Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Joseph Kelly was a natural born British Subject who was born in Maitland, Australia. He was married to Catherine Kathleen Kelly however they did not have any children, where they lived a simple life on 174 Parade Norwood (next of kin address). William worked as a salesman and was a strong believer of the Roman Catholic Church, he had a fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. He was 6 feet and ¼ inches tall, weighed approximately 15-4 lbs and had a chest measurement of 36-37½ inches. Although William lived an ordinary life he had previously served 3 years 232 days in the Largs Fort in South Africa between 1897 to 1900, William was discharged due to time being served, he was in the 77th Infantry.

Many people think that World War One was caused by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was going to be the new head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his death sparked a number of European countries to join up on two sides and fight each other. These two side were France, Great Britain and Russia on one side (called the Allied Forces) and Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy on the other (called Central Powers). Although there was no fighting in Australia, we were bound to Britain. However it wasn’t compulsory to go help them but we chose to.

Many Australians were very happy and enthusiastic to go to war as it was advertised as being fun, easy, cool and one big adventure, this idea was promoted by the propaganda posters that existed around that time. Nerveless they thought the war was going to be a short period of time, when in fact it wasn’t. Men also had socially coercive pressure on them from families and friends as it was considered a formality. To others joining WW1 offered the escape of poverty or their troubles as they were promised wages (which they rarely got).

On the 16 January 1917 at a place called Mitcham, South Australia and at the age of 38 years and five months William Joseph Kelly enlisted in World War One. However, he had previously been rejected as unfit for His Majesty’s Service because of his vision, thus when Australia started losing vast numbers only then was he allowed to join. He was appointed the service number 3425, the 50th Battalion, Infantry and was given the rank of private. 

On the 10/2/1917 William Joseph Kelly embarked on the HMAT Seang Bee A48 at Adelaide where they landed at Codford on the 2/5/1917. It can be assumed that the 50th Battalion did initial training at Codford as it is not stated that they headed for Egypt like the other Australian battalions before them as it was a period of five months before they headed overseas to France via Southampton (14/10/17). Kelly spent majority of his time serving in the Australian Western Front Infantry battalion, fighting in the front lines from 24/10/17 to 10/9/18 in France. They carried a variety of weapons some of which included flamethrowers, poison gas, zeppelin, machine guns, rifles, tanks, aircrafts, torpedoes, planes, barbed wire, airships, Q-ships, artillery, and submarines. Private was the lowest military rank, though they did majority of the fighting they got given the most unpleasant duties. Possible duties included weapon cleaning, guard duty and camp duties.

William Joseph Kelly was sent to hospital several times whilst out in the field for suffering from Myalgia and influenza. On the 17/2/1917 Kelly caught the influenza disease, which is a contagious disease that causes fever, sore throat, fatigue and muscle aches. Kelly was significantly lucky as he overcame the disease, however that following year the influenza became a pandemic approximately killing 20 to 50 million people between 1918 to 1919. William caught the Myalgia on the 11/6/18, which is a heath condition where you have pain in the muscles. This condition caused William to be quite ill for numerous days until, they discharged him on 10/7/18 for being medically unfit. He returned back to Australia on the 30 of November 1918.

William Joseph Kelly was awarded two medals for service in World War One; these included the British War medal, the Victory medal. The British War medal was awarded to individuals who served overseas, the Victory medal which was given to each of the allies containing their service number, ranks and their name on the medal. The Star medal was awarded to soldiers who served from 1914/1915. On 1/2/1956 William Joseph Kelly died at the age of 77, he lived a long and happy life with his wife and friends and is buried at the AIF Cemetery, West Terrace, Adelaide.

ANZAC is the abbreviation for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps for soldiers who fought between 1914 to 1918. The ANZAC spirit is a term used to that describes a solider that has showed or possessed great and noble characteristics and moral qualities through conflict, hardship and danger. These qualities included: courage, endurance, initiative, good humour, discipline, mateship and loyalty. An individual who risks their own life for his mate is an example of what it means to reflect the ANZAC spirit as it demonstrates the characteristics listed above.

It is evident that William Joseph Kelly possessed true ANZAC spirit throughout his time of being a solider and did his country proud. He was hospitalised several times and yet he went back out to the trenches and fought the Germans, showing great courage, endurance, loyalty and mateship. An other example of Kelly showing true spirit was how the Australian Imperial Force rejected him the first time, though he gave it another go showing discipline, endurance and courage.

Previously served two and a half years permanent force

Brother of 2067 Pte. Walter Aloysius Kelly (/explore/people/363739) b1888, plumber by trade, 5th Battalion AIF

They were sons of Thomas Joseph Kelly (b.1847, d.20 May 1926) and Elizabeth Fleet (b.1858, d.04 Sep 1925) who ran a wine saloon that later became the Feathers Hotel in Burnside, South Australia. - Submitted by John Hannon