Wyndham History

William Ambrose Kennedy (1881-1917)

Item

Placeholder image - Veteran.png

Dublin Core

Type

Title

William Ambrose Kennedy (1881-1917)

Contributor

Date

1916

Publisher

Wyndham City Libraries

Format

text

Language

eng

World War One Veterans Item Type Metadata

Name

William Ambrose Kennedy

Birth Date

Birthplace

Service Number

2353

Enlistment Date

Next of Kin

Honora Kennedy
12 Windemere Street,
Ballarat, Victoria
Mother

Address at time of Enlistment

Werribee Railway Station,
Werribee, Victoria

Occupation

Marital Status

Single

Death Date

Place of Burial

Bethleem Farm East Cemetery
near Messinos France
Plot 1 Row E Mesen, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Biographical Text

No.2353  Private William Ambrose Kennedy
William Ambrose Kennedy was born in 1881 at Ballarat, Victoria. On his enlistment papers his mother was listed as Honora Kennedy and she lived at 12 Windemere Street, Ballarat, Victoria. His enlistment papers had his Postal address as Werribee Railway Station, Victoria.

War Service
William enlisted into the Army at the age of 35 years 6 months at Melbourne, Victoria on 17 January 1916.

He was five feet and six inches tall. Weighed 133 pounds and had a chest measurement of 33/35 inches. His eyes were grey and he had grey hair.
All of this was recorded at the time of his enlistment.

Time was spent training at C Coy 37th Battalion Seymour (Signal School) from 28 February 1916 until 31 May 1916.  He spent two months at 4th Dep Battalion 3/37 RPTS

William embarked on HMAT Port Lincoln at Melbourne on 20 September 1916. He transferred to A 30 Borda at Sierra Leone 2 December 1916 then disembarked at Plymoth on 9 January 1917. He marched into 10th Training Battalion Codford, England on 10 January 1917.

The Codford area has had a long history with ANZAC soldiers and during World War I large training and transfer camps were established for the tens of thousands of troops waiting to move to France.

William proceeded overseas to France on 4 April 1917 and marched to the front on 8 April 1917. He joined the 37th Battalion on 13 April 1917.

William was killed in action in Belgium on 9 June 1917. He is buried at Bethleem Farm Brit. Cemetery (East) near Messinos France Plot 1 Row E (Mesen, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.)

Bethleem Farm East Cemetery was made by Australian units when the farm was captured by the 3rd Australian Division on 7 June 1917 in the Battle of Messines. The majority of the burials are those of officers and men killed in action on 8 or 10 June 1917.

Medals and Entitlements:
  • British War Medal
  • Victory Medal

If you have any further information that could help us in our research, please contact the Plaza Library on 8734 2600 or email familyhistorylibrarian@wyndham.vic.gov.au

 

Bibliography

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au

http://trove.nla.gov.au

AIF Project
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=162916

Medals and Entitlements

British War Medal
Victory Medal

Citation

“William Ambrose Kennedy (1881-1917),” Wyndham History, accessed October 4, 2023, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/2478.

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