Profile

KENNEDY, Charles
(Service number 2/1929)

Aliases
First Rank Gunner Last Rank Private

Birth

Date 19/11/1878 Place of Birth Ireland

Enlistment Information

Date 18 April 1915 Age 36 years
Address at Enlistment