John Austin Mahony is listed in the official history of Australia's World War One involvement as being born in Northcote in 1893. There were only six families of this name listed in directories and two of them as John Mahony in Northcote. Given the birthplaces of other children, his father was probably the John listed in Eastment Street in 1892 and 1893. The other John was in Henry Street from around 1890 to 1894.
Mahony gave his next of kin as his father at Hansonville via Glenrowan, the district that the family had been connected with for the latter 20 years. His address was given as 207 Royal Parade, Parkville, where he was boarding with a close friend, later Captain John Harry "Henry" Fletcher of Eaglehawk.
An unidentified newspaper clipping in his archive describes how the pair enlisted together and survived Gallipoli, Poziers and Bullecourt - and were killed on the same day, 5 October, 1918. Both the clipping and correspondence in his archives show he was known as Austin rather than John.
The Australian War Memorial has Mahony as dying of wounds on 9 October, 1918, but this does not correlate with the archives which suggest he was shot through the temple by a German sniper and immediately became unconscious. There is nothing in either the Australian War Memorial Red Cross archives or in National Archives to suggest he was ever admitted to a medical station.
Mahony arrived in Gallipoli at the end of August and survived the remainder of the campaign and subsequent evacuation. He was awarded the Military Cross in October, 1916 (above) after he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in August, 1916 and to Lieutenant just a month later. He was subsequently made Captain in May, 1918.
In the intervening period between the two latter promotions, Mahony spent around eight months in England and on light duties after badly spraining an ankle playing football (code not identified) behind the lines in France - part of the effects returned to his family were "one pair football knickers, one red Guernsey". He was the odd man out in that he was the only one of a large family to be born in Melbourne, the others William (1890) at Glenrowan, Bridgette (1891), Maurice (1895), Mary (1898), Raymond (1900), all at nearby Greta, then Dorothy (1904), Francisca (1906), Alice (1908) and Monica (1912), all shown as Wangaratta.
Australian War Memorial notes suggest the other servicemen are Captain "Henry"" Fletcher, of Eaglehawk as mentioned above, and Lieutenant Joseph Scales, of Mitta Mitta.
John was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry during operations. When commanding a working party close to the enemy, he heard that another battalion was hung up and required bombs. He at once took up his party with the bombs required and after bombing three enemy dug-outs on the way, he returned to the work he had on hand"
Research by Brian Membrey
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