James KENNEDY

KENNEDY, James

Service Number: 1636
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Gunner
Last Unit: 2nd Division Medium and Heavy Trench Mortar Batteries, AIF
Born: Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 24 February 1892
Home Town: Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling: Woodhead School, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire and King St School, Scotland
Occupation: 1-Iron Moulder. 2-Farm Worker.
Died: Dysentery, Reading War Hospital, Reading, England , 6 September 1918, aged 26 years
Cemetery: Aberdeen (Nellfield) Cemetery
Grave 3. 895. INSCRIPTION REMEMBRANCE
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, East Brisbane Mowbray Town Presbyterian Church Honour Roll, East Brisbane War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

29 Jun 1915: Involvement Private, 1636, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: ''
29 Jun 1915: Embarked Private, 1636, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane
6 Sep 1918: Involvement Gunner, 1636, 2nd Division Medium and Heavy Trench Mortar Batteries, AIF, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1636 awm_unit: 4th Australian Medium Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1918-09-06

Help us honour James Kennedy's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon

He enlisted at  Brisbane, QLD.

City Roll of Honour : King's Crescent. The War Book of Turriff & 12 Miles Round : Page 245 

4th Medium Australian Trench Mortar Battery

He was 26 and the son of John and Barbara Kennedy; husband of Helen Robertson Kennedy, of McConnell St., Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

He is remembered on the war memorial at Woodhead School, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire.

Woodhead of Fyvie, often simply called "Woodhead", is an inland hamlet in Formartine, Aberdeenshire, Scotland that lies to the east of Fyvie near the upper River Ythan.

 

 

He is known to have died in England, probably at the Reading war Hospital.

Deaths Sep 1918   Kennedy James 26 Reading 2c433

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Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

James Kennedy was born at Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 24th February, 1892 to parents John and Barbara Baxter Kennedy (nee Fowlie).

John Kennedy, Blacksmith, aged 44, his wife Barbara, aged 40 & 3 sons – James, aged 20; Thomas, aged 16 & William, aged 14 & daughter – Mary, aged 17, departed from the port of London on 26th October, 1912 on Waipara, bound for Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

On 29th May, 1915 James Kennedy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.)  as a 23 year old, single, Iron Moulder from Norman Street, East Brisbane, Queensland.

Private James Kennedy, Service number 1636, embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on HMAT Aeneas (A60) on 29th June, 1915 with 7th Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Battalion, 1st Reinforcements.

He embarked from Alexandria to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli Peninsula on 4th September, 1915.

On 9th January, 1916 Private Kennedy disembarked from Mudros at Alexandria from HT Hororata. (After the evacuation of Gallipoli).

Private Kennedy proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on 14th March, 1916 & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 19th March, 1916.

He was transferred to 2nd Trench Mortar Battery at Armentieres on 19th April, 1916 and taken on strength the same day in France. His rank was changed to Gunner.

Gunner James Kennedy was sent sick to Hospital on 7th December, 1916. He was admitted to 5th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 9th December, 1916 with influenza. Gunner Kennedy embarked for England on Hospital Ship St. Andrew from Rouen on 29th December, 1916.

On 31st December, 1916 Gunner Kennedy was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital, Wiltshire  then transferred to No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, England from 21st February, 1917 to 5th March, 1917 with Dysentry. He was discharged to Furlough & on completion was to report to No. 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs.

James Kennedy, aged 25, of 21 Kings Crescent, Aberdeen, married Helen Robertson Jaffray, aged 26, of 21 King’s Crescent, Aberdeen on 8th March, 1917 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, King Street, Aberdeen, Scotland.

He was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 21st March, 1917 & medically classified as B. 1 A. (Fit for light duties).

Gunner Kennedy was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 28th March, 1917. He was transferred to Delhi Hospital on 29th March, 1917 with Dysentry. Gunner Kennedy was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham on 11th April, 1917 until 8th May, 1917.

On 10th May, 1917 Gunner Kennedy was marched in from AHQ London. He was medically classified as B. 1. A. 4 (Fit for Overseas Training Camp when passed dentally fit).

He proceeded overseas to France from Southampton on 14th June, 191 & was marched in from England to the AGBD (Australian General Base Depot) at Rouelles on 15th June, 1917. Gunner Kennedy was marched out to 2nd Division Artillery on 19th June, 1917 & taken on strength with V.2/A. Battery in France on 21st June, 1917.

Gunner Kennedy was transferred to & taken on strength with 4th AMTM Battery in France on 2nd March, 1918.

On 5th April, 1918 he was promoted to Temporary Bombardier to complete establishment.

T/Bombardier Kennedy reported sick on 19th June, 1918. His rank reverted back to Gunner on being evacuated sick on 19th June, 1918. He was admitted to 15th Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to 61st Casualty Clearing Station. Gunner Kennedy was admitted to 11th Convalescent Depot at Rouen on 4th July, 1918 then transferred to Buchy. He was transferred on 20th July, 1918 & admitted to 3rd Stationary Hospital. Gunner Kennedy was invalided to England from France on 27th July, 1918 aboard Hospital Ship Gloucester Castle.

He was admitted to Reading War Hospital, Reading on 28th July, 1918 with Dysentry (severe).

 

Gunner James Kennedy died at 4.45 pm on 6th September, 1918 at Reading War Hospital (also known as Royal Berks Hospital, Reading) from Dysentry & Exhaustion. Gunner Kennedy’s Father-in-law – Mr A. Jaffray & brother were present at the time of his death.

He was buried in Nellfield Cemetery, Aberdeen, Scotland.

 

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/nellfield.html

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