Kelvin Reginald BOYS

BOYS, Kelvin Reginald

Service Number: Q16928
Enlisted: 23 January 1940
Last Rank: Lieutenant
Last Unit: 9 Infantry Battalion AMF
Born: Toowoomba, Qld., 23 April 1919
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Toowoomba Anglican College
Occupation: University Student
Died: Accidental, Bougainville, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Pacific Islands, 17 August 1945, aged 26 years
Cemetery: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Bomana, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, St Lucia Emmanuel College Dining Room Memorial Plaque, Toowoomba Anglican College Faithful Unto Death, Toowoomba Grammar School WW2 Honour Board, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW2, Toowoomba WW2 Roll of Honour Book, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial)
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Lieutenant, Q16928
23 Jan 1940: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lieutenant, Q16928, 9 Infantry Battalion AMF
Date unknown: Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lieutenant, Q16928, 9 Infantry Battalion AMF

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Son of Reginald Septimus BOYS and Isabel Maud nee MUNRO

Lieutenant Kelvin Boys died of wounds accidentally received on August 17, 1945, at Torokina, Bougainville.

A Court of Inquiry was held on 8th November 1945 to determine the circumstances of his death and the following report was made:

The Court concluded that Lieutenant Kelvin Boys died at 1745 hours on 17th August 1945 at the 2nd/1st General Hospital.  Death was caused by a gunshot wound to his skull causing extensive brain injury.  At approximately 1115 hours on 17th August, Lieutenant Boys left his tent in the officers’ lines of the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, removed a rifle from one of the tents of the Signal Platoon (which he commanded) and proceeded to the scrub at the rear of the camp.  Approximately 10 minutes later he was found lying in the grass near the edge of the scrub, lying on his left side, and with a rifle between his knees, muzzle pointing towards his head.  A round had been fired from the rifle, and he suffered from a gunshot wound to his skull.  There were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Lieutenant Boys.  The officer was on duty being on active service.  There was no neglect, carelessness or failure to observe any act, regulation, order or instruction on the part of the deceased or any other person or persons, which caused or contributed to, or aggravated the injury.  There is evidence of misconduct on the part of Lieutenant Boys, but in view of the report of Major Stephens, Psychiatrist attached to the 2nd/1st General Hospital, it is considered that such an act was not wilful in the accepted sense of the word, and that Lieutenant Boys could not be held responsible for his actions at the time, as he is considered to have been of unsound mind.

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