KELTY, George Ellis
| Service Number: | 217 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 March 1916, An original member of A Company |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Longford, Tasmania, Australia, 18 March 1892 |
| Home Town: | Longford, Northern Midlands, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Longford State School, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cressy War Memorial, Longford Christ Church Roll of Honour, Longford War Memorial, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 217, 40th Infantry Battalion, An original member of A Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 217, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 217, 40th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Hobart |
Help us honour George Ellis Kelty's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
George Kelty was one of three sons of James and Harriet Kelty of Longford, Tasmania, who all enlisted and fought with the 40th Tasmanian Battalion.
George was a married to Jessie, and the father to two infant children when he died.
His brother 1008 Pte Mervyn William Kelty was killed in action, 28 March 1918 and another brother 218 Pte. William Kelty MM, lost his leg in the same action and was returned to Australia, 30 June 1918.
Jessie Kelty of Cressy received from Lieutenant H.L. Foster the following account of the death of her husband “I reluctantly give you the details of the death of your late husband’s death in the offensive on Messines Ridge. While advancing to our final position your husband was unfortunately seen by a sniper who was the cause of his falling. He suffered no pain as death was instantaneous and he did not speak to any of his comrades after falling. I hardly need tell you that he played his part to the letter right through and gave his life unflinchingly in a task that was easily one the hardest in the advance. All Australians who fell in this the greatest and most successful battle of the war are buried close to Messines Road in a wood called “Ploegsteert”. The Weekly Courier 20th September 1917.
George's remains were lost after the war and he has no known grave.
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