CHEQWIDDEN, Kevin James
| Service Number: | SX7159 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 June 1940, Wayville, SA |
| Last Rank: | Staff Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Renmark, South Australia, 3 April 1920 |
| Home Town: | Renmark, Renmark Paringa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mechanic |
| Died: | Port Pirie, South Australia, 26 September 2001, aged 81 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Port Pirie General Cemetery, South Australia War Graves, Row "S" Grave 3 |
| Memorials: | Renmark District Roll of Honour WW2 |
World War 2 Service
| 29 Jun 1940: | Involvement SX7159 | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
| 29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Staff Sergeant, SX7159 | |
| 12 Nov 1945: | Discharged | |
| 12 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Staff Sergeant, SX7159 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
Staff Sergeant KEVIN JAMES CHEGWIDDEN
SX 7159
Born at Renmark on 3 April 1920, Kevin was the son of Charles James and Gwenith Chegwidden.
The 20 year old mechanic enlisted at Renmark on 20 June 1940. At Woodside he was allotted to 2/43 Battalion and in August graded as a Group 2 Mechanic and then Group 3 Mechanic in November.
On 28 December 1940 Kevin entrained for Melbourne and the followigd day embarked from Port Melbourne aboard HMAT “Mauritani”a. On 15 January he transhipped to HT “Nevase” at Colombo and eventually disembarked in the Middle East on 2 February 1941. In Palestine Kevin transferred to 2/1 Army Field Workshops.
In December he was evacuated to 7 Australian General Hospital and then 6AGH suffering the effects of infection and jaundice. It was not until August that he rejoined his unit. Kevin embarked from the Middle East on 29 January 1943 and disembarked in Sydney on 28 February. A month later he and Myra Tape were engaged to be married. In June he was transferred to 2/122 Brigade Workshops and promoted to Corporal.
Kevin embarked from Townsville on 22 November 1943 and 5 days later disembarked at Buna in New Guinea. After a 3 month deployment he embarked from Finschhafen aboard “Cape Perfetua” and disembarked in Brisbane.
Kevin and Myra Gweneth Tape were married on 17 April 1944 but only a month later Kevin was admitted to 2/2AGH with malaria. Promoted to Staff Sergeant, Kevin embarked from Townsville aboard “Frederick Lykes” on 26 April 1945 and disembarked in Morotai where he spent a month before moving to British North Borneo aboard LST 1025. In October Kevin boarded “Manoora” for his eventual return to Australia .
Kevin was discharged on 12 November 1945.
On the grounds of desertion Kevin and Myra were divorced in 1951. He later remarried to Elizabeth Carter
At the age of 80 years Kevin died on 26 September 2001
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