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| Squadron/s | 110 MFCU |
| Rank On Discharge/Death | Leading Aircraftman (LAC) |
| Nickname | Obie |
| Mustering / Specialisation | Wireless Telegraphist |
| Date of Birth | 15 Sep 1923 |
| Date of Enlistment | 22 Jun 1942 |
| Contributing Author/s | Ray Hart, Paul Carter The Spitfire Association |
Have you ever realized how many loving mothers named their child Kevin O’Brien? Well Obie is in this category and alas we are not sure now after 60 years which of the Kevin O’Brien’s Obie was. However, the records for Kevin Mathew O’Brien show he was discharged from Morotai and we are going to assume we have got the right fellow.
Kevin, or as he was known to his mates by the moniker of Obie, was born on the 15/9/1923 in Richmond Vic. He enlisted in the RAAF on the 22/6/1942.
Obie served with 110 MFCU (Mobile Fighter Control Unit) Darwin, Morotai and Balkipapan. The Unit was known as 110 Mobile Fighter Control Unit Assault Echelon for the landing at Balikpapan on the 1st July 1945 with the 7th Division A.I.F.
Quite a few had their heads shaved when they arrived in Darwin, to beat the heat. When one had just been shorn, the thing was to say to them, 'The adjutant is looking for you I believe you have been posted south'.
Obie was a great character and really enjoyed a drink. His father had served in WW1 and knew the drill sending him a bottle of scotch in a loaf of bread when we were in Morotai. A bottle of scotch sold for 90 guilders ($30) and he could have bought fifteen bottles of beer for that.
He decided to take a few nips and fill up the space with distilled water and then sell it, unfortunately he got the taste and he, along with Burge Burgess and Eddie Jenkins finished it off.
On another occasion John Barry (Abe) Edstein and Bruce Clegg had just finished a home brew and were about to taste it when Obie walked past their tent, they called him in and gave him a taste. He screwed his face up in a look of horror, exclaiming, 'It's beautiful' and stayed on for a few more drinks. Later that day the C.O. Doug Vanderfield said to Abe 'What did you do to O'Brien?'
Obie was discharged on the 5/2/1946 and we can assume he had a clear head by then.
