Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Father David Carman and Mother Elizabeth Carman (nee Whittingham).

Kenneth John Carman (Jack) was the 11th and youngest child,
born 12 March 1911, Port Broughton, South Australia
(SA Birth Record 1907 - 1928. Book : 861 Page : 10 District : Dal.)

The family farm at Port Broughton, South Australia, was sold and the family moved to Sefton Park, Adelaide and then to Port Lincoln to live.

Siblings:
Brother           Roland Clarence Carman  (b. 20/1/1894 Keilli, SA - d. 1917)
Brother           Clement Claude Carman  (b. 13/4/1895 Keilli,SA - d. 1916)
Sister              Winefred Amy Carman  (b. 16/11/1896 Keilli, SA - d. 1948 - a much loved sister)
Brother           David William Carman  (b. 18/10/1898 Keilli, SA - d. 1918)
Sister              Dulcie Muriel Victoria Carman (b. 21/6/1901 Kelli, SA - d. ____)
Twin Brother    George Henry Carman (b. 28/12/1903 Tickera,SA - d. 1904)
Twin Sister       Ruby Adelaide Carman (b. 28/12/1903 Tickera, SA - d. 1964)
Sister              Constance Mary Carman (b. 16/10/1908 Tickera, SA - d. ____)

Next of kin in service:
Brother  #5063 Private  Roland Clarence Carman  -  10th Battalion
(b. 1894 Keilli, Port Broughton, SA - d. 8/4/1917  Bullecourt, France - 23 yrs old)
No known grave - Commemorated at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Brother    #521   Lance Corporal  Clement Claude Carman  -  27th Battalion
(b. 1895 Keilli, Port Broughton, SA - killed in action 5/11/1916 Flers, France - 21yrs old)
No known grave - Commemorated at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Brother    #2646 Private  David William Carman   -  50th Battalion
(b. 1898 Keilli, Port Broughton, SA - d. 25/4/1918  Villers-Brettoneux, France - 19 yrs old)
buried in:  Hangard Communal Cemetery (Plot II, Row A, Grave No. 18), France

Sister        Ruby Carman  (Nurse in WWII - Middle East - returned)

Wife:       Mrs Meryl Ridgway Carman
Children:  three
Lived at Lock;  moved to 44B Seavew Road; Henley Beach Road, Lockleys; then, Port Lincoln.

12/11/1941    changed next of kin address as  c/o Mrs G B Willas, Box 171, Port Lincoln

Previous service:
9 months  Light Horse Civilian Forces

On enlisting he had worked as a Carting Contractor.

Described on enlisting as 29 years 4 months old; married; brown hair; brown eyes;
Methodist.

27/6/1940       enlisted in WWII in Adelaide, South Australia

2/8/1940         took Oath in Adelaide, South Australia

He was older than most of the other recruits and was offered a rank which he originally rejected.

7/6/1941         Acting Corporal

13/10/1941     special leave
2/10/1941       returned from leave

1/12/1941       Alloted to First Armed Division (Fitter)
                      entrained 4MD for 3MD

24/1/1942       transferred to 101 LAD (Seymour)

24/1/1942       Graded Temp III Acting Driver Mechanic

8/4/1942         Evacuated to 107 General Hospital Pucka (infected left hand)
11/4/1942       disharged to unit

8/7/1942         marched out to NSW LofC

8/7/1942         Appointed - Acting Special Group 1 (Fitter)

11/7/1942        marched in to VIC LofC Area

21/11/1942      entrained for Western Australia LofC Area

21/1/1943        marched in to WA LofC Area

5/10/1943        entrained to VIC LofC Area

21/11/1944      Embarked on board Van Heutz, from Cairns, QLD
25/11/1944      disembarked into Jacpuinot Bay, New Guinea

Jack went to Papua New Guinea and the Islands.

19/3/1945        son was born

27/4/1945        Appointed Temporary Corporal RO 6
                       Relinquished GPI Fitter MV 6
                       Graded GPI Fitter Mechanic Equipment 6

11/5/1945        Appointed Temporary Corporal

22/5/1945         Evacuated 2/8 Aust General Hospital (diarrohea)

14/8/1945         Promoted to Corporal

23/10/1945       transferred to 1st Infantry Transport Workshop

23/10/1945       taken on strength from 3 Mech Equip Workshop

27/11/1945       transferred to SA Lof C Area LTD Lurdwich

16/12/1945       Embarked on board Jaquinot Bay on board Ormiston
23/12/1945       Disembarked into Brisbane, Australia

27/12/1945       marched in from 1st Inf Transport Company

14/1/1946         marched out to SA Discharge Depot 

14/1/1946         Discharged from service in AIF, Hampstead

Medals:
1939/45 Star; Pacific Star; War medal

Jack was a mechanic and bought a business in Lock on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia after the war.

This was partly funded from the sale of a house in Port Lincoln called 'the castle'. It had an outside
staircase to an upstairs room!
Jack wanted to be a farmer, so he sold the business and bought a farm about 10 miles out of Lock. It was a very tough life. As he didn't know how to farm, he copied the neighbours, who were good third generation farmers who had been exempted from the wars.  The farm had to be fenced and the sheep got away while this was being done.  The limestone had to be cracked with sledge hammers so the paddocks could be sewn with crops. The rain fall was low. It was a far cry from the farm that was sold at Port Broughton and from the market garden in Port Lincoln where his wife Meryl grew up.

Meryl milked a cow, seperated the cream and made the butter, she kept chickens and had a vegetable garden, she chopped the wood for the fire and cooked for the family, friends, crutchers and shearers of the sheep and the boarders who often stayed on the farm.

21/10/1980  Jack died a terrible death from emphysemia (caused by smoking)

buried in:     Happy Valley Cemetery, Australia
                  Bernard Place, Port Lincoln, South Australia
                  Section HAPPY VALLEY 1, Niche 37

buried by:    Minister Reverand I Gaskill

Thank you to Liz Penfold (youngest child of Jack and Meryl) for her information.  July 2015

Submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  11/7/2015.  Lest we forget.