Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

When Allan enlisted to serve in WWII, he claimed his birthdate as being the 31st May 1916. His headstone in St Jude’s Cemetery, Brighton suggests he added two years to his age, with him being 81 at his death on the 23rd February 2000 and therefore born in 1918. He was the third son born in Salisbury to Elizabeth and H. J. Kemp.
Allan first attended Salisbury School before then attending Norwood. He certainly enjoyed being adventurous, but in a road blitz of May ’25 was caught on his bicycle ‘being drawn by a motor vehicle without the consent of the driver’ of the lorry on Port Road and was fine a quite hefty £1
A further adventure followed as Allan and his friends decided to head to Broken Hill to find employment in May ’37. Pushing their luck, and without money or ticket, 19-year-old Allan and two 18-year-old friends travelled on the Broken Hill Express to The Hill, seeking work in shearing sheds. Each of them was fined 20/- and all were fortunate to have the charge of illegal travel on the Express withdrawn.
Just two years later, with the outbreak of WWII, Allan was one of seven young men who enlisted in Broken Hill, when a deputation headed by Lieutenant J.R. Charlton set up in the Globe Hotel and Captain Storey in the Palace Hotel. They were targeting fit young men, preferably single, to enlist. At the time the Depression meant that less work was available, despite the willingness to work at any type of employment. (One possible enlistee was rejected for not having ‘the required chest measurement’.) The group of new enlistees left from the Sulphide Street Railway Station on the 16th November ’39 heading for the Woodside Camp. However, Allan was the only one to eventually be allocated to the 2/48th Battalion, after first being posted to the 2/10th Battalion. He claimed to be 23 years old.
In an unexplained incident, just prior to Christmas ’39 Allan lashed out, striking a fellow soldier on the head with a stick, consequently facing a heavy penalty of 28 days confined to barracks. In April the following year he displayed further impetuous action being caught drunk on duty and going AWL, resulting in the loss of all pay and allowances, plus being confined to barracks for two weeks. A bout of appendicitis in May resulted in him being hospitalised. Fortunately, by October ’40 Allan was quickly promoted, first to Acting Lance Corporal, then Acting Corporal. Brief pre-embarkation leave followed before he and other new enlistees boarded the Stratheden in November to arrive in the Middle East in December. A further promotion to Corporal followed. By May ’41 Allan sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand and was hospitalised.
At the time, the 2/48th was preparing for battle. They had breakfasted on bully beef and hard biscuits as German dive bombers swept overhead, with the battalion launching a hastily planned counter-attack, which at best caused the enemy to go on the defensive. Back home the Mail reported that ‘Cpl. Allan Kemp, 23, third son of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Kemp, of Stepney, has been wounded in action. He was born at Salisbury and educated at Salisbury and Norwood Schools. Before enlisting, Cpl. Kemp worked in the Broken Hill district. He joined a South Australian infantry unit and sailed in November.’ The injury meant the Allan was adjudged permanently unfit for service.
By November ’41, Allan sustained a further accidental injury to his right hand, causing the partial amputation of his little finger and severe lacerations to the others. He returned home on a hospital ship with other soldiers wounded at Tobruk, Crete and Greece. Stories emerged of the bombing raids and tank battles, plus the incessant machine gunning the injured had encountered. By February the following year Allan was admitted to the Wayville Hospital, being treated for his physical injuries as well as his anxiety state. Not unexpectedly he went absent without leave and was confined to barracks for two days before having several days leave. Inevitably, he was discharged as being Medically Unfit for further service at 4th Military District Keswick, South Australia on the 23rd April ’42.
Aged 81 Allan died on the 23rd February, 2000. He was buried in St Jude’s Cemetery at Brighton. He had married Jeanette Katherine who lived to be 94, dying on the 21st September 2005 and buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133 2/48th Battalion

When Allan enlisted to serve in WWII, he claimed his birthdate as being the 31st May 1916. His headstone in St Jude’s Cemetery, Brighton suggests he added two years to his age, with him being 81 at his death on the 23rd February 2000 and therefore born in 1918. He was the third son born in Salisbury to Elizabeth and H. J. Kemp.
Allan first attended Salisbury School before then attending Norwood. He certainly enjoyed being adventurous, but in a road blitz of May ’25 was caught on his bicycle ‘being drawn by a motor vehicle without the consent of the driver’ of the lorry on Port Road and was fine a quite hefty £1
A further adventure followed as Allan and his friends decided to head to Broken Hill to find employment in May ’37. Pushing their luck, and without money or ticket, 19-year-old Allan and two 18-year-old friends travelled on the Broken Hill Express to The Hill, seeking work in shearing sheds. Each of them was fined 20/- and all were fortunate to have the charge of illegal travel on the Express withdrawn.
Just two years later, with the outbreak of WWII, Allan was one of seven young men who enlisted in Broken Hill, when a deputation headed by Lieutenant J.R. Charlton set up in the Globe Hotel and Captain Storey in the Palace Hotel. They were targeting fit young men, preferably single, to enlist. At the time the Depression meant that less work was available, despite the willingness to work at any type of employment. (One possible enlistee was rejected for not having ‘the required chest measurement’.) The group of new enlistees left from the Sulphide Street Railway Station on the 16th November ’39 heading for the Woodside Camp. However, Allan was the only one to eventually be allocated to the 2/48th Battalion, after first being posted to the 2/10th Battalion. He claimed to be 23 years old.
In an unexplained incident, just prior to Christmas ’39 Allan lashed out, striking a fellow soldier on the head with a stick, consequently facing a heavy penalty of 28 days confined to barracks. In April the following year he displayed further impetuous action being caught drunk on duty and going AWL, resulting in the loss of all pay and allowances, plus being confined to barracks for two weeks. A bout of appendicitis in May resulted in him being hospitalised. Fortunately, by October ’40 Allan was quickly promoted, first to Acting Lance Corporal, then Acting Corporal. Brief pre-embarkation leave followed before he and other new enlistees boarded the Stratheden in November to arrive in the Middle East in December. A further promotion to Corporal followed. By May ’41 Allan sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand and was hospitalised.
At the time, the 2/48th was preparing for battle. They had breakfasted on bully beef and hard biscuits as German dive bombers swept overhead, with the battalion launching a hastily planned counter-attack, which at best caused the enemy to go on the defensive. Back home the Mail reported that ‘Cpl. Allan Kemp, 23, third son of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Kemp, of Stepney, has been wounded in action. He was born at Salisbury and educated at Salisbury and Norwood Schools. Before enlisting, Cpl. Kemp worked in the Broken Hill district. He joined a South Australian infantry unit and sailed in November.’ The injury meant the Allan was adjudged permanently unfit for service.
By November ’41, Allan sustained a further accidental injury to his right hand, causing the partial amputation of his little finger and severe lacerations to the others. He returned home on a hospital ship with other soldiers wounded at Tobruk, Crete and Greece. Stories emerged of the bombing raids and tank battles, plus the incessant machine gunning the injured had encountered. By February the following year Allan was admitted to the Wayville Hospital, being treated for his physical injuries as well as his anxiety state. Not unexpectedly he went absent without leave and was confined to barracks for two days before having several days leave. Inevitably, he was discharged as being Medically Unfit for further service at 4th Military District Keswick, South Australia on the 23rd April ’42.
Aged 81 Allan died on the 23rd February, 2000. He was buried in St Jude’s Cemetery at Brighton. He had married Jeanette Katherine who lived to be 94, dying on the 21st September 2005 and buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133 2/48th Battalion