Jack and I were married at Maroubra Church on 11th April, 1939, with a Nuptial Mass at 8.30 am and had to fast from midnight to be able to go to Holy Communion as that was the law, not even a glass of water, so we were very hungry and thirsty.
There were only 36 guests at the wedding and a light meal followed in a hall at Maroubra Junction. We went to the Hydro-Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains for a glorious two week honeymoon. Our first home was a small flat at Coogee, then later a nice flat overlooking the beach at Coogee. Our first daughter Margaret was born one year later and when she was twelve months old we moved to a semi-detached house in Kensington. We were happy in this nice place, though war was on and we knew Jack would be called up at any time.
We were expecting our second child, John when the call-up came, so Jack was worried about leaving us, though he also felt obliged to go, as so many friends and work mates were going. John Edward Tierney was born 30th November 1941 on a Sunday. Jack took me to St. Margaret’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, then took Margaret to stay with Mum at Maroubra and went to visit friends. He didn’t ring the hospital till about 9 o’clock. I had been waiting for him to visit at 7 pm, as John was a quick birth with no long labour like with Margaret.
The bombing of Pearl Harbour took place a week after the birth, which brought America into the war in the Pacific. Margaret was two and John was about six months old when Jack’s call-up eventually came. He spent the first night in the Sydney Showground, the headquarters for recruiting, where thousands of new recruits were crowded into pavilions, just sleeping on the floor on a straw palliasse (a large calico bag filled with straw). He was then detailed to the Artillery and sent to Albury for six months training before going to Liverpool camp in preparation for shipment to New Guinea. I had moved back to Maroubra with the two little children to stay with Mum and Dad hoping to help them and also save money for a home.
Jack came to the home nearly every night for a few weeks, trying to spend as much time as possible before going away. He had to leave home at 5.30 am each morning to be at Liverpool camp in time for roll call. He sailed from Darling Harbour on 10th February, 1943 for Townsville and then for New Guinea. He was at Port Moresby for a while then to Milne Bay for some weeks before going by barge to Lae. What a terrible time they had there living in horrible conditions with lots of rain and mud, strict training and frightening Japanese air raids at night.
Words by Kath Tierney
War Was On
Photographic collage on board
2025