Kenneth Hollywood BEHAN

BEHAN, Kenneth Hollywood

Service Number: QX22834
Enlisted: 18 August 1941, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion
Born: Jericho, Queensland, Australia, 30 January 1902
Home Town: Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling: St Josephs Nudgee College
Occupation: Station Overseer
Died: Died of Illness (POW of Japan - Beri Beri), Thailand, 4 August 1943, aged 41 years
Cemetery: Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Collective grave 10, Row F 2-10, Grave L4, Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
Show Relationships

World War 2 Service

18 Aug 1941: Enlisted Private, QX22834, Brisbane, Queensland
18 Aug 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, QX22834, 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion
19 Aug 1941: Involvement Private, QX22834
10 Jan 1942: Embarked Private, QX22834, 2nd/26th Infantry Battalion, Embarked HMT M82
26 Jan 1942: Involvement Private, QX22834, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, Malaya/Singapore
26 Jan 1942: Transferred Private, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, Transferred from 2/26th to 2/29th Infantry Battalion
15 Feb 1942: Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore
4 Aug 1943: Involvement Private, QX22834, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, Prisoners of War, Died of illness whilst a PoW

Help us honour Kenneth Hollywood Behan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen

Kenneth is also listed on the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Roll of Honour in Thailand

The inscription on his headstone reads

"age 41, His duty fearlessly & nobly done - Ever Remembered

Rest in Peace"

----------------------------------------------

From the Ex POW Memorial in Ballarat, Victoria

"When you go home, tell them of us and say,

for your tomorrow, we gave our today"

----------------------------------------------

On the AMF Prisoners of War & Missing in the Far East and South West Pacific Islands index on the Australian War Memorial, Kenneth is listed as Serial No. 947

Read more...

Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen

Kenneth Hollywood BEHAN was born on 30th January, 1902 in Jericho, Queensland to Thomas BEVAN and Mary Beatrice RANDY

On 16th June, 1929 at Garfield Station he married Gladys FURBER in a double wedding with his sister Cecily Margaret (Pegg) - they were divorced in 1941

The BEHAN family were early pioneers at Jericho - after his father Thomas died, Kenneth was elected as a member of Jericho Shire Council to replace his Father

He enlisted on 18th August 1941 in Brisbane with the 26th Battalion re-inforcements and was transferred to the 2/29th Australian Infantry Battalion which had suffered huge losses at the Battle of Gemas.

He was taken as a prisoner of war on 15th February, 1942.  He was a member of H Force working in the Kannyu area and died of Beri Beri on 4th August, 1943 at Kanchanaburi, Thailand as a Thai Burma Railway Casualty

Kenneth was first buried in Grave 52 at Kannyu Jungle Camp and in 1946 his body was exhumed and reburied at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery - his name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial , the Ex POWs Memorial in Ballarat in Victoria & the Honour Roll at St Josephs Nudgee College, Brisbane

Read more...