KELLY, Frederick Septimus
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant Commander |
| Last Unit: | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Born: | Sydney, NSW, 29 May 1881 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Grammar School, Eton College, Balliol College Oxford |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 13 November 1916, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
Martinsart British Cemetery I H 25 |
| Memorials: | Sydney St. James Anglican Church 'KELLY' Memorial Plaque |
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement British Forces (All Conflicts), Lieutenant Commander, Officer, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Thomas Hussey KELLY and Mary Anne nee DICK
In September 1914 Kelly joined the Royal Naval Division and was soon involved in the unsuccessful defence of Antwerp, Belgium. Early next year he sailed for the Dardanelles with the Hood Battalion with such scholar-soldiers as Rupert Brooke, Arthur Asquith and Patrick Shaw-Stewart; they were known on the ship as the 'Latin Club'. He landed on Gallipoli in April. While recovering from wounds he wrote the poignant Elegy for string orchestra, in memory of Brooke whose burial on Skyros he had attended. Promoted lieutenant in June, Kelly returned to Gallipoli in July and was among the last to leave. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for 'conspicuous gallantry' there. In May 1916 he went with the Hood Battalion to France, in command of 'B' Company. His strict standards of discipline 'were not generally palatable', but his 'unfailing fearlessness and scrupulous justice', and activities as director of the regimental band, won him enormous respect. He was killed on 13 November 1916 while leading an attack on a machine-gun emplacement at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre.
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