O’CONNOR, James Michael Barry (#R/68264)

James O’Connor was born on January 22, 1919, the eldest son of James Phillip O’Connor (born in Oil Springs, Ontario) and Angela Loretta (nee Barry, born in St. Mary’s, Perth, Ontario) O’Connor, of 236 Proctor Street, Sarnia. James had three brothers–John Edward (born 1923); Patrick William (born 1924); and Joseph Peter (born 1932)–and two sisters: Mary Catherine (born 1921) and Margaret Lorraine. At the time of James’ death, John Edward was a Private attached to national defence headquarters in Ottawa, and brother Patrick was a Stoker First-Class of the RCN (who would serve in WWII and Korea – see below).

James O’Connor was raised in Sarnia, attended St.Patrick’s Catholic High School and was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Sarnia. In early July of 1941, James O’Connor would marry Helen Grace Hood, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hood of Winnipeg, at St. Mary’s Academy in Winnipeg with the ceremony officiated by Flying-Officer (Rev. Father) Vinet, chaplain of the R.C.A.F. school at Winnipeg. When James enlisted, he recorded his address as 231 Harkness Street, Sarnia. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Sarnia in 1941 and went overseas in August of that year. James would become a member of RCAF #419 Moose squadron “Moosa Aswayita” (Beware the moose), attaining the rank of Warrant Officer Class II, Bomb Aimer, flying in a Halifax aircraft JB929.

In August of 1942, parents James and Angela O’Connor would receive a letter from their son James. In it, he revealed how he was in one of the recent big R.A.F. raids on Bremen. The following is a portion of that letter:

“The most fun I’ve ever had was one night recently coming back from Bremen. Incidently, I got direct hits on my target with bombs of the 4,000 pounds size which are absolutely guaranteed to wake the baby and scare the chickens. Anyhow, on my way back, we met a stooge in a Me. 109, who, incidentally, didn’t see us, for he came belting towards us, head on, off to the starboard a bit. I was in the front turret, as I’m front gunner as well as bomb-aimer. I got in two nice long bursts from my guns square into him. He never fired a shot just went into a long dive. Wish I knew whether he went all the way down or not but we didn’t linger to check up. We just went down in another long dive in the opposite direction, in case there were others about. They find it pretty tough chewing to tackle a heavy bomber down on the deck, so we dove from 15,000 feet down to ground level, low enough in fact to scrape our trailing aerial on the coast of Holland. The trailing aerial is 15 feet in length, so you can realize we were plenty low. The searchlights and flak couldn’t depress low enough to get at us and it sure was funny watching the gun and searchlight crews digging themselves into their holes and trying to pull them in after we zipped over them, or should I say, passed them?

 James O’Connor also had words of praise for a watch that his father had given him before he went overseas:

 It’s still keeping time right to the second. In fact it’s a better timepiece than the air ministry chronometer our navigator was given. He often uses my watch to get our exact turning point. James added, I’ve been in 13 raids and have only 17 more to go. I’m nearly half through now. I wouldn’t mind if it was 170 if I could get home between them.

 Approximately eight months after he mailed the above letter to his parents, on the night of April 28, 1943, his Halifax aircraft was lost to enemy action while it was laying mines at Skaggerak, Norway. Perishing with twenty-four year old James Michael O’Connor were WO.s G.K.A. Smallwood and J.G. Acker; Sgts. R.R. Gourde and J.A. Allen; and FS.s L.J. Murphy and J.W. Carley. In early May of 1943, parents James and Angela O’Connor in Sarnia would receive word that their son, Flight Sergeant James Michael Barry O’Connor was reported missing after air operations overseas. James and Angela O’Connor would later receive the news that their son James O’Connor was officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead, overseas.

Helen, James’s wife, was residing in Toronto when she received a letter from Wing Commander M.M. Fleming in February 1944. The commander informed Helen O’Connor that her husband, James Michael O’Connor was the bomb aimer of an aircraft detailed to perform an operation on the night of April 28, 1943. The operation was generally successful, but unfortunately the aircraft failed to return and nothing had been heard of it. Wing Commander Fleming added: Flight Sergeant O’Connor was with us for 7 months and had 24 operations to his credit. Some of these were among the Moose Squadrons most hazardous and successful, and against the enemy’s most heavily defended targets. Your husband was a great favourite with all sections of the squadron. His cheery manner and keen sense of humour coupled with his reliability, will certainly make his loss felt for a considerable time. As you are probably aware, he took quite a prominent part in our station sports and activities, in fact, he was such an all-around man that this squadron and the air force as a whole will find him hard to replace.

