Dermot
O'Neill was born in 1905 in County Cork, Ireland. As a teenager he
traveled to China, and settled in Shanghai. In 1925, at the age of
twenty he joined the Shanghai Municipal Police. This police force
comprising of 9000 active and reserve officers was task with bringing
law and order to the International Settlement.
While in Shanghai, O'Neill immersed himself in the study of
Asian martial-arts. He was a devoted practitioner of japanese judo, as
well as several forms of "Chinese Boxing",
these included Tai Chi Chuan, Hsing Yi, and Pa Kua.
O'Neill rose through the ranks of the SMP and was promoted to
Detective Sergeant and served as a member and instructor of the famed
"Shock and Riot Police" task force of
the SMP. He was also considered by many to be the protégé of William Ewart Fairbairn.
In 1938, O'Neill left Shanghai, and traveled to Tokyo, Japan as
head of security for the British Embassy Legation there. During this
period O'Neill was awarded the Godan, fifth degree black belt by the
kodokan, as well as increasing his martial-arts skills by practicing
japanese style "kempo". He left Japan shortly before the bombing of
Pearl Harbor and made his way to Australia.
O'Neill came to the United States at the behest and
recommendation of WE Fairbairn who was at this time involved with the
OSS. O'Neill was slated to work for the OSS, but was sent instead to
serve as an instructor with the First Special Service Force, a joint
Canadian-US commando unit known as the "Devil's Brigade." When the 1st
SSF was sent into action, O'Neill refused to stay behind and declared
that since he trained these boys he would damn well fight beside them.
He held the rank of Captain and one of his duties included the
assignment of being the bodyguard to General Fredericks. After the was
in Europe was over, O'Neill was tasked with the position of Provost
Marshal over Monte Carlo.
As the war with Japan ended O'Neill was sent to Okinawa as a
liaison officer. After the war O'Neill served as a consultant on police
and security for various Federal agencies, including the State
Department and the Central Intelligence Agency. In the mid-1960s
O'Neill located in
the
Washington, DC area and began work with the International Police
Academy there. This organization was funded by the Agency for
International Development and was a cover for para-military operations
and training run by the CIA. The Church Committee Hearings on
Intelligence Activies brought the close of this academy in the early
1970s.
O'Neill was considered a very tough man in his day and had a
reputation for not backing down from anyone. His skill in judo was
highly praised even at the kodokan. O'Neill had studied under Uchijima,
reknowned old time kodokan judo instructor. O'Neill was especially
known for his grappling skill. The methods of hand-to-hand combat he
devised and taught were greatly effective and such was proven in actual
battle numerous times. O'Neill greatly influenced military close-combat
for both the US Army and Marine Corps.
Dermot O'Neill had been married briefly and had a daughter. He died on August 11, 1985.
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