Lance Corporal John Mawhinney of Greyabbey, Co. Down served in 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers during the Italian campaign. He died on 2nd December 1943.
Lance Corporal
13053095
Lance Corporal John Mawhinney (13053095) served in 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers during the Second World War. Born on 12th March 1918 and known as Jack, he was the only son of John Mawhinney and Margaret Mawhinney (née Pritchard) of Church Street, Greyabbey, Co. Down.
In civilian life, Jack attended Greyabbey Public Elementary School before working on a farm. During the Italian campaign, Lance Corporal Mawhinney’s Commanding Officer wrote to the family in Co. Down explaining how Jack had been wounded and taken prisoner of war.
A couple of companies were several miles forward of our own troops doing an important job of work when your son’s platoon was cut off by the enemy. Your son was wounded in the left arm and had also what is thought to have been a slight stomach wound. He was taken into a house and left with some civilians, but, before the situation clarified and we were able to get him back, he was carried off by the Germans. I do hope you will have news of him soon, and we too would like to hear he is safe and sound. In the short time he was with us he proved himself thoroughly reliable and an excellent leader. The courage and steadfastness of such men is fast winning the war for us, and all being well you should soon have him home again safe and sound.
Lance Corporal Mawhinney died on 2nd December 1943 aged 25 years old having sustained wounds. His grave is in Section XII, Row D, Grave 2 of Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Italy. His name is on the Greyabbey and District War Memorial, Greyabbey, Co. Down. His headstone bears the inscription:
He died that we might live.