At Cue, WA, in 1934, John became the first-borne McMahon of Monica’s siblings. In 1990, living at Blackburn Victoria. at the age of 56, and recently retired as a historian of education and College lecturer, he became distressed during my Aunt Monica’s funeral at the Fawkner Cemetery, because she had died without the reading public being aware of her extraordinary achievements. Being the best educated of her nieces and nephews, he felt obliged to write Monica’s War. Monica was a third generation Australian, and he felt that the McMahons’ Irish ancestors and immigrants may have inspired her. Forbearers had been poorly educated Roman Catholics, working in the Republic of Eire, as farmers, story tellers and mercenaries, and he felt that her talented family members had retained some of these ways. He remembered from the times when, as a young man, he lived at the same house in Pascoe Vale with my Grandmother Helena McMahon and Monica. As a triple certificated Sister, Monica’s family values urged her to help wounded and sick soldiers during World War II. This inspired Monica to become the senior matron of twelve military hospitals in Australia, New Guinea, and Japan. Also, as an historian, he felt impelled to write histories of the nurses Monica supervised in all the hospitals where she had functioned, because the professional and warm service of Australian Wartime nurses, both in Australia and overseas, has been long under- recognized.
Book by John McMahon
