KELLY, Francis Owen
| Service Number: | 6677 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 25th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mackay, Queensland, 1887 |
| Home Town: | East Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Linesman |
| Died: | Overseas, 1948, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Feb 1917: | Involvement Private, 6677, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 1917: | Embarked Private, 6677, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Blackwood High School
Owen Francis Kelly was part of the 19th Reinforcement of the 25th Battalion of World War 1. The 25th Battalion was formed in March 1915. Most of the troops came from Queensland and Brisbane areas like Owen Francis Kelly but a small amount were accepted in from Darwin. The Battalion left Australia to train in Egypt in early July. The Battalion trained in Egypt from July to early September where they were transported to the trenches of Gallipoli to fight WW1.
The 25th Battalion had a relatively quiet time because the last allied offensive was launched. They left Gallipoli after a short amount of time and went back to Egypt for more training because of this reason. On the 19th of March, 1916 the 25th Battalion had landed in France. They were the first AIF Battalion to land in France at that time. Their landing in France lead to the 25th Battallion's first battle at Pozieres that had a time span of 13 days. The battle distinquishted 785 soldiers that fought.
The 25th Battalion kept fighting with the Australian army until their last stand on the 3rd of October where they took part in a successful attack to break through the German defences around Beaurevoir. The Battalion was disbanded nine days later.