KENNEDY, Donald E
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 February 1944 |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Griffith, New South Wales, Australia, 10 March 1927 |
| Home Town: | Manly, Manly Vale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Griffith "We Will Remember Them" Plinths |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Feb 1944: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Jun 1946: | Discharged Merchant Navy |
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Donald Kennedy, who aged just 16, joined the Merchant Navy in Sydney and served across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans throughout the Second World War.
After leaving the merchant navy in 1946, he returned to Australia, where he served as an army reservist. Don was later patron of the Forestville RSL sub-Branch and received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to veterans and the wider community. Sadly, Don passed away in November 2024.
In one of his last interviews, Don explained, ‘I’m not a hero, and I’m not just being humble. For me, the definition of a hero risks their lives to save someone, like running into a burning building. I was just doing a job.’
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