John O'Donnell (poet) facts for kids

John P O'Donnell was an Irish Australian soldier and poet. He was active between 1915 and 1918. He was born in 1890, but the date he passed away is not known.

John P O'Donnell: Soldier and Poet

Early Life and Moving to Australia

John P O'Donnell was born in 1890 in a town called Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. His father worked as an accountant at the National Bank. John moved from Ireland to Australia about 18 months before World War I began. He lived with his uncle, Dr. Eugene Glynn, for a while.

Serving in World War I

When World War I started, John O'Donnell decided to join the army. He became a soldier in the Australian Army.

The Gallipoli Campaign

John arrived at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. This was a very important battle during the war. He stayed there for eight months. During this time, he was wounded. He was part of the machine gun section of the Australian Expeditionary Force.

John was hit by bullets 10 times and wounded four times. At one point, he and 28 other soldiers were thought to be missing. But luckily, all 29 of them later reappeared in the trenches.

Fighting at the Somme

After Gallipoli, John O'Donnell also fought in another major battle. This was the Battle of the Somme. It was another very tough part of the war.

Returning Home and Writing

In 1918, John was sent home from the war because of his injuries. This is called being "invalided home." While he was recovering, he wrote six more poems. These poems were about the war, seen from the point of view of an Australian soldier. They became the last poems in his only collection of works.

A Poet's Voice

Even while fighting in the war, John O'Donnell found time to write poetry. One of his poems was called "Lines on Australian Graves at Gallipoli." This poem was published in a newspaper called the Dublin Evening News on 18 September 1915. It showed his talent as a poet.