Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Mother  Emily Reay & Step-father  William Reay, living at Ocean View, Bay Road,
North Fremantle, Western Australia.

8/2/1922 mother stated to AIF:
"the boy's father left family and WA in 1907, never providing support to family,
 courts granted a divorce in 1910.  1912 remarried to William Reay.  
 Unfortunately in 1920 William was accidentally killed."

Next of kin in service:
Brother:             3867  Alfred Edward Kell
                          15/11/1915 Enlisted as Private in 1st Anzac Cyclist Battalion
                          12/2/1916  Embarked Fremantle, on board HMAT A28 Miltiades
                          11/5/1919  Returned to Australia
                          as a Sapper in Australian Corps Singal Company
                          wife Mrs Dorothy Emily Kell

Brother-in-law: 2885 Pte William Thomas BROWNE
                          1/9/1916  Enlisted in Fremantle as a Private in 48th Battalion
                          9/9/1916  Embarked Fremantle on board HMAT A8 Argyllshire
                          15/2/1919 Died of broncho-pneumonia
                          buried in: Belgrade Cemetery (Plot IV, Row B, Grave No 12)
                          wife Mrs Lillian Emma Browne, living at Ocean View, Bay Road, North Fremantle WA

Previously served:  85th Infantry - Naval Reserve

Described on enlisting as 20 years 8 months old; single; 5' 10" tall; 134 lbs;
fresh complexion; blue eyes; brown hair; Weslyan.

29/11/1915      Took Oath in Perth, Western Australia

8/12/1915        Enlisted in Perth, Western Australia

1/1-6/3/1916   Signal School

3/6/1916         Commanding Officer appointed Bertram to Regiment of Signallers
                       44th Battalion

6/6/1916         Embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A29 Suevic
                       as a Private in the 44th Infantry Battalion, Head Quarters
21/7/1916       disembarked into Plymouth, England

29/11/1916      proceeded overseas to France, ex Southampton, England

3/1/1917         joined No.5 Officers Cadet Battalion, Trinity College, Cambridge

14/5/1917       Proceeded overseas to France, ex Tidsworth, England

15/5/1917       Transferred to 28th Battalion, Etaples, France

18/5/1917       Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant

24/8/1917       to Divisional Signallers Class, France
9/9/1917         rejoined battalion

14/9/1917       to Corps School, France
26/9/1917       To be Lieutenant 28th Battalion
31/10/1917      rejoined 28th battalion

4/12/1917       attached for Liaison Course AFC
8/12/1917       rejoined 28th Battalion

14/1/1918       proceeded on furlough (leave) to England
29/1/1918       rejoined 28th battalion

10/5/1918       wounded in action - gun shot wound to head
                      admitted to 12th Australian Field Ambulance
                      admitted to train
11/5/1918       admitted to No.8 General Hospital, Rouen, France
21/5/1918       discharged to Depot

8/8/1918         shell wound to head (2nd occassion)
                       admitted to 20th Casualty Clearing Station

8/8/1918         died of shell wound to head - sustained in action

26/8/1918       buried in: Vignacourt British Cemetery, France
                                      8 miles North-North Wst of Amiens                 
                                     Plot V, Row B, Grave No. 14. 

Medals:
British War medal (40771); Victory medal (40357); Memorial Plaque
and Memorial Scroll (358042).

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  28/2/2015.  Lest we forget.

Bertram Thomas Kell was born in Brisbane Queensland in 1895. Moving to North Fremantle, Western Australia with his parents and four other siblings, three brothers and sister. The exact date they moved to North Fremantle is unknown.

Bertram was educated at North Fremantle State school where he took up employment as an ironworker on leaving school. He served as a Cadet in the 86A Citizen Military Forces also becoming a member of the Naval Reserves.

In 1907 Bertram’s father left his family where it is believed he moved to Sydney, New South Wales. His father had no more contact with the family, it is recorded that his father’s whereabouts was unknown. It was in 1910 that Bertram’s mother, Emily was granted a divorce remarrying in 1912 to a William Reay. William was killed in 1920 in a tragic work accident in North Fremantle. He was working at the bottom of a well when sand from the side collapsed burying him.

It was in November 1915 that Bertram enlisted into the A.I.F. He was initially assigned to a Signal School. In the following March of 1916, he was attached to the Signalling Section of the 44th Battalion, conducting training at the Claremont camp.

Bertram had two brothers who enlisted into the A.I.F. Sapper Alfred Edward Kell serving with 1st Anzac Cyclist Battalion. Private William Allan Kell served with the Service Corps. Both his brothers returned to Australia in 1919.

Bertram embarked with his battalion from Fremantle on the 6th June 1916, aboard H.M.A.T. Suevic A29, arriving in Plymouth England in the July of 1916. Whilst in England he conducted further training before departing Southampton England for the front line in November 1916. He spent only a month with 44th Battalion in France before in the December 1916 he was selected to attend officers training school in England. In January 1917 he joined Officer’s Cadet Battalion at Trinity College Cambridge. After passing officer training he was appointed to Second Lieutenant in May 1917 he was transferred to General Infantry Reinforcements.

Bertram proceeded overseas to Etaples France where he was taken on strength with 28th Infantry Battalion. The battalion had only recently been taken out of the front line resting from the second battle of Bullecourt. The battalion remained out of the line until August 1917 where Bertram was sent for further training to Divisional Signals Class.

Bertram had only just returned to the battalion when in September 1917 when he was sent for further training, attending the Corps School as an instructor. He subsequently missed the battalions’ actions during the Third Battle of Ypres. It was in October 1917 that he was promoted to Lieutenant, spending the Christmas and New Year of 1917 1918 with his battalion in the front line before been granted leave.

The first three months of 1918 Bertram was sent to Belgium with his battalion before returning to the Somme France due to the German Offensive in the March of 1918. By April 1918 he was back in the front line near Morlancourt, when in early May 1918 he was wounded by German artillery when a shell fragment struck him in the head. He was evacuated to a Casualty Clearing Station where he was admitted to a General Hospital in Rouen France. He re-joined his battalion at the end of May 1918 remaining in the Villers Bretonneux as a Signal Officer.

On the 8th August 1918 the commencement of the opening phase of the Allied offensive known as the Battle of Amiens begun, which ultimately would led to the end of the First World War. It was about half an hour before Zero Hour when a German artillery barrage exploded on the 28th Battalions sector who were moving into position. Bertram who was repairing communication lines at the time, received a severe head wound from the shrapnel from an exploding shell. He was evacuated from the line to a Casualty Clearing Station at Vignacourt, where he later succumbed to his wounds. He was buried in Vignacourt British Cemetery, aged 23 years.

The inscription on his head stone reads.
God guide my steps and help me to meet him once again. Mother.

Lieutenant Bertram Thomas Kell is remembered with honour.