John O'Brien (admiral)
John O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 December 1918 Hove, Sussex |
| Died | 24 March 1996 Ottawa, Ontario |
| Allegiance |  Canada |
| Service |  Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Forces |
| Years of service | 1935–1973 |
| Rank |  Vice-Admiral |
| Commands | HMCS Bonaventure Maritime Command NATO Defense College |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Canada Canadian Forces' Decoration |
Vice Admiral John Charles O'Brien OC, CD (16 December 1918 – 24 March 1996) was a Canadian Forces officer who served as Commander Maritime Command from 19 July 1966 to 6 July 1970.
Career
[edit]O'Brien joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1935.[1] He was in action off Norway in 1939, commanded a small boat at the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, served as a Signals Officer for the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 during the Second World War.[1] He became Director Naval Training in 1955, Director Naval Communications in 1957 and Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure in 1959.[1] He went on to be Naval Member of the Canadian Joint Staff in Washington, D.C. in 1961, Senior Canadian Officer Afloat (Atlantic) in 1964 and Commander Maritime Command in 1966.[1] His last appointment was as Commandant of the NATO Defense College in Rome in 1970 before retiring in 1973.[1]
O'Brien married Stephanie Frances Swire; she died on 2 October 2006.[2]
Awards and decorations
[edit]Obrien's personal awards and decorations include the following:
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| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Order of Canada (OC) |
|
| 1939–1945 Star |
|
| Atlantic Star |
|
| Africa Star |
|
| Italy Star |
|
| Defence Medal (United Kingdom) |
|
| Canadian Volunteer Service Medal |
|
| War Medal 1939–1945 |
|
| Special Service Medal |
|
| Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal |
|
| Canadian Centennial Medal |
|
| Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |
|
| 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal |
|
| Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) |
|
| Order of Merit of the Italian Republic |
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e O'Brien, John Charles The Nauticapedia
- ^ Obituary: Stephanie Frances O'Brien The Telegraph, October 2006
- ^ "The Governor General of Canada List". Gouvernment of Canada.
| Directors of the Naval Service | | |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs of the Naval Staff | ||
| Principal Naval Adviser | ||
| Commanders, Maritime Command | ||
| Chiefs of the Maritime Staff | ||
| Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy | ||