John Laurence O'Hara
1 Field Squadron Royal Australian Engineers
11th April, 1945 20th May, 1967
John "Scarlet" O'Hara, born at Wollongong on the 11th April, 1945 to parents Mr. Ernest P. and Mrs
Phyllis O'Hara of 17 Quarry Street, Port Kembla. John received his primary school education at Warrawong and
Port Kembla Primary schools and then later at Berkeley High School in 1958 and 1959. He was an outstanding
member of the Port Kembla Surf Club and an active member of the Church Fellowship, St. Stephen’ Church
of England, Port Kembla. The Port Kembla Surf Club had given John the nickname "Scarlet". John had become an
apprentice and worked as a labourer before being drafted into the Australian Army on only the second National
Service intake in September, 1965. John O'Hara was an extremely popular person well respected and liked by his
workmates and management alike. (re: Metal Manufactures Limited Port Kembla.)
John O'Hara was posted for basic training at Kapooka in 10 Platoon, "B" Company, 1 Recruit Training Battalion,
and later proceeded to Liverpool for Corp training as an engineer because of his mechanical background. John
trained as a Sapper in the Royal Australian Engineers leaving Australia for Vietnam on the 5th September, 1966 by
aircraft from Sydney, to serve with the Royal Australian Engineers, 1 Field Squadron based with the Australian
Army at Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy province.
On the 20th May, 1967 John O'Hara along with other soldiers were engaged in mine laying 3 miles south of the
Task Force Base in a formation called the "Horse Shoe". Sapper John Laurence O'Hara and Sapper Gregory
Vincent Brady of Goondiwindi Queensland, both 22 years old, died from blast wounds received from an Australian
mine which John had just planted. Two other soldiers, Corporal Lionel Charles Rendalls 23 yrs married of Auburn
and Sapper Brien Geoffrey Roberts 21 yrs and single of Devonport Tasmania were wounded. It is reported that
John O'Hara and Gregory Brady were laying a mine when a faulty pin in the mine caused a premature explosion in
an anti-lifting device which then caused the mine to detonate.
This mine accident incident was apparently the second such incident to occur to Australians within a fortnight in
South Vietnam. In the previous accident six men were wounded and Raymond J. Deed died soon afterwards.
Sapper Dennis Lindsay Brooks 22 years from Rainworth, Brisbane died on the 22nd of May from a similar situation
when an anti-lifting device exploded detonating the mine they were laying.
Within the same month a sixth member of the Royal Australian Engineers, 1 Field Squadron died at the
"horseshoe". His name was Glen T Bartholomew, 22 years, and single of Lismore, NSW.
Official investigations were instigated to discover the cause of these deaths.
The very large funeral for John Laurence "Scarlet" O'Hara by Rev Kenneth Leask at St. Steven's was held on 11am
on June 5th, 1967. John was given full military honours being carried to his last resting place on a gun carriage. An
escort of 20 men and 14 man strong firing party drawn from the 23rd Construction Squadron of Royal Australian
Engineers. John O'Hara loved his work in the Army and was proud to be serving his country. John O'Hara died
doing what he, along with many others saw as their duty.
The O'Hara family received letters and telegrams of condolence from General, United States Army Commanding
Officer General W. C. Westmoreland, Local Members of State and Federal Parliament, including the then minister
of the Army (Later Prime Minister) Mr Malcolm Fraser. Church groups, Mayor of Wollongong and the many
family members, friends and neighbours all responded to the shocking loss of John. The Commanding Officer of
RAE also sent a reference / condolence letter. The relatives of other members of John's group who also died were
strangers to each other however they contacted each other in this time of need to support each other. The
community of Port Kembla and Wollongong were strongly supportive of the O'Hara family during the
period immediately following his death.
Footnote
The story of John Laurence O'Hara was completed from facts supplied by Mrs Phyllis O'Hara. Mrs O'Hara,
and members of her family, were made guests of the Vietnam Veterans Association, Illawarra on the occasion of
the 30th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan Commemoration.
REGARDS Tony Cox
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