Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Kenneth George Jackson was born 31 July 1895 in either Wooroolin or Wooloowin (both show on his Army records) the second child of Mary Ann Patterson who married Andrew Kilgour at Bundaberg 4 years later.
Ken Patterson is mentioned in the story of Charles & Emilie Adermann as travelling with Friedrich, Sam, Robert and Joseph in driving the cattle from Lowood to Wooroolin, a three week journey in 1908. Ken married Helena Adermann that same year, probably at Wooroolin. They had 5 children – Ronald, Ewan, Helena, Hazel and Frances. All attended Wooroolin School although only Hazel is recorded as pupil no 389 as there are missing pages in the files at the Qld State Archives.
In 1911 Ken Patterson purchased lot 8 in Andrew St, Wooroolin at the Jessen Sub-Division Auction. His father-in-law, Charles Adermann, purchased lot 8 on behalf of the Church of Christ. It is not known if a church was built on this land but it is thought the Patterson family lived in Andrew St as a local teacher boarded with then from 1913 to 1918. His Army records show his occupation as a “Flourman” but the electoral rolls show him as a Farmer!
Ken Patterson enlisted in WW1 at Wooroolin in Dec 1915, aged 30, and thanks to his grandson, Ken Godwin, we know that he fought at Passchendaele where he was awarded the Military Medal.
The 42nd Battalion was raised at Enoggera, on the outskirts of Brisbane, in December 1915 and became part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division. Due to sharing its numeric title with the famous Scottish regiment the Black Watch, the battalion became known as the "Australian Black Watch". This association was recognised with a bagpipe band.
In 1917, the operations of the 3rd Division were focussed on the Ypres sector of Belgium. The 42nd participated in major battles at Messines on 7 June, Warneton on 31 July, Broodseinde on 4 October, and Passchendaele on 12 October.
More info about this Battalion can be found on the AWM website. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51482
A summary of Kens army records from the Canberra AIF Project follow:
Enlisted 3rd December 1915
Embarked from Sydney “Borda” 5th June 1916
Remarks: Promoted to Corporal 27th October 1916: Transferred to 3rd Divisional Training 17th November 1918: Promoted to Sergeant 2nd September 1918: Awarded The Military Medal 4th February 1918.
Returned to Australia “Orita” 10th August 1919
Discharged 24th September 1919

Ken returned to Wooroolin and lived there until 1925 when he & Helena moved to Sherwood in Brisbane. The electoral Rolls show that he was a “Foreman”! Ken died in 1945 and is buried at Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium and Helena joined in in 1980.
Their grandson Ken Godwin, child of Hazel Patterson, returned to Kingaroy as the Deputy Principal at KSHS for a number of years in the 60s and early 70s whilst I was a student there!
Lest We Forget