Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Claude was one of 6 brothers, 5 of whom fought in France, three of them gaining their commissions. Lieutenant James Stuart Kennett won the Military Medal. They were the sons of Henry Clifford and Sarah Jane Clifford of Middle Park, Victoria. Their father Henry had died in 1911, long before the war started.

Claude fought at Gallipoli and was severely wounded at Pozieres on the 5 August 1916. His leg was fractured and he died after it was amputated 12 days later.

His mother received the following letter from him dated 1 August 1916, only a few weeks prior to his death. It was published in several Melboune papers.

'Mrs. Kennett, Bridport Street, Albert Park, Melbourne, has received a letter written in France on 1st August, by her late son, Lieutenant Claude Kennett, 22nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, who died of wounds in France on 17th August. The late Lieutenant Kennett left Australia in April, 1915, as a Sergeant, and served in Egypt and Gallipoli, taking part m the historic evacuation from the Turks' stronghold. On Gallipoli he volunteered, with others, to descend into a sap to rescue some engineers who had been 'gassed' by the fumes from a premature explosion of their munitions. He suffered from the effects of gas in consequence, and underwent hospital treatment for a short time. Mrs. Kennett has still four sons serving at the front, First Lieutenant T. M., Sergeant H C., Bombardier R. H. (Wallace) and Sergeant- Major J. S. Kennett. In the course of his letter the late lieutenant wrote:— 'I was in the trenches for a few days, and had a post of honor halfway between our lines and Fritz's. I tell you, another, I never thought my boys could be such heroes. From my post in No Man's Land, I could see things that others could not see. I saw two stretcher bearers struggling to carry in a huge fellow, weighing 17 stone, whose leg had been fractured. Having no stretcher, they were using a sheet of galvanised iron, and that proved too heavy. They saw us and asked for assistance. Before I could say a word two of my lads went over the parapet, right under the eyes of Fritz, and helped them. They had to go about 50 yards to reach their objective, and then about 150 yards back to our trenches. The two stretcher bearers were knocked out by shrapnel inside our trenches, but my two lads got more help and took their burden right to the dressing station, being under fire the whole way. I have recommended them to the O.C., their names are C. F. Neale and H. C. Symons. In conclusion, the late lieutenant added: — 'One thing I am sure of, and 'that is that Fritz is beaten. It will, however, take a long time to bring things to a climax.'