KEEN, George William
| Service Number: | 3074 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia, 1891 |
| Home Town: | Artarmon, Willoughby, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Chatswood Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Gardener |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 29 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Burial Ground, Grass Lane, Flers AIF Burial Ground, Flers, Picardie, France, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3074, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 3074, 13th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 3074, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney |
Help us honour George William Keen's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
On the morning of 29 August 1916, the 13th (NSW) Battalion made an attack on Fabeck Graben and Mouquet Farm. It was a warm and wet day, with temperatures of 28 degrees and heavy rain. The 13th managed to enter Fabeck Graben behind Mouquet Farm but after fierce fighting and heavy losses they had to retire. The battalion diary reported 18 men had been killed and 32 were missing.
George Keen was one of the missing and his death was not confirmed until January 1917.
His remains were discovered near Mouquet Farm in 1925, and his watch and identity disc were recovered and sent to his father.
His younger brother, 2356 Pte. John Victor Keen 31st Battalion AIF, was killed in action 26 November 1917, age 23.