KENDREW, George Willis
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Chaplains' Department |
| Born: | Bradford, Yorkshire, England, 16 November 1859 |
| Home Town: | Ashbourne, Alexandrina, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Methodist Clergyman |
| Died: | St. Peters, SA, 9 November 1949, aged 89 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia General C Path 15 Grave 1184 |
| Memorials: | McLaren Vale Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Australian Army Chaplains' Department, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Australian Army Chaplains' Department, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Australian Army Chaplains' Department, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Australian Army Chaplains' Department, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne |
Help us honour George Willis Kendrew's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Kathleen Bambridge
Padre Kendrew as he was known to all gave a life time service in the interests of ex-servicemen, he died a week before his 90th birthday. he was the first Minister nominated as a chaplin to the CMF and took up his appointment in 1901, and had 40 years of service as a chaplain. In 1914 the Methodist Church in Australia was asked to nominate a chaplin and although 55 years old he was selected. He embarked from melbourne on the troopship Themistocles in December 1914. He joined the 16th Battalion in Egypt. He was invailided home in 1916. Returning to South Australia he took an active imnterest in the new RSL and became a member. he assisted in the drawing up of the contitution, and became the first vice president. He also was the first League representative on the Repatriation Board.
Later at Bute sub branch, he took the role of secretary from 1922-25, he then transferred to Gladstone. Failing health forced him to partially retired from the Ministry. he returned to Bedford Park where he had served back in 1919-22. He took an active member of the Violet Memory Day Committee. He was a member the Soldiers' Home League since 1925. Vice Chairman of the TB Aid Society from 1928, as so many who served returned with TB. Trustee of the Angorichina Hostel from 1931. From the inception of the AIF Cemetery Trust, he was a member and Chairman from 1931, this work was a labour of love and he was most proud of the Garden of Memory at West Terrace Cemetery. He was made a honorary member of the South African Soldiers' Association.
His life of service was an inspiriation to all who came in contact with him, and his long and self sacrifieing activities on behalf of the fellowman, and espesially ex-servicemen, leaves a deep debt of gratitude the League owed to him.
from the South Australian Branch 33rd Annual report 1949 p.28.
Biography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
DEATH OF REV. G. W. KENDREW
Long Service As Chaplain.
The Rev. George Willis Kendrew, who died yesterday at his home in Fourth avenue, St. Peters, served for nearly 50 years as a Methodist chaplain in the forces. Born at Bradford, Yorkshire, on November 16, 1859, Mr. Kendrew came to Adelaide in April, 1883, and was the first minister appointed to the Magill Methodist Church. He and the late Archdeacon Samwell were the first chaplains appointed to the military forces in SA in 1901 and he was the senior Methodist chaplain for the State when he volunteered for active service in November, 1914, and left with the first contingent for overseas. Mr. Kendrew served as colonel-chaplain of the First Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis, Egypt, until his health broke down and he was invalided home in 1916. His marriage to Mrs. Kendrew who died in May this year, was the first to be held in the Ashbourne Methodist Church & month after it was opened in 1891. Mr. Kendrew held appointments at Bute and Gladstone and retired from active work in the ministry because of ill health in 1928. About eight years ago he took over the honorary pastorship of Hackney Mission Church, which was about to close, and preached there regularly. He was a member of the congress which adopted the first constitution of the RSL and was one of the league's early senior vice-presidents. He was amember of the State Repatriation Board in 1917. He was deputy-chairman of the AIF Cemetery Trust under the first chairman (the late Mr.G. F. Hussey) in 1921 and at the time of his death had been chairman for more than 20 years. His name is perpetuated in the new Kendrew Oval in the Garden of Memory. He was a senior vice-president of the TB Soldiers" Aid Society and a trustee of the Angorichina Hostel. Mr. Kendrew received the Victoria Decoration in recognition of his 20 years' service as a chaplain in 1922 and was awarded the OBE in June, 1945. He is survived by a son. Dr.G. H. Kendrew. of Kensington Park. A meeting of the Anzac Day Committee last night adjourned for a few minutes as a mark of respect to Mr. Kendrew. The acting State president of the RSL (Mr. T. C. Eastick) expressed the league's regret at Mr. Kendrew's death, and the league's appreciation of the many ways in which he had worked for servicemen. '
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