KIRKWOOD, Reginald William
| Service Number: | 2474 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 July 1915, 7th Reinforcements, 12th Battalion. Was in the 92nd Infantry at time of enlistment. |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps |
| Born: | Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, 1895 |
| Home Town: | Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Motor Driver |
| Died: | New South Wales, Australia, 27 October 1944, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2474, 12th Infantry Battalion, 7th Reinforcements, 12th Battalion. Was in the 92nd Infantry at time of enlistment. | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2474, 12th Infantry Battalion, RMS 'Persia' from Melbourne | |
| 4 Oct 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2474, No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/records/328534/6 |
The Fall of The Red Baron
Somehow the fact that this man Reginald William Kirkwood from Launceston Tasmania was on his first mission in the air as an Observer with the Australian Flying Corps when the 'Red Baron' Manfred von Richthofen was shot down and later a pallbearer at the funeral has gone unrecognised.
You can read the article that appeared in the Launceston Examiner (TAS) on the 17th July 1918 by following the links below:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/152986427?searchTerm=%22Reg%20Kirkwood%22%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=dateFrom=1910-01-01|||dateTo=1980-12-31|||l-advstate=Tasmania|||sortby=dateAsc
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50990322?searchTerm=%22Reg%20Kirkwood%22%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=dateFrom=1910-01-01|||dateTo=1980-12-31|||l-advstate=Tasmania|||sortby=dateAsc
Also, I have sent an email to the Australian War Memorial as they have his embarkation details wrong (date/place/rank) and unfortunately the details have been copied and pasted to this website.
Regards,
Troy Murphie
Submitted 18 March 2019 by Troy Murphie
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
KIRKWOOD.-On October 27, 1944, 1 Lieutenant Reginald William Kirkwood, late A.F.C. 3rd Squadron, beloved husband of Gladys Mary and loved father of Joan and Jack, of 4 Bellevue Gardens, Bellevue Hill, Sydney and son of C. M. and the late William Kirkwood and brother of Amy (Mrs. Treloar) and Edwin, of 95 Manuing Rd., Woollahra, Sydney, and nephew of Richard O'Brien, Blessington, Tas., and Mrs. E. A. Tunks, Launceston, Tas. Aged 48 years,
(Cremated.)
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