leader
branch= air force|United Kingdom
commands= No. 131 Squadron RAF
unit=
battles= World War II
*Battle of Britain
awards = Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar
laterwork=
Squadron Leader James Joseph 'Orange' O'Meara DSO, DFC & Bar was a Battle of Britain Spitfire 'Ace' with 11 kills, two shared victories, one unconfirmed destroyed, four probables, 11 damaged and one shared damaged. [Price 1966, p. 92.]

Early life

O'Meara was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire on the 20 February 1919, and entered the Royal Air Force on short commission in April 1938. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

War Time Service

His first operational posting was to No. 64 Squadron based at RAF Hornchurch with whom he obtained his first 'kill' while over Dunkirk on 31 May 1940, when he brought down a Bf 109. He had already damaged a Ju 88 off Calais on 21 May. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

His next claim was a Bf 109 of JG 51, shot down in flames over the English Channel on 19 July and ten days later, while intercepting a raid over Dover, claimed twoJu 87s. [Aces High 1994, p.470] On the 11 August he claimed 2 Bf 109 'probables' and on the following day destroyed one more. He claimed a Bf 109 down on 13 August, and on the 15th he damaged three Heinkel He 111 bombers. [Aces High 1994, p.470] On the 18th O'Meara claimed shared destruction of a Ju 88 and a He 111 destroyed. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

O'Meara was shortly afterwards posted to No. 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill, damaging a Do. 17 on 27th September. A D.F.C. was approved the same month and then he was sent for a 'rest period' at 421 Flight at Hawkinge, working up new pilots who would eventually form the nucleus of No.91 Squadron RAF. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

O'Meara shot down an He. 59 of "Seenotgruppe" 3 on 26 November, a Bf 109 fighter-bomber of LG 2 that was attacking a Royal Navy Minesweeper on 5 December, and then damaged another one immediately afterwards. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

By late April 1941, he had destroyed another "Seenotgruppe" 3 He. 59 and temporarily returned to No. 64 Squadron RAF as a Flight Commander, bringing his score to at least 12 confirmed victories. He was rested from operations in October 1941, joining 1491 Target Towing Flight at Tain. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

In July 1942, after a brief spell with 164 squadron, he was posted to Nigeria, seving with 1432 Flight until August. After returning to the UK, O'Meara was appointed RAF Liaison Officer to the Army Chief of Staff. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

In January 1943, O'Meara joined No. 234 Squadron until March, then, with a second D.F.C. O'Meara took command of No.131 Squadron at Castledown until May 1944. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

He was then posted to 10 group HQ , and in October 1944 was recommended for a Second Bar to the D.F.C.. AVM Trafford Leigh-Mallory approved a D.S.O. instead, as his length of uninterrupted active service warranting higher recognition. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

His wartime score totals 11 and 2 shared destroyed, 1 unconfirmed destroyed, 4 probables, 11 and 1 shared damaged. [Aces High 1994, p.470]

O'Meara remained in the Royal Air Force after the war and retired with the rank of Squadron Leader.

References

* [http://www.jjomeara.com Website dedicated to the memory of Squadron Leader James Joseph 'Orange' O'Meara D.S.O., D.F.C.]
* Pilot's flying log book (Form 414) O'meara, JJ.
* Aces High; C. Shores & C. Williams, grub Street, 1994 ( page 470)
* Price, Dr Alfred. (1996) "Mark I/II Spitfire Aces 1939 - 1941". Osprey Publishing, London. ISBN 978-1-85532-627-9