Martin O'Meara
An Irish immigrant who performed acts of staggering bravery in the trenches of the Western Front, earning Australia's highest military honor.
1885–1935 (age 50)·Birthday: November 6·The Lost Generation
Biography
Martin O'Meara's story is one of quiet courage etched in the mud of France. He left County Tipperary for Western Australia, working as a labourer before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915. As a sapper with the 16th Battalion, he found himself in the hellscape of Pozières in 1916. Over four days of relentless combat, O'Meara repeatedly ventured into no-man's-land under murderous fire, not on a single mission, but constantly, bringing in wounded comrades and supplying the front line. His actions were described as displaying 'conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty' of the most selfless order. Awarded the Victoria Cross, he returned to Australia a hero, but the war left deep scars; he spent his final years in a psychiatric hospital, a poignant reminder of the hidden costs of valor.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Martin was born in 1885, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Martin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1885
Martin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1885Born
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Started school
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Became a teenager
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1901Could drive
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1903Could vote
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Turned 21
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 30
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 40
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 50
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery during the Battle of Pozières in August 1916.
- Repeatedly braved intense machine-gun and artillery fire over four days to rescue wounded soldiers and carry supplies.
- Served with the 16th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force on the Western Front.
Did You Know?
He was one of only 64 Australians to receive the Victoria Cross during World War I.
Before the war, he worked as a sleeper cutter and labourer in the forests of Western Australia.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
“I just kept bringing them in, one after the other.”
