Lot Essay
INDENTD.S.O. London Gazette 2.12.1938. Captain G.E.M. O'Donnell, Royal Navy, late Chief Staff Officer to the Rear Admiral, Yangste. "This Officer was present in H.M.S. "Ladybird" during a bombing attack on British shipping at Witu on the 5th December, 1937.
Though painfully wounded in the right hand he placed himself under the orders of the Commanding Officer when the helmsman of H.M.S. "Ladybird" was hit, and took the wheel himself. Shortly afterwards, and with no regard for his own safety or his injury, he landed among hostile soldiery and proceeded to the shore Headquarters to protest, and was in time to prevent more than one round being fired at H.M.S. "Bee".
Captain George Eric Maxia O'Donell, D.S.O. (1893-1953) entered the Royal Navy, 1906; Midshipman, 1911; Sub-Lieutenant 1914; Lieutenant 1915; Lieutenant Commander 1923; Commander 1929; Captain 1936.
"Gunboat Diplomacy"
Served in the 'Insect Class' gunboat, H.M.S. Ladybird, as Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral R.V. Holt during operations at Witu on the Yangste River during the seaborne evacuation from Nanking, December 1937; Ladybird came under fire from three Japanese aircraft, December 5th. but found a safe anchorage until advance units of the Japanese Army arrived in Witu to complete their encirclement of Nanking, four days later. Admiral Holt, accompanied by O'Donnell, came down the Yangste in an attempt to ensure the safety of British shipping from Japanese attack on the River. However, on December 12th, Japanese machine-guns opened fire on a tug transferring passengers to Ladybird. Although Ladybird did not reply, she received a barrage of over a hundred 6-inch howitzer shells which caused considerable damage to her forward 6-inch gun, radio aerials, searchlights and wheelhouse. Another shell had pierced Ladybird's No. 2 fuel tank, and three other hits near the waterline, had caused an inrush of water. Captain O'Donnell took the wheel, even though one of his fingers had been shot away during the action, and ordered that the pumps be started. He then went ashore to remonstrate with the local Japanese Commander, Colonel Hashimoto, and was joined by Admiral Holt. Hashimoto apologised to the Admiral but stated his men were incapable of distinguishing different foreign flags and had assumed the Ladybird to be a Chinese vessel. On December 15th., Ladybird and the American Gunboat, U.S.S. Oahu, were despatched to protect a convoy of neutral merchant ships bound for Shanghai (In recognition of Ladybird's service on this occasion and of the assistance given by her to survivors from the U.S.S. Panay, sunk by Japanese action, Joseph Kennedy, United States Ambassador to London, later presented O'Donnell with the Naval Distinguished Service Medal). Captain O'Donnell was appointed Naval Attaché, Athens, 1939 and later held a similar appointment in Angora; served during the Second World War (Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 30.1.1945); A.D.C. to the King, 1945; retired 1946.
Though painfully wounded in the right hand he placed himself under the orders of the Commanding Officer when the helmsman of H.M.S. "Ladybird" was hit, and took the wheel himself. Shortly afterwards, and with no regard for his own safety or his injury, he landed among hostile soldiery and proceeded to the shore Headquarters to protest, and was in time to prevent more than one round being fired at H.M.S. "Bee".
Captain George Eric Maxia O'Donell, D.S.O. (1893-1953) entered the Royal Navy, 1906; Midshipman, 1911; Sub-Lieutenant 1914; Lieutenant 1915; Lieutenant Commander 1923; Commander 1929; Captain 1936.
"Gunboat Diplomacy"
Served in the 'Insect Class' gunboat, H.M.S. Ladybird, as Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral R.V. Holt during operations at Witu on the Yangste River during the seaborne evacuation from Nanking, December 1937; Ladybird came under fire from three Japanese aircraft, December 5th. but found a safe anchorage until advance units of the Japanese Army arrived in Witu to complete their encirclement of Nanking, four days later. Admiral Holt, accompanied by O'Donnell, came down the Yangste in an attempt to ensure the safety of British shipping from Japanese attack on the River. However, on December 12th, Japanese machine-guns opened fire on a tug transferring passengers to Ladybird. Although Ladybird did not reply, she received a barrage of over a hundred 6-inch howitzer shells which caused considerable damage to her forward 6-inch gun, radio aerials, searchlights and wheelhouse. Another shell had pierced Ladybird's No. 2 fuel tank, and three other hits near the waterline, had caused an inrush of water. Captain O'Donnell took the wheel, even though one of his fingers had been shot away during the action, and ordered that the pumps be started. He then went ashore to remonstrate with the local Japanese Commander, Colonel Hashimoto, and was joined by Admiral Holt. Hashimoto apologised to the Admiral but stated his men were incapable of distinguishing different foreign flags and had assumed the Ladybird to be a Chinese vessel. On December 15th., Ladybird and the American Gunboat, U.S.S. Oahu, were despatched to protect a convoy of neutral merchant ships bound for Shanghai (In recognition of Ladybird's service on this occasion and of the assistance given by her to survivors from the U.S.S. Panay, sunk by Japanese action, Joseph Kennedy, United States Ambassador to London, later presented O'Donnell with the Naval Distinguished Service Medal). Captain O'Donnell was appointed Naval Attaché, Athens, 1939 and later held a similar appointment in Angora; served during the Second World War (Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 30.1.1945); A.D.C. to the King, 1945; retired 1946.