James O'Meara
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| James Joseph O'Meara | |
|---|---|
| 20 February 1919 – 1974 | |
 James O'Meara |
|
| Nickname | "Orange" |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Commands held | No.131 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Britain / Second World War |
| Awards | DSO, DFC and Bar |
Squadron Leader James Joseph 'Orange' O'Meara, DSO, DFC and Bar was a Battle of Britain Spitfire 'Ace' with 12 confirmed victories.
O'Meara was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire on the 20th February 1919 and entered the Royal Air Force on short commission in April 1938. 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.
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, he sent down twoJu 87s into the sea. On the 11th 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 He 111 bombers. On the 18th O'Meara claimed shared destruction of a Ju 88 and a He 111 destroyed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. (A FW 190 was damaged in August 1943.)
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.
His wartime score totals 11 and 2 shared destroyed, 1 unconfirmed destroyed, 4 probables, 11 and 1 shared damaged.[1]
O'Meara remained in the Royal Air Force after the war and retired with the rank of Squadron Leader.
[edit] References
- Website dedicated to the memory of Squadron Leader James Joseph 'Orange' O'Meara D.S.O., D.F.C.
- Aces High; C. Shores & C. Williams, grub Street, 1994 ( page 470)
