KENNEDY, Robert Dewitt
| Service Number: | 3292 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 October 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 7th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Annandale, New South Wales, Australia, 1900 |
| Home Town: | Ryde, Ryde, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 16 June 1962, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3292, 7th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 3292, 7th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Sydney embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 9 May 1917: | Embarked Private, 3292, 7th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Sydney, Sydney |
Help us honour Robert Dewitt Kennedy's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Ayan Syed
Robert Dewitt Kennedy was born into a Methodist (1) family around the year 1900. He lived in Annandale, New South Wales, Australia (2) but moved later to Smith Street, Ryde, Sydney (3) in a modest household with his father, Robert Kennedy, a laundry proprietor and his mother, Rose Elizabeth Anne Kennedy, a housewife (4).He also lived with two siblings, William Ira Kennedy and Daisy Lyle May Kennedy (5).
After taking the selective school exam in 1913 (6), he was awarded a scholarship for Sydney Technical High School for his second year of high school on the 4th of February 1914 (7). This happened just 5 months before the start of World War I. After getting accepted into Sydney Tech, he started to struggle academically in school. In 1914, he received the only unsatisfactory exam score as well as the lowest score in his class (8). His half yearly exam score in 1915 was an average 61.95% (9).
Kennedy enlisted 27th of September 1916 (10), and trained at the Sydney Show Ground camp before embarking from Australia aboard the HMAT A15 Port Sydney on the 9th of May (14). He disembarked at Suez 20th June 1917.
While working for the 7th Light Horse Regiment, his regiment disembarked near the Suez Canal (15) for defence in the Sinai and Palestine campaigns. On the 8th of August 1917, he transferred to the 67th Squadron Royal Flying Corps as a 2nd Class Air Mechanic (16). Days later on the 28th of August he was admitted into a hospital and later discharged on the 9th of October (17). A day later, on the 10th of October 1917, he marched into Camp Moascar for possible training, marching out only 8 days later (18).
On the 20th of February 1918, he was admitted into No.14 general hospital after being diagnosed with dental issues and was discharged from the hospital on the 3rd of March (19).
Throughout his years in the war effort, Robert proved he was a highly skillful with his work as an air mechanic. With that being said, there were isolated incidents where he was punished for his disobedience. He was deprived of pay twice throughout his service in the AIF. On the 6th of October 1917, he was deprived of pay for 7 days for insubordinate language to an officer (20). This incident happened just 3 days before he left the hospital. In another incident, he was punished again on the 1st of January 1919, when he was deprived of 14 days pay for going AWOL (21).
Robert Dewitt Kennedy survived and returned to Australia on the 17th April 1919 (23) and was discharged from the AIF 1st June 1919.
After surviving the whole ordeal, Robert worked as a company manager around the years 1930-1935 (24). He died of unknown causes on 16 June 1962, Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia (25) at around the age of 62. After his passing his estate made a bequest to the University of Sydney (26).
Endnotes
No.14 General Hospital- Ward No.3E- Serial Number 13427
Australian Military Forces- Australian Imperial Force- Attestations Letter of People Enlisted for Service Abroad- Robert Dewitt Kennedy
Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 for Robert De Witt Kennedy- New South Wales- 1930- Martin, Ryde
Ibid
Ibid
1914 Scholarships High School- Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), Wednesday 4 February 1914, page 1 (2)
Ibid
THS- Class 2C- 1914- Sydney Technical High School
Thomas R. Matthew- Class 3A, General Result Sheet- 15 June 1915- Sydney Technical High School
Application to Enlist in the Australian Imperial Force- Robert Dewitt Kennedy
Anonymous- AWM133 28 - Nominal roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-18 War: Jones N R W - Kerr R M- October 1919 (Date when roll was first compiled)- Australian War Memorial
Anonymous- FIRST WORLD WAR EMBARKATION ROLL Robert Dewitt Kennedy- Australian War Memorial
Ibid
Ibid
War Gratuity Schedule- KENNEDY Robert Dewitt- 3292
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid
No.14 General Hospital- Ward No.3E- Serial Number 13427
War Gratuity Schedule- KENNEDY Robert Dewitt- 3292
Ibid
Ibid
Anonymous- Australian War Memorial- AWM133 28 - Nominal roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-18 War: Jones N R W - Kerr R M
Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 for Robert De Witt Kennedy- New South Wales- 1935- Wentworth, Bondi North
Anonymous- Virtual War Memorial- Explore/ People/ Robert Dewitt Kennedy
The University of Sydney- Bequest - Estate of R Dewitt-Kennedy, 1962-1965
Bibliography
Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
Anonymous- Virtual War Memorial- Explore/ People/ Robert Dewitt Kennedy
Anonymous- FIRST WORLD WAR NOMINAL ROLL Robert De Witt Kennedy- October 1919 (Date when roll was first compiled)- Australian War Memorial
Anonymous- Australian War Memorial- AWM133 28 - Nominal roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-18 War: Jones N R W - Kerr R M
Anonymous- FIRST WORLD WAR EMBARKATION ROLL Robert Dewitt Kennedy- Australian War Memorial
1914 Scholarships High School- Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), Wednesday 4 February 1914, page 1 (2)
Australian Military Forces- Australian Imperial Force- Attestations Letter of People Enlisted for Service Abroad- Robert Dewitt Kennedy
Application to Enlist in the Australian Imperial Force- Robert Dewitt Kennedy
Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 for Robert De Witt Kennedy- New South Wales- 1930- Martin, Ryde Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 for Robert De Witt Kennedy- New South Wales- 1935- Wentworth, Bondi North
No.4- Australian General Hospital- D.H.Q’s Printing Office, Victoria Barracks, Sydney- Invalid’s Leave Pass- No.21772 No.14 General Hospital- Ward No.3E- Serial Number 13427
War Gratuity Schedule- KENNEDY Robert Dewitt- 3292
THS- Class 2C- 1914- Sydney Technical High School
Thomas R. Matthew- Class 3A, General Result Sheet- 15 June 1915- Sydney Technical High School
The University of Sydney- Bequest - Estate of R Dewitt-Kennedy, 1962-1965