KENNEDY, John Joseph
| Service Number: | 2889 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 May 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 4th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Cobram, Victoria, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Yarrawonga, Moira, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 17 April 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cobram Barooga RSL War Memorial, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Rosedale Shire Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 19 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2889, 4th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 2889, 4th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Sydney embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 2889, 4th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Sydney, Melbourne | |
| 17 Apr 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 2889, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2889 awm_unit: XXII Corps Light Horse awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1918-04-17 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
2889 Trooper John Joseph Kennedy XXII Corps Light Horse AIF, killed in action 17th April, 1918.
Kennedy was a 23-year-old labourer, born in Cobram and he enlisted during May 1916. He was one of the 12 children of Daniel Joseph and Bridget Kennedy, and many of his brothers and sisters lived around Cobram for many years. John, at the age of 19, was only recently married to Marion and the young couple were living in Yarrawonga at the time. He was known to his mates as “Jock” Kennedy. Kennedy served with the Light Horse and he arrived at Plymouth England during October 1916 before being sent to France in January 1917. Jock fought through all of 1917 and was killed in action at Mount Kemmel on the 17th April 1918. When working a machine gun his trench was struck by an artillery shell during a German barrage. The same shell wounded 5 other men. His mates said he was most severely wounded all over and died almost instantly. He was buried where he fell and his mates put up a cross. The gravesite was later lost and Kennedy’s name is listed on the memorial to the missing at Menin Gate.
He left an infant daughter, whom he probably never had a chance to meet, Norah, born in 1916. His wife was awarded a pension of 2 pounds per fortnight.
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