Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Kenneth came from a large family and was born in the Adelaide Suburb of Rose Park at the Queen’s Home (then later named the Queen Victoria Hospital) on the 30th November 1903 to Charles John William and Ann Jane Bertram. Two older siblings were born in Victoria and as the family moved around, subsequent siblings were born in different suburbs of Adelaide, including Dawn, Jean, Audrey, Ann June, Llewellyn, Maxwell and youngest son, Sydney.
Their father, Charles was particularly interested in training dogs, including a Cocker Spaniel as a hunting dog. 69-year-old Charles died on the 23rd September 1933 at Norwood and was buried in the Payneham Cemetery. He had lived to see 22-year-old Ken first marry Amy Gwendoline Cornish of Lameroo in the Lameroo Methodist Church on the 3rd April ’26. They had a daughter, Beryl, but aged 43 Amy died on the 25th March ’38. She was buried in the Lameroo Cemetery.
Ken, who worked as a baker, later married Doris Jessie with the two adding three more children, Mostyn Kingsley, Elaine and Michelle to their Lameroo family.
With the outbreak of WWII, 36-year-old Ken enlisted to serve on the 16th June ’40, with his younger brother, 23-year-old Sidney enlisting at a similar time. Ken was given the number SX6986 and Sid the following SX6987 with both placed in the 2/48th Battalion. In October ’42 younger brother, 29-year-old Maxwell, who had worked as a telephone linesman with the PMG, was also called up and given the number S41533. With his mother’s death in September ‘43 he changed his next of kin details to his sister, Ann June then, to Jean Linsay in April ’44, following his marriage. Max’s training was also at Woodside, in the Adelaide Hills where Ken and Sydney both had intensive training over two years beforehand. Maxwell was discharged in February ’47.
Prior to sailing for the Middle East, Ken and Sydney both had pre-embarkation leave, with Ken returning to Lameroo. It was challenging to leave the family, with Ken taking unofficial leave for five days, returning for just three hours. It was a costly exercise financially (36/-) and he was also confined to barracks for a further six days. At a similar time, Sydney also went AWOL but for just two days, so his time confined to barracks was significantly shorter. Ten days later Ken and Sydney were aboard the Stratheden which sailed on the 7th November and arrived in the Middle East on the 17th December.
The desert conditions, flies, dust and heat were challenging. From the country conditions Ken was used to at Lameroo, he soon contracted Dysentery and continued to be treated for several weeks before he was able to rejoin the 2/48th. A painful middle ear infection (Otitis Media) soon developed, and Ken was again hospitalised, eventually being designated as ‘fit for sedentary conditions only.’ (Sydney also experienced a similar infection.) Ken and his fellow soldiers had been living in hot, cramped, primitive hand-hewn underground dugouts. German pilots dropped leaflets deriding them for living ‘like rats’. Ironically the taunt had the opposite effect, with the troops proudly claiming the title of being Rats of Tobruk, a term they carried with honour and which became a highly respected and admired label.
Ken was able to send Christmas greeting to his family via a radio message, something that was eagerly anticipated by listeners and local communities. By January ’42 Ken was listed on the Seriously Ill list with SX7967 Corporal A.C. Mongomerie, from Yeelanna, but by the end of the month both were removed from that category.
Ken became part of the Reinforcement Depot, but continued to experience painful ear conditions, as well as pneumonia and bronchitis, inevitably returning to Australia via Victoria before travelling home to Adelaide and 15 days of leave. Doris travelled down to Adelaide to meet Ken on his return. Back in Lameroo, a social was organised to welcome and honour both Ken and Private George Sutton, SX5761 back from overseas. Several speakers were followed by dancing and supper. Unfortunately, Ken’s poor health eventually led to him being discharged as medically unfit on the 9th February ’43. (Ironically, he was deemed 20% unfit for 6 months for employment in civil life.) It was a challenging year as his 69-year-old mother, Ann died on 4th September and was buried with her husband.
Smoke Socials were popular at the time and were the basis for the Returned Soldiers’ Meeting in March ’44 where he was elected as vice president. Ken was one of nine who had been discharged and attended that meeting. Almost all members gave a speech, and many tributes were given to the fighting services.
Ken lived to be 65 and died on the 20th December, ’68. He is remembered in the Centennial Park Cemetery, Derrick Gardens. Doris lived to be 56 and died on the 18th October ’73. She now also rests at Centennial Park Cemetery. Similarly, Ken’s brothers, 56-year-old Maxwell, who died in July ’70 and 66-year-old Sydney who died on the 15th of June ’83 were also interred at Centennial Park.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.