23577 Private John Joseph Mahoney, 19/4/1873-1/8/1920.

John Joseph Mahoney is not an easy man to pin down through the usually informative pages of "Pages Past."

His death notice is there, and also are a couple of reports of his "not serious" injury in action.  The issue is complicated a little by a soldier with the same name, a sapper who was killed in 1917.

His military record, through NZ Archives, is more informative.  John was a gold miner before joining up, and was shot in the head in 1916.  He was judged as permanently unfit for further service in January, 1917, and repatriated the following April. He was admitted to Dunedin Hospital on arrival and treated for a discharging sinus which was a result of his wound. His "disability"caused by military service was described as "permanent."

In his archives records I found this:

MEDICAL REPORT ON AN INVALID

"Was struck by a bullet which ploughed through the scalp and parietal bone exposing the meninges. He was not unconscious but was taken to C.C.S. (Casualty Clearing Station) at Heilly overnight. No operation performed. He was removed next day to Rouen and remained one night then was removed to 1st Southern General Hospital Birmingham arriving Sept. 22. He remained till Oct. 30th and then went to the Auxiliary Hospital at Harbourne Hall and on Dec. 5th came to Walton. Wound not quite healed.

"There is an unhealed wound situated near the junction of the occipital and right parietal right temporal bones. Here there is a sinus leading down to bare and rough bone and is a small gap in the skull here in which pulsation can be observed.  He is otherwise quite well." - Lt. Col. Mill, No. 2 NZ General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames, UK.

He was finally discharged in September of 1917, received an army pension and was admitted as an outpatient at Gore Hospital.

The Official History of John's unit, the Otago Infantry Regiment, has no specific reference to John and the date of his injury occurs during the Battle of the Somme - a time of many losses for the Regiment.  September 23rd was a relatively quiet day for the Otagos - it is possible that John was wounded by a sniper's bullet.  I have found no record of cause of death - but would not be surprised if it were the result of a bullet through the skull.

DEATHS

MAHONEY. —At Parrawa, on Sunday, August 1, 1920, John Joseph Mahoney; aged 47 years. R.I.P. The funeral will leave the Parrawa Hotel on Tuesday, 3rd Inst., at 1 p.m., for the Athol Cemetery. Friends please accept this (the only) intimation.—C. Sutherland, Undertaker.  -Southland Times, 2/8/1920.

Athol Cemetery.