KENNEDY, Joseph Reginald
| Service Number: | 353 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Division Artillery |
| Born: | Albury, New South Wales, Australia, 16 May 1895 |
| Home Town: | Albury, Albury Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Spinal Wounds, No. 4 Australian General Hospital, Randwick. New South Wales, Australia, 28 March 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Randwick General Cemetery, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Bombardier, 353, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Argyllshire embarkation_ship_number: A8 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Bombardier, 353, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, HMAT Argyllshire, Sydney | |
| 14 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 353, 5th Division Artillery , Bullet in middle of the back. Suffered complete paraplegia. Evacuated to England. Discharged. Returned to Australia. Died on 28th March 1917 at No. 4 Australian General Hospital Randwick. | |
| 28 Mar 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 353, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 353 awm_unit: 51st Australian Field Artillery Battery awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-03-28 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Joseph Reginald KENNEDY (Service Number 353) was born in Albury on 16th May 1895. In June 1912 he joined the NSW Government Railways as a junior porter in the Junee District. In August 1914, when he was granted leave and enlisted in the AIF in Sydney, he was employed in the Cootamundra booking office. He had two years military experience in the school cadets, and 1 year in the Militia artillery.
He was allotted to the Field Artillery. He was embarked from Sydney in October 1914 and went to Gallipoli. He returned to Alexandria in December 1915i.
According to a report in several local newspapers in NSW at the time of his death, he
‘was at the landing of Gallipoli, and later took part in the Lone Pine charge…’
In February 1916 he was transferred to the 5th Divisional Artillery, was promoted to Corporal in April and Sergeant in May. In June 1916 he proceeded to France.
On 14th August 1916 he was wounded in action, being hit by a bullet in the middle of the back. He suffered complete paraplegia and was evacuated to England. In September 1916 he was operated on at the King George Hospital in London to remove the bullet. It was found that it had completely disintegrated the spinal cord. A medical report in November recommended his discharge as permanently unfit.
He was returned to Australia in March 1917.
He died of his wounds and secondary infection on 28th March 1917 at No. 4 Australian General Hospital, Randwick.
His next of kin, his aunt (who was also his foster-mother) was not present at the time he died but was present a few hours before and shortly after his death. He was buried in the Randwick General Cemetery with full military honours.
A war pension was granted to his aunt (his foster-mother) in Albury.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.