Pacific ships

RN · Captain

O'Donnell, George Eric Maxia

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George Eric Maxia O'Donnell had HMS Enterprise (D52) twice. The first command ran from 15 July 1942 to 17 November 1942. The second ran from 28 December 1942 to 1 July 1943. Between them, John Noel Sparks had her.

Uboat.net records that he was born on 31 August 1893 at Bombay, which the page also gives as Mumbai, and that he died on 18 January 1953. It gives no place of death.

The rank table lists midshipman on 15 May 1911, acting sub-lieutenant on 15 September 1913, sub-lieutenant on 15 April 1914, lieutenant on 15 July 1915, lieutenant-commander on 15 July 1923, commander on 30 June 1929, and captain on 31 December 1936. He retired on 2 January 1946. He was awarded the DSO on 2 December 1938 and mentioned in despatches on 30 January 1945. The page says it has no career narrative.

He relieved John Campbell Annesley on 15 July 1942, during the Indian Ocean escort period. On 27 September she was nominated to return to Britain. On 21 October, on that passage, she joined Operation Demcat with Mauritius and Hawkins. The search ended on 30 October. He left her on 17 November, while she was still on the way home, and he took her again on 28 December 1942, the month she reached the Clyde and paid off for refit. He left on 1 July 1943, while the Clyde refit was still going on. Uboat.net also prints a command for Robert Southwell from 26 February 1943 with no end date. Unithistories lists Southwell as executive officer, not as commanding officer, so O'Donnell is kept through 1 July 1943.

He retired on 2 January 1946. The mention in despatches is dated 30 January 1945, after he had left Enterprise. The uboat.net page does not say what it was for. He died on 18 January 1953.