In December of 1944, parents James and Angela O’Connor in Sarnia would receive official information advising them that their son Flt. Sgt. J.M. Barry O’Connor, who has been missing since April 28, 1943, was promoted to warrant officer as of November 2, 1942. Twenty-four year old James O’Connor has no known grave. His name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial. Surrey, United Kingdom, Panel 180. Parents James and Angela O’Connor would lose a second son, Patrick William, in the Korean War.

SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, 2C, 2D

In August of 1942, parents James and Angela O’Connor would receive a letter from their son James. In it, he revealed how he was in one of the recent big R.A.F. raids on Bremen. The following is a portion of that letter:

“The most fun I’ve ever had was one night recently coming back from Bremen. Incidently, I got direct hits on my target with bombs of the 4,000 pounds size which are absolutely guaranteed to wake the baby and scare the chickens. Anyhow, on my way back, we met a stooge in a Me. 109, who, incidentally, didn’t see us, for he came belting towards us, head on, off to the starboard a bit. I was in the front turret, as I’m front gunner as well as bomb-aimer. I got in two nice long bursts from my guns square into him. He never fired a shot just went into a long dive. Wish I knew whether he went all the way down or not but we didn’t linger to check up. We just went down in another long dive in the opposite direction, in case there were others about. They find it pretty tough chewing to tackle a heavy bomber down on the deck, so we dove from 15,000 feet down to ground level, low enough in fact to scrape our trailing aerial on the coast of Holland. The trailing aerial is 15 feet in length, so you can realize we were plenty low. The searchlights and flak couldn’t depress low enough to get at us and it sure was funny watching the gun and searchlight crews digging themselves into their holes and trying to pull them in after we zipped over them, or should I say, passed them?

 James O’Connor also had words of praise for a watch that his father had given him before he went overseas:

 It’s still keeping time right to the second. In fact it’s a better timepiece than the air ministry chronometer our navigator was given. He often uses my watch to get our exact turning point. James added, I’ve been in 13 raids and have only 17 more to go. I’m nearly half through now. I wouldn’t mind if it was 170 if I could get home between them.

 Approximately eight months after he mailed the above letter to his parents, on the night of April 28, 1943, his Halifax aircraft was lost to enemy action while it was laying mines at Skaggerak, Norway. Perishing with twenty-four year old James Michael O’Connor were WO.s G.K.A. Smallwood and J.G. Acker; Sgts. R.R. Gourde and J.A. Allen; and FS.s L.J. Murphy and J.W. Carley. In early May of 1943, parents James and Angela O’Connor in Sarnia would receive word that their son, Flight Sergeant James Michael Barry O’Connor was reported missing after air operations overseas. James and Angela O’Connor would later receive the news that their son James O’Connor was officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead, overseas.

Helen, James’s wife, was residing in Toronto when she received a letter from Wing Commander M.M. Fleming in February 1944. The commander informed Helen O’Connor that her husband, James Michael O’Connor was the bomb aimer of an aircraft detailed to perform an operation on the night of April 28, 1943. The operation was generally successful, but unfortunately the aircraft failed to return and nothing had been heard of it. Wing Commander Fleming added: Flight Sergeant O’Connor was with us for 7 months and had 24 operations to his credit. Some of these were among the Moose Squadrons most hazardous and successful, and against the enemy’s most heavily defended targets. Your husband was a great favourite with all sections of the squadron. His cheery manner and keen sense of humour coupled with his reliability, will certainly make his loss felt for a considerable time. As you are probably aware, he took quite a prominent part in our station sports and activities, in fact, he was such an all-around man that this squadron and the air force as a whole will find him hard to replace.

In December of 1944, parents James and Angela O’Connor in Sarnia would receive official information advising them that their son Flt. Sgt. J.M. Barry O’Connor, who has been missing since April 28, 1943, was promoted to warrant officer as of November 2, 1942. Twenty-four year old James O’Connor has no known grave. His name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial. Surrey, United Kingdom, Panel 180. Parents James and Angela O’Connor would lose a second son, Patrick William, in the Korean War.

SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, 2C, 2D