irish recipients of the victoria cross during

the second world war

Then, standing up in the front of his truck, with calm determination he led his trucks across the front between the tanks and the guns - there was no other road to get them into action on the left flank. Throughout he coolly directed his guns to their positions and indicated targets to them and at times seemed to bear a charmed life, but later was killed while inspiring everyone with the greatest confidence by his bearing. He is buried at Tobruk War Cemetary, Libya. His VC is at Stonyhurst College, on permanent loan from his late sister's family.

Richard Kelliher VC ( 1st September 1910 - 28th January 1963 ) was born in Ballybeggan, Tralee, County Kerry. According to Harry Willey, Richard was born the sixth of seven children to cattle dealer Michael Kelliher and his wife Mary in Ballybreggan, Ireland. He trained as a mechanic on leaving school and was working in his older brother's motor works when he saw a chance of a better life on the other side of the world and emigrated with his 15 year old sister to Australia in 1929 like so many other Irish citizens. At first they lived with their uncle and kelliher worked on his farm but in 1930 the Great Depression struck. Although he had contracted typhoid and meningitis and his health was very poor, Kelliher had to tough around in Queensland for what work he could get - farm hand on a banana plantation, cane cutter, painter/decorator - to make ends meet. He was thirty years old and working as a labourer in 1941 when he decided to join the Australian Infantry Force. After training - still plagued by ill health - and postings around the Far East, his battalion, the 2nd/25th, returned to Australia for jungle training. In autumn 1942 Kelliher and the 2nd/25th were in New Guinea as the Japanese threat grew closer to the Australian homeland. It was in November, when his section was heavily engaged in battle against the Japanese, that Kelliher arrived back at Company HQ with, he said information from his Commanding officer.

Australian troops fighting in New Guinea.

During our attack on a Jap position at Nadzab, i witnessed the following act of bravery by Private Richard Kelliher. Eleven Platoon of B Company was pinned down by very heavy machine-gun fire, which killed five and wounded three of this platoon. Private Kelliher, without instructions, dashed down the hill to within yards of the enemy position, throwing his two hand grenades. He was forced back to our lines by heavy enemy fire. He then took a Bren Gun, and once more charged to withing 30 yards of the enemy position and firing from the hip, he succeeded in silencing the enemy stronghold. One Japanese officer and eight other ranks were found dead in this position following the battle. Four of these had been accounted for by snipers. I do not know if Kelliher killed the other five, but he silenced the position. Then straight away, still under rifle fire from another Jap position, he went forward and brought in Corporal William Richards, who had been severely wounded in the arm, back and stomach.

Other members of the platoon corroborated this acoount, agreeing that Kelliher's action was responsible for saving Richard's life and allowing the advance to continue. Kelliher later spoke of this action: " I wanted to bring Billy back because he was my cobber, so i jumped out from the scrub where i was sheltering, threw a few grenades over into the position where the Japanese were dug in. I did not kill them all, so i went back, got a Bren gun, and emptied the magazine into the post. That settled the Japanese. I didn't think of doingit to get a medal. I just wanted to bring Billy back, and what i did was the only way to do it. " The news of his VC reached Kelliher when he was again in hospital - and was broadcast in his homeland to a rapturous reception. The Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, sent the first ever cablegram to Ballybeggan to tell his mother of his pride at his countryman's achievment. Even the Irish press, which had banned any mention of deeds of Irishmen serving with British or American forces, was proud to announce Kelliher's award. Following his discharge from the army in August 1945, Kelliher was classified as 10 per cent disabled - fit for only light work due to his post - malarial illness - and he found work as a cleaner in Brisbane. Penury was deferred when he was selected to join the Australian Victory Contingenet which visited London to take part in the Victory Parade on the 8th June 1946 - and while the rest of the contingent set sail for Australia, he and fellow VC winner Reg Rattey stayed on to receive their medals from the KIng. Back in Australia, Kelliher married 19 year old Olive Margaret Hearn and moved to Melbourne - but he still suffered from ill health. In 1955 a Sydney paper reported on Australia's VC holders. " He is a sick man and has gone from one poor job to another. He had been employed as a cleaner at the Brisbane Town Hall before moving to Victoria, where he had worked a concrete machine for the Camberwell Council. " Sadly he died after suffering a stroke on the 28th January 1963 in the Heidelberg Hospital - at which time he was Totally and Permanently Incapacitated - and was buried with full military honours. Distgustingly like many widows of medal holders, Olive was driven by poverty to sell his medals. The London auctioneer Sotheby's offered the medal group to the Australian War Memorial for £1,000, but the Director of the Memorial turned it down on the grounds that it would encourage VC owners or their families to sell their medals - and they were withdrawn from sale. The Secretary of the 2nd/25th Battalion Association later launched an appeal to raise the £1,000 to secure the medals for the Australian War Memorial , to which they were donated on the twenty-third anniversary of the battle in which Kelliher had shown such selflessness and courage.