Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

‘…He felt it was his duty
To take a noble part:
There was no fear of danger
In his brave and loyal heart.

Deeply regretted…’

Frederick Hugh Kewley was born at Ballarat East in 1895. He was the second son and third child of William Henry Albert Edward Kewley, from Geelong, and Ballarat-born, Emily Cunningham.

The family made their home at 3 Fincham Street, Mount Pleasant, and Albert Kewley sustained his growing family by working in the local mines – in particular the New Kohinoor and Britannia United mines.

Fred attended the Mount Pleasant State School, which was only a very short walk from the family home. It wasn’t long before the young lad had earned for himself a reputation for bravery and community spirit. On 31 January 1906, a bushfire broke out in the State forest between Mount Clear and Canadian. Fred, and his mate, Jack Stephens, saw the fire from the vantage point afforded by their school. The boys took off across country and joined the local fire brigades in helping to beat out the flames. The pair were singled out for praise by authorities.

Immediately after leaving school Fred joined the staff of the large Ballarat department store of John Snow & Company in Sturt Street [currently occupied by Myer]. He worked as a draper in the tailoring department there for seven years. Evenings and weekends were taken up by activities at the Ballarat YMCA, where Fred was joined by his younger brother, Ted, and in the young men’s Bible class at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.

Fred had shown an early interest in ‘military matters’ starting with the junior cadets. He had charge of the Buninyong cadets prior to joining the ranks of the 70th Regiment, and proved himself to be a very capable rifle shot. His commanding officer in A Company was well-known Ballarat solicitor Matthew Baird. Fred held the rank of lieutenant in the 70th Regiment alongside Lieutenant Stanley Close (who was killed in action at Gallipoli on 28 April 1915).

When war was declared the 70th Regiment mobilised to man the coastal batteries at Queenscliff. It was at Queenscliff that Fred decided to volunteer for active duty. However, his parents refused their consent and as a consequence Fred missed a highly prized commission. It wasn’t long before Fred convinced his parents to let him join up and, on 16 September 1914, his father signed his consent. In recognition of his enlistment, Fred’s colleagues at Snow’s presented him with a gold watch.

Whilst in camp at Broadmeadows, Fred was promoted to sergeant, which went some way to assuaging his disappointment at missing an appointment to lieutenant. On 22 December, Fred boarded the troopship Ulysses to begin the voyage to Egypt.

Ted Kewley, who also required his parent’s consent to enlist, followed his brother into the AIF on 29 March 1915. Less than two weeks later, unbeknownst to Ted, Fred, was on his way to Gallipoli with the 14th Infantry Battalion. Part of the unit landed at ANZAC Cove during the early stages of 25 April; by the following day 28 officers and 900 men were safely on shore. On 27 April companies of the 14th were sent into the line at both Quinn’s and Courtney’s Posts. Casualties quickly mounted under constant shrapnel fire from the Turkish gunners. Conditions were treacherous with the Turk’s mounting concerted attacks on the Australian positions. On 1 May, Fred Kewley was working as a sniper at Courtney’s Post when he was shot and killed; he was buried the same day in the Courtney’s and Steele’s Post Cemetery.

Word of Fred Kewley’s death was received by his parents on 29 May. And upon receipt of the news, the flag on John Snow & Company was lowered to half-mast in the young man’s memory. It was to become a tragic and regular sight on the city’s major buildings.

At Ebenezer Church on 6 June, a “Soldier’s Memorial Service” was held to remember the young men from the congregation who had fallen in battle. It was said that on hearing the news of Fred Kewley’s death, ‘quite a gloom was cast’ over the Bible class where he had been such a popular contributor. The sombre military nature of these services was to become all too familiar, and this memorial was no exception with famed local bandsman, Percy Code, leading the music, and the haunting strains of the Last Post echoing throughout the building.

In September Fred’s mother received the following letter from a Private R. Williams, who had been a friend of her son.

‘…It is a great pity that such a fine young fellow should be called home so soon. He did his duty bravely and nobly on the field of battle, and never wavered when in danger. This accounts for his death. He was on an observation post sniping. He had just shot four Turks, and thought that he had shot the fifth. He exposed himself a little higher than he should have done, and was shot dead…He has fallen for a cause we have all given our lives to defend. Our task is difficult, and note too pleasant, but we are all happy and hope to return…’

On the first anniversary of his son’s death, Albert Kewley, at 52 years of age, took the unprecedented step of enlisting. His reason was simple: he wanted to avenge the death of his son. So, he dropped his age by eight years and sailed from Melbourne on 28 July 1916 with the 19th reinforcements to the 8th Battalion. His health, after years of mining, was not up to the rigors of active service, however, and he was soon invalided home to Australia. He was returning to Ballarat by train on 22 April the following year when he suddenly took ill and died from a heart attack. The strain had simply been too much.