KENNETH, Ernest
| Service Number: | 2703 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 July 1915, 4 years Naval Reserve |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Moorook, South Australia, 25 January 1897 |
| Home Town: | Glanville, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Cerebro Spinal Meningitis & Pyaemia, 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, EnglandUnited Kingdom, 31 March 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Peterhead Glanville School Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2703, 27th Infantry Battalion, 4 years Naval Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 2703, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 2703, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 26 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 31 Mar 1917: | Involvement Private, 2703, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2703 awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-03-31 |
Help us honour Ernest Kenneth's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 31st March…… Ernest Kenneth was born on 25th January, 1897 at Moorook, South Australia (birth registered in Wellington, South Australia) to parents David & Ann Kenneth (nee Riley).
His mother – Ann Kenneth died in district of Port Adelaide, South Australia on 6th December, 1907.
His father – David Kenneth died in Adelaide, South Australia in 1910.
On 2nd August, 1915 Ernest Kenneth enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.). He was an 18 year old, single, Labourer from Mary Street, Glanville, South Australia & as he was under the age of 21 his parents were required to sign their consent for their son to enlist in the A.I.F. for active service abroad. Mary Jane Lawson, sister of Ernest Kenneth signed her consent as their parents were deceased.
Private Ernest Kenneth, Service number 2703, embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Benalla (A24) on 27th October, 1915 with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 27th Infantry Battalion, 6th Reinforcements.
He was allotted to & proceeded to join 10th Battalion at Zeitoun on 27th February, 1916 from 7th Training Battalion. Private Kenneth was taken on strength of 10th Battalion from 27th Battalion at Serapeum on 28th February, 1916.
On 27th March, 1916 Private Kenneth proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on Troopship Saxonia. He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 3rd April, 1916.
Private Kenneth was written up for a Crime – “Absent from Battalion area without a pass and returning at 20.45 drunk on 3rd May, 1916”. He was awarded 144 hours No. 2 Field Punishment on 5th May, 1916.
He was written up for a Crime in France on 26th December, 1916 - “Disobeying a lawful command given by his superior Officer in that he did not go on fatigue when ordered to do so.” A Court Martial was held on 4th January, 1917 for the Trial of Pte E. Kenneth, 2703B, of 10th Battalion. He was awarded 40 days F. P. No.2 (Field Punishment) on 4th January, 1917.
On 27th February, 1917 Private Kenneth reported sick. He was admitted to 45th Casualty Clearing Station on 27th February, 1917 with Trench Feet then transferred to Ambulance Train 9 on 28th February, 1917. Private Kenneth was admitted to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 1st March, 1917 with Trench feet. He embarked for England on 3rd March, 1917 on Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth.
He was admitted to The County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury near St. Albans, England on 4th March, 1917 suffering from Trench Feet - severe. Private Kenneth was transferred on 16th March, 1917 to Cambridge Hospital – cause N.Y.D. (not yet determined).
Private Ernest Kenneth died on 31st March, 1917 at 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. A Post Mortem was held by Captain W. Malden, Pathologist. “Rather thin man no marks of external violence. Fading rash in flanks & knees. Thorax – Rt lung, densly bound down with adhesions all over, whole surface of lung studded with many infarcts from size of walnut to pea. Lt lung no adhesions, same pyaemic condition as right. Heart – normal. Abdomen – Kidneys engorged, supra renals show numerous small masses, white, resemble tubercles, enlarged glands in mesentery & near supra renals, no obvious haemorrhage. Brain – A good deal of C.S. Fluid escaped, vessels engorged very little pus anywhere, gelatinous. Up Sylvian fissures. Small collection of pus on root of cerebellum. Lateral ventricles contain much blood-stained dirty looking fluid, no black anywhere, ventricles not distended. Spinal Cord – no pus anywhere visible, no excess of C.S. Fluid.” Cause of death from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis & Pyaemia.
He was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England where 22 other WW1 Australian (or connected to Australia) War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/city.html
Click images to start slideshow.