MAHNEY, Andrew Bernard
| Service Number: | SX25839 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1942, Seymour, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Headquarters Australian Imperial Force (AIF) |
| Born: | Goroke, Victoria, 20 August 1916 |
| Home Town: | Frances, Naracoorte and Lucindale, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shearer |
| Died: | Natural causes (cancer), Repat Hospital Daw Park, South Australia, 20 December 1994, aged 78 years |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 5 Oct 1942: | Enlisted Private, SX25839, Seymour, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX25839 | |
| 6 Oct 1942: | Involvement Private, SX25839 | |
| 24 May 1946: | Discharged Lance Corporal, SX25839, Headquarters Australian Imperial Force (AIF) | |
| 24 May 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX25839 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sandra Mahney
Andrew Bernard Mahney - known As Sugar, was the 3rd son of 8 children of Christopher and Lizzie Mahney, born on 20 Aug 1916 at Goroke, Victoria. He was a knock-about sort of bloke, the sort of bloke that we like to associate now with as a 'typical Australian ' - typical of his time. He left school at 14 to go droving and ultimately became a shearer.
He loved people, he loved a beer and he loved a chat.
He joined the army on the 5th October 1942. Most of his army career was spent in Australia, where he was periodically released to go shearing, presumably, this helped the war effort.
He was deployed to Rabaul late in the war. The war ended when he was in Rabaul.
After being discharged from the army he married Eileen O'Callaghan on the 26th June,1946.
Andy and Eileen, lived for the first years of their married lives in Mt. Barker SA, Andy worked as a barman in the local hotel. Their firstborn Trevor was born in 1947, 12 months later Rosemary was born. Soon after the family moved to Poltalloch Station on Lake Alexandrina. Andy managed the property for approximately 2 years.
After working at Poltalloch Station he moved his family, closer to their grass roots at Frances, working at St. Auburns for the Danby family.
The family were well known in the local area, Andy was regarded as a very good footballer, but when injury forced him from the game he took up umpiring.
In 1960 Andy brought his family to Adelaide to live. He did this to ensure his children had the best education they could get. They bought a house at 52 Furness Avenue Edwardstown and Andy gained work labouring on the building sites of Adelaide.
By the end of his working life Andy had a chronic back condition, no doubt the legacy of his years as a shearer and hard manual labour.
He died in the Repatriation Hospital, Daw Park on the 20/12/1994,
he had 2 children and 6 grandchildren.
Andy Mahney was my father-in-law, he was the sort of man, that this country was built on, his hard work and attitude to life are the foundations that have enabled future generations to enjoy the lives that we have today, they should never be forgotten, we owe them a debt of gratitude.
Sandra Mahney
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