ELLIOTT, Kenneth William
| Service Number: | VX22787 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 June 1940, Caulfield, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/24th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Emu Bay, Tasmania, Australia, 20 July 1920 |
| Home Town: | Dandenong, Greater Dandenong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Libya, 2 May 1941, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya Grave Reference: 7. A. 5. , Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Darnah province, Libya |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Dandenong Shire Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 10 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Private, VX22787, 2nd/24th Infantry Battalion, Caulfield, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, VX22787, 2nd/24th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Jun 1940: | Involvement Private, VX22787 |
Ken Elliot Dandenong Cyclist
Private Kenneth William Elliott of the 2/24 Battalion, Australian Infantry, was just 20 when he was killed in action in Libya on May 2, 1941, probably at Wadi Giaida during the Battle of the Salient, as Australian forces sought to stop Rommel's attempt to bring the Siege of Tobruk to an end by a direct assault. The Dandenong Journal reports that he was the first person from the township to die on active service during the Second World War.
The eldest son of William Henry and Lilian Rachel Edith Elliott, of Dandenong, Victoria, Ken was a keen cyclist. As a former member of the Dandenong Cycle Club, he had held the position of Assistant Secretary for three years and been a leading performer. In 1938 as a junior he is seen placing well in several races which helped him to second place in the Matthews Grand Aggregate Cup with a total of 80 points. In September of that year he won the club's annual 50 mile road race on a course that ran through Tooradin, Kooweerup, Pakenham, and Berwick, finishing at the Dandenong Drill Hall. Elliott appears to have moved to the Spring Vale Cycling Club in 1939 and represented them in races as well as acting as a race official.
His last appearance in a race before being mobilised appears to have taken place on May 11, 1940, when he placed third in a 20 mile handicap race despite having punctured with 3 miles to go. His younger brothers, Frank and Max, were also cyclists who both rode successfully for the Dandenong Professional Cycling Club in the 1940's.
(sources: ""Dandenong's first war fatality", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 21, 1941, 1; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Elliott, Kenneth William", CWCG, http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2096612/ELLIOTT,%20KENNETH%20WILLIAM ; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), April 27, 1938, 4; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), September 14, 1938, 6; "Track races", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), February 21, 1940, 21; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 15, 1940, 13.
Submitted 23 February 2016 by Aaron Cripps
Biography
Private Kenneth 'Ken' William Elliott of the 2/24 Battalion, Australian Infantry, was just 20 when he was killed in action in Libya on May 2, 1941, probably at Wadi Giaida during the Battle of the Salient, as Australian forces sought to stop Rommel's attempt to bring the Siege of Tobruk to an end by a direct assault. The Dandenong Journal reports that he was the first person from the township to die on active service during the Second World War.
The eldest son of William Henry and Lilian Rachel Edith Elliott, of Dandenong, Victoria, Ken was a keen cyclist. As a former member of the Dandenong Cycle Club, he had held the position of Assistant Secretary for three years and been a leading performer. In 1938 as a junior he is seen placing well in several races which helped him to second place in the Matthews Grand Aggregate Cup with a total of 80 points. In September of that year he won the club's annual 50 mile road race on a course that ran through Tooradin, Kooweerup, Pakenham, and Berwick, finishing at the Dandenong Drill Hall. Elliott appears to have moved to the Spring Vale Cycling Club in 1939 and represented them in races as well as acting as a race official.
His last appearance in a race before being mobilised appears to have taken place on May 11, 1940, when he placed third in a 20 mile handicap race despite having punctured with 3 miles to go. His younger brothers, Frank and Max, were also cyclists who both rode successfully for the Dandenong Professional Cycling Club in the 1940's.
Following Ken's death the club inaugurated the annual Ken Elliott Memorial Race, with riders competing for a trophy donated by the club president, "Mick" Hamilton. The race consisted of a 10 mile handicap that was to be run as the club's first race of the season each year on the nearest Saturday to May 2, the date that Elliott fell in action. The first edition took place on Saturday May 4, 1942. J. McDougall took the honours, completing the 10 mile course on the Cranbourne road in 28 minutes, 15 seconds. Fittingly it was Ken's brother, Max, who achieved the fastest time in 26 minutes, 30 seconds..
Winners of the Ken Elliott Memorial Race
1942-1948
1942 - J. McDougall
1943 - A. Saunders
1944 - L. Brereton
1945 - A. Marsham
1946 - A. Marsham
1947 - T. Matthews
1948 - G. Koffeyberg
(sources: ""Dandenong's first war fatality", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 21, 1941, 1; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Elliott, Kenneth William", CWCG, http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2096612/ELLIOTT,%20KENNETH%20WILLIAM ; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), April 27, 1938, 4; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), September 14, 1938, 6; "Track races", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), February 21, 1940, 21; "Cycling", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 15, 1940, 13; "Road cycling season opens", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 6, 1942, 10; "Saunders wins Ken Elliott memorial race", The Dandenong Journal (Vic.), May 5, 1943, 2.)
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