George Eric Maxia O'Donnell

Captain George Eric Maxia O'Donnell, D.S.O., Royal Navy (31 August, 1893 – 18 January, 1953) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

O'Donnell was born in 1893, the son of a Colonel in the Indian Army.

O'Donnell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 July, 1915.

He was appointed to Southampton as Lieutenant (G) on 21 October, 1918.

Post-war

O'Donnell left Southampton for some time in Excellent and to teach gunnery at Pembroke and was then appointed to Chatham as gunnery officer on 1 September, 1920.

O'Donnell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 July, 1923.

On 1 January, 1926, he was appointed as Lieutenant-Commander (G) in Iron Duke. On 5 January, 1927, he transferred to Royal Oak as gunnery officer. He left her in June, 1929.

O'Donnell was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1929.

O'Donnell was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 December, 1936.

He was appointed in command of the gunboat Bee and as Flag Captain and Chief Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral and S.N.O., Yangtze on 30 July, 1937. On 13 April, 1938, he was appointed to the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, China as a Naval Liaison Officer to the British Embassy. In 1938, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the American government for his services in assisting the survivors of the gunboat U.S.S. Panay and was granted the right by the Admiralty to accept and wear it without restriction.

On 9 September, 1938 he was admitted to Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham and pronounced medically unfit due to a septic right hand. Before long, he was also suffering from weight loss, insomnia and asthma.

On 25 June, 1939 O'Donnell was appointed Naval Attache to Athens.

World War II

Despite having been appointed less than a week before to a Damage Control School, O'Donnell was appointed in command of the battleship Malaya on 22 July, 1943.

He was appointed in command of the battleship Valiant in October, 1943.

O'Donnell was mentioned in despatches for his leadership and skill in damage control on 30 January, 1945. On 30 April, 1945, he was appointed in command of the Damage Control School.

He was placed on the retired list on 2 January, 1946, and, for some reason, reverted there on 18 April, 1946. He was granted permission to settle in Kenya in 1947.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles E. Hotham	Captain of H.M.S. Bee 30 Jul, 1937 – 13 Apr, 1938	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Herbert A. Packer	Royal Navy Naval Attaché at Athens 6 Jul, 1939 – 21 Aug, 1939	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Royal Navy Naval Attaché at Angora 21 Aug, 1939 – 1941	Succeeded by William L. Jackson
Preceded by John C. Annesley	Captain of H.M.S. Enterprise 15 Jul, 1942 – 17 Nov, 1942	Succeeded by John N. Sparks
Preceded by Henry H. Robson	Captain of H.M.S. Capetown 17 Nov, 1942 – 28 Dec, 1942	Succeeded by Charles L. Robertson
Preceded by Robert A. W. J. Southwell	Captain of H.M.S. Enterprise 26 Jun, 1943 – 22 Jul, 1943	Succeeded by Harold T. W. Grant
Preceded by John W. A. Waller	Captain of H.M.S. Malaya 22 Jul, 1943 – 18 Oct, 1943	Succeeded by Leslie H. Ashmore
Preceded by Leslie H. Ashmore	Captain of H.M.S. Valiant 15 Oct, 1943 – 23 Apr, 1945	Succeeded by John Newton