KENYON, William
| Service Number: | 145 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 February 1915, Murwillumbah, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 25th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Liverpool, England, 1 July 1888 |
| Home Town: | Condong, Tweed, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Liverpool Institute School, England |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 29 July 1916, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Serre Road Cemetery No.2 Beaumont Hamel, France Plot 5, Row D, Grave #3, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 145, Murwillumbah, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 145, 25th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 145, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane | |
| 15 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 145, 25th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 7 May 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 25th Infantry Battalion | |
| 29 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 145, 25th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 145 awm_unit: 25 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-07-29 |
My grandfather's brother
William Kenyon was born on 1 July 1888 in Liverpool, England, the third son of Henry Guy Kenyon & his wife Eleanor (nee Foley). William attended the Liverpool Institute and later trained to be a clerk. He was also an enthusiastic cricketer.
In December 1908 William emigrated to Australia, with the intention to learn farming and set up for himself. He worked on farms for the next four years. Prior to his enlistment, on 25 February 1915, William was employed at the Condong Sugar Mill, Tweed River, NSW.
William was appointed to the 25th Battalion, 7th Infantry Brigade, which embarked from Brisbane on 29 June 1915 on board HMAT A60 Aeneas. The 25th Battalion trained in Egypt and by early September were manning the trenches at Gallipoli.
In November 1915 William was taken ill with jaundice and evacuated to hospital in Egypt. Following his recovery, he joined the British Expeditionary Forces headed for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 19 March 1916.
William was promoted to Corporal on 7 May 1916. Less than 3 months later he was killed in action at Pozieres.
On 29 July 1916, a few hours before leading his men into action, William wrote the following hopeful letter to his parents:
"I am just scribbling a few lines before going into the attack tonight to let you know that I am going into the fight with a good heart and full of confidence and hope, and feel that I am going to win through. This will be the first time our battalion has been called on to meet the enemy, and I feel sure we will do our bit, and, of course, we are impatient to get at them. I can give you no more news at present, but hope to write again."
Rest in Peace Uncle William. We will never forget you.
P.S. Just 10 days prior to William's death, his younger brother, Private John Dean Kenyon, received a gunshot wound to the head. He was also fighting for his country at the Somme.
Submitted 25 April 2016 by Gail Tankard
Biography
"145 Private (later Corporal) William Kenyon, A Company, 25th Battalion, of Condong, NSW. Formerly a labourer, Pte Kenyon enlisted on 23 February 1915 and as a member of A Company, he embarked from Brisbane, Qld, on 29 June 1915 aboard HMAT Aeneas (A60). He served on the Western Front and was killed in action at Pozieres, France, on 29 July 1916, aged 28." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
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