St Patricks Day.......Happy Birthday Mum...............

The 17th of March marks St Patricks Day a tradition of Ireland that is celebrated all of the world now.This day also marks my mums 70th Birthday I was just about to leave to go back out to her when I was talking to her on the phone and wishing her a Happy Birthday when I heard breaking news from our Prime Minister on the news. Half listening to her and him I was left speechless for a minute by the words that came out of his mouth, words my mum has been waiting to hear personally for 65 years.

HMAS Sydney Australia's war ship that was sunk in Australia's biggest maritime disaster in our history has been FOUND.

My mums Dad Edward William Franklin my grandfather was on his way back to Australia to see my mum who had Polio as a little babe. During the war it was sunk by a German ship who pretended to be a dutch ship in distress, Australia went to their aid when the Germans opened fire both ships went down and over 640 of our men died on that day with no survivors.

This Ship being found after all these years is probably the best Birthday present my mum could have ever heard. I am so happy for her and I am still heart broken by the emotions of my mums pain in loosing her dad so young (there is a certain irony in our parallel lives)

Her step father was an evil man who beat and abused my grandmother and my mum worse.

Her child hood was frightful and the nightmare she endured to heart breaking to write about.

She is a true survivor turning 70 years old knowing now that her dad is found and she will always be grateful to have seen this in her life time.

LEST WE FORGET