8th Battalion, Border Regiment, attached 28th Trench Mortar Battery.

Awarded the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 13 September 1918. Awarded the French Croix de Guerre in the London Gazette of 12 July 1918.

O'Connell was a native of Burnley, Lancashire.

The Burnley Express of 16 March 1918 reported, BRAVERY IN THE TRENCHES. For bravery in the trenches, Corporal John O'Connell (26), Border Regiment, of 77, Waterloo Road, Burnley, has been decorated with the French Croix de Guerre. The badge of merit was pinned on his breast by a General. Corporal O'Connell joined up on June 4th, 1916 and has been on active service for 18 months. Formerly he worked at the Victory Gum Works, Nelson. He was in the Men's Sodality of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Burnley.

The Burnley Express of 12 June 1918 reported, DOUBLE MEDALIST. The report is much the same as the one above but adds that, Corporal O'Connell, as now been awarded the Military Medal. It also adds an incident when one dark night whilst out on patrol with two or three of his comrades, that they walked into a party of Germans, all his pals were killed but he escaped without a scratch but lost all his kit.

John was born on the 25 November 1891 at Burnley, Lancashire, the son of Daniel and Catherine O'Connell. In 1911 he married Sarah Dohety. John died in 1952.