Private Lee O'Callaghan

He was aged 20, and came from London. Unmarried, he was serving with the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment based at Tidworth.

Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Maer, the Commanding Officer of 1PWRR, said:

Pte Lee O’Callaghan joined my Battalion in December 2003, and was quickly assimilated into the regimental family. He was highly regarded and known as a hard working, diligent member of the team who could be trusted to finish any task with characteristic good humour. He was an avid football fan and keen supporter of Millwall. As a midfielder player himself he took every opportunity he could to play football, bringing his love for the game from Tidworth to Iraq.Lee came from Bermondsey, London. He joined the army for the excitement and challenge it offered, he excelled in the training and preparations for Iraq and looked forward to deploying on operations and to do the job for which he had trained. Pte O’Callaghan showed the highest standards of professionalism and courage, in a highly volatile situation.The loss of Pte O’Callaghan is deeply felt by all those in the Battalion, but especially so by his friends in B Company. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and loved ones from all those in his Army family.The Above was fromhttps://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/private-lee-ocallaghan

LEE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN’ – FAMILY’S PRIDE AS WALWORTH STREET NAMED AFTER IRAQ WAR HERO

NEWS DESK (28 September, 2017)

Young Millwall fan was fatally shot by Shia militiamen in Basra in 2004

Shirley and Danny O'Callaghan (left); Lee O'Callaghan (right)

A new street in Walworth has been named after Iraq War hero Private Lee O’Callaghan, who was killed in combat in 2004.

Brave Lee was fatally shot in the chest on August 9 during clashes with Shia militiamen in the city of Basra.

The 20-year-old had been on duty for five months, with one week left before he was due to fly home on leave and be reunited with his family.

Last Friday, the O’Callaghan Way street sign was unveiled in the nearly-completed section of Elephant Park, and will link Heygate Street with Wansey Street. It is also located around the corner from where younger brother Danny, and proud mum Shirley O’Callaghan, both work at F A Albin & Sons funeral directors.

“He was a funny brother. I looked up to him and he was my inspiration,” said Danny, 29. “Now it’s going to be there forever. He’s really left his mark on the area.

“That spot is exactly where our first home was. A lot of our family lived on the Heygate. My dad [Eugene] came here from Ireland and we had aunties and cousins in the blocks.”

Shirley, 58, from Tatum Street, said: “People always come up with these ideas, but you never think they’re going to be put into practice. It went through so many stages, but now we can actually see it.”

“Lee will never be forgotten. All of his friends who were in the army with Lee come and meet us at the cemetery and come for dinner with us. The army is like a family. They always get in touch without fail.”

_

The last time one of Lee’s family heard his voice was when the young soldier called home a few days earlier to speak to dad Eugene, on his birthday. The whole family, including sisters Gemma and Kerry, had been looking forward to him coming home on leave the following week. Instead, they got a visit from two army officers saying Lee had given his life helping his comrades to safety, after two Land Rovers were destroyed by rockets.

Danny and Shirley gave thanks to fellow Millwall fans, Lee Evans and John Davies, who led the campaign with the News to cement Lee’s name in the area where he was born and bred.

Lee’s name was put forward with more than 130 suggestions to name new streets and blocks in the borough over the next fifteen years. The family said a full unveiling and celebration will take place when construction has finished at the other end of O’Callaghan Way.

the Above Text was Taken from

https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/lee-will-never-forgotten-familys-pride-walworth-street-named-iraq-war-hero/

A bench is set to be unveiled at The Den on Saturday in memory of Millwall fan Private Lee O'Callaghan, who sadly lost his life in Basrah, Iraq, in August 2004.

The idea of fellow fan Lee Evans - who was also the brainchild behind a street named O'Callaghan Way, on the Heygate Estate in Walworth three years ago - Lee's Dad used to run the Alscott Arms pub in Bermondsey. As a child, Lee was taken to a few away games, which is where his love of The Lions began.

A group of friends decided to try and raise money for the bench via supporter forum House of Fun, and also ran a collection in the Executive Boxes here at The Den.

One of the group, John Davies, said: "I went into Huski Chocolate's box and Rodrigo, Linus and Mikael [from The Lions' principal partners] pulled me to one side and told me how much they respect the armed services and the sort of work they do - and then said they wanted to pay for the whole bench. True to their word, they paid the whole lot."

The bench was made in Belfast and paid for by Huski, with the House of Fun collection - of just under £2,000 - going to other causes, such as Charlie Wynn, the Millwall supporting boxer who suffered life changing injuries, The Evelina Children's Hospital and Demelza Hospice.

Ryan Leonard's home kit has been sponsored in memory of Lee for two seasons now, and the VIP Experience - one of the benefits of kit sponsorship - are being given to Lee's family this weekend.

The bench will be located by the front of the Barry Kitchener Stand, with the unveiling - by Lions CEO Steve Kavanagh, Ben Thompson and members of the O'Callaghan family - taking place at midday.

This Text was taken from https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2019/november2/private-lee-ocallaghan/

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