68067
KELLY, Leonard Clarence
| Service Number: | 970 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1915, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia , May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Apprenticed Fitter |
| Died: | Circumstances of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Gilles Street Primary School WW1 Honour Board (Original), Adelaide High School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Corporal, 970, 43rd Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Corporal, 970, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Corporal, 970, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 970, 43rd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Life before the war
Leonard Clarence Kelly was the son of Ms. Jessie Pennel Kelly, and was born in May 1896, in Adelaide, South Australia. He lived on 28 McLaren street with his mother. Leonard was a 19-year-old fitter before he enlisted for the was on the 12th of August 1915. Like many other soldiers in South Australia who enlisted at the time, he was assigned to the 43rd battalion, and deemed fit for service on the 18th August 1915.
Kelly had previously served in the military for the 28th signal company army engineers. Leonard Kelly was a 5’9’ man with a dark complexion and blue eyes. He stood close to average height for men his age at the time.
Life in service
Leonard Clarence Kelly enlisted in Adelaide, South Australia as a corporal. He embarked on his journey on the 9th of June 1916, aboard HMAT A19 bound for Egypt. Upon arrival, the 43rd battalion began a brief training, before heading to Britain for further, more extensive training. The battalion left Britain for France on 25th of November 1916, and arrived at the front in late December.
Leonard was sent to hospital early in 1917 and spent much of the year either ill or training in England. He returned to the 43rd Battalion in September 1917 and fought with it at Ypres.
Leonard Clarence Kelly fought in the Battle of Villers Bretonneux. Villers Bretonneux was a key village on the western front, and was an important railway junction. The possessions that belonged in Villers Bretonneux would give the German army an open route to Amiens. The 43rd battalions impat on this fight was that they planned a counter attack on the nights of the 24th and 25th of April from the north and south sides. This was the first fight in the war where both sides used their tanks to fight. This was one of the battles that Leonard Kelly was able to fight in full, as he was in and out of hospital during the war.
The German Spring Offense was an attack that happened from the begging of March, till the end of May. This attack was put into action by the German army as their last attempt to attack the British and French armies on the western front, and therefore win total victory. By the end of it, it left the German army weakened.
On July 4th 1918, the battle of Hamel took place. The objective of the fight was to gain the high ground east of the village of Hamel. This ridge was important to the Germans if they planned to capture the Amiens. The Americans and the Australians joined together to fight Hammel. They attacked Hamel with 550 guns, 60 tanks and 85 aircraft in support. In 93 minutes, the Australians had taken all their objectives, advancing 2km on a 6km front. The tactics that were used in this battle were proven successful and were therefore used in other battles throughout the war.
This battle was the last known battle that he fought in, during his time in service. After 3 years and 222 days of total service, and 2 years 234 days aboard, Leonard Clarence Kelly was deemed unfit for service, and returned to Australia.
Life after the war
After returning, he got married to Mrs Mary Irene Kelly. No further details of his life are known.