O'Brien, Michael William, son of Capt. George William O'Brien MC, The Border Regt, of Grange-over-Sands, Lancs; b. 13 Nov. 1921; adm. Jan. 1935 (KS); Capt. of the school 1939; left July 1940; elected to Ch. Ch. Oxf., but did not matriculate; RAFVR 1941-5 (Sqdn Ldr), DFC Oct. 1944; killed in action 22 Mar. 1945.
Michael William O’Brien was born at Hyderabad, India on the 13th of November 1921 the eldest son of Lieutenant George William O’Brien MC, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, and Enid Mary (nee Perry) O’Brien of 31, Mayfield Road, Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire. He was educated at St Dunstan’s School, Burnham-on-Sea and at Westminster School where he was admitted as a King’s Scholar from January 1935 to July 1940. He was elected as Captain of Chess and was appointed as an Assistant Librarian in 1938. He represented the School at Squash in 1938 and 1939 and at Lawn Tennis in 1939. He was appointed as Captain of School in 1939 and was appointed as Joint Editor of the Elizabethan from September 1939 to July 1940. He won a Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford in 1940 but did not matriculate, instead he volunteered for military service.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 12th of August 1940 where he rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 26th of June 1941. He was posted to No. 14 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Twinwood Farm on the 26th June. 1941 and was posted to No. 2 School of Air Navigation based at RAF Cranage on the 5th of July. The following month he was posted to No. 9 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Hullavington and he was posted to No. 2 Advanced Flying Unit based at Brize Norton on the 30th of March 1942. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 26th of June 1942. On the 21st of July 1942 he transferred to No. 3 Glider Training School based at RAF Stoke Orchard and in November 1942 he was posted to No. 1 Glider Training School based at RAF Croughton.
From the 18th of February 1943, he was based at HQ No. 51 Group based at Moorfield House, Leeds and at the end of June he moved to the Headquarters of Flight Training Command at Shinfield Park, Reading. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 26th of June 1943. By late in October 1943, he was flying Mosquitoes with 139 Squadron based at RAF Wyton.
He joined 192 Squadron, based at RAF Foulsham in January 1944 and while he was serving with them he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 13th of October 1944. In August 1944 he transferred to 1692 Bomber Support Training Unit, based at RAF Great Massingham, as an instructor. He returned to operations when he joined 23 Squadron based at RAF Little Snoring on the 5th of February 1945 and was appointed as the commanding officer of B Flight.
Michael O’Brien took off from RAF Little Snoring at 7.35pm on the 22nd of March 1945 with his navigator, Flight Lieutenant Philip Allan Disney, in Mosquito FB Mk VI RS577 YP-T for an intruder operation over the enemy airfield at Handorf and Münster. During the operation the aircraft crashed onto the airfield and both men were killed.
They were buried in the Waldfriedhof Lauheide at Handorf but were later exhumed and moved to their present location.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Christ Church, Oxford.
He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 18, Row E, Grave 17.