The grandsons of a couple who ran an orphanage for Armenians in Lebanon met in Australia with the Austrian Armenian relatives of those who survived the Armenian Genocide.  

Brothers John and David Knudsen never met their grandfather John Henry Knudsen, but the family always remembers the story of his bravery, sacrifice and compassion.

John Henry Knudsen took part in WWI but it is what he did after the fighting was over that he is most remembered for. The New Zealand-born soldier and his Australian wife Lydia headed for the Middle East to help the Armenian orphans, who were deported from Turkey following the mass killings, SBS reports.

The couple joined the Near East Relief and were appointed the directors of the orphanage for about 1,700 Armenian orphans. The orphanage closed in 1929, following which John and Lydia settled in Australia.

The descendants of those who worked at the orphanage and the Armenian Genocide survivors attended the meeting in Sydney.

Nora Grigorian’s grandfather, Mihran Terzian, was eight years old when he sought refuge with the Knudsens.

“Their lives were secured by Australians. It makes me very proud to be Australian as well as Armenian,” Nora said.

John and David say their grandparents would be humbled by the recognition of their efforts.