ANZAC DAY - My Grandad.

Yesterday was ANZAC day.  A day when we remember and appreciate those who went to war on behalf of our country.  Aunty Colleen in OZ (dad's sister)  texted me to see if I had any information about her father (the pic below)  serving in the war.  Mum said that my brother Aaron has some info so I went around to his house and got some things out of this precious little brown suitcase which obviously went to war with Grandad.  There were lots of photos, letters,  little books,  heaps of sheet music in little newspaper like books and a few other things.  I just wanted to share some of the treasures I found.

So this is my Handsome Grandfather Below.
Owen Mahon born 15th December 1918 in Auckland NZ and he died 4th Feb 1996 
( I was serving a mission in Australia when he died)
I am amazed by his strength and courage.  When he was 10 his mother
died and he went to live with his Aunts.  His mums name was Flora Ada Lepper.
He went to live with his great aunties, Mertil and Lil Lepper.  They lived in Northcote Point
and their family home was the Northcote point Post office.  I can remember going to 
visit the old Aunts as a child.  Mertil and Lil have long since died but the house still 
remains there and is now classified as a 'Historical Places' building so it can't be changed much at all.  (cool history)



On the 11th Jan 1947 My Grandad married my Grand mother
Una Joyce Hill
she was born on the 7th Sept 1920.
I want to learn more about how they met because I can see from
photos etc that she was in the Navy too.  But this was a while after
Grandad arrived home from the 2nd World War.




Below is the special old suitcase I went through last night.  It is full of such treasures!  I wish I could ask this little suitcase to talk to me and tell me all the stories and places it went during the 
war with Grandad.






I don't really know what this is but I found it in the suitcase too.



I think this little bible below is kind of special. The suitcase had a few bibles in it and some other special little books etc but I think the message from 'His Majesty the King' at the front of the book is interesting.  



I also loved the back of this little book.  Grandad had noted down scriptures on the last page. 
I will have a read and ponder of these scriptures some time today.  I think it may be interesting to see which scriptures stuck out to him during this challenging time of his life at war.

This letter below is very touching.  Grandad's sister Phil (who is still alive today), wrote a letter to another man serving at war.  Grandad had written to her asking her to write to him as he never got letters from home etc.  Letters at war were such a booster for those serving and Grandad obviously felt sorry for this guy.  I loved reading Aunty Phil's letter to him as she was so eloquent and kind as she wrote.  She told him in the letter that she had experienced  a time in her life when a person scared her and she kind of felt a little hesitant writing to a complete stranger but she kindly asked this man to write back to her telling her a little about himself so she could be comforted in herself and her mind could be settled.



 The sad part of this story is the envelope below.  Her letter was 'RETURNED TO SENDER' with the words on the envelope at the front 'DEAD LETTER OFFICE NZ' and on the back it was stamped, 'CERTIFIED MISSING'.  I think this was so sad and I wonder what thoughts went through her mind for the safety of her only brother Owen,  my Grandad.






There were at least 60 letters like this one written by my Grandfather, Owen Mahon,  to his  family.  They were all written on this paper and were all dated,  he also numbered all his letters,  so this is letter number 30.  The date is June 1942.  I noted he was still at war at the end of this year too,  last night letter number 50 was dated December this same year.  I think he was there for at least one year, maybe two??  I would love to re type all of these letters in the right order and put them into a readable book form before the letters are too old to read etc.  They are like gold to me.  Some of his stories at war are very humbling.  I try to imagine what it must have been like for him to have had the life he had.  I still remember when he was alive and a fully grown older man,  he would still get all teary eyed when he talked about the war.  After reading just a few of these letters I
can now partially  appreciate why.






What a legacy my grandfather, Owen Mahon left for all of us and it isn't too late to gather all this information and to learn more and more.  I am so excited!  His determination and strength helps me to understand my own dad,  his son,  who was also a real determined person and who fought an amazing fight in my eyes.  All of this information gives me the strength to 'carry on' in faith  when  some days feel too hard to bear. 
Thank you Grandad,  I love you!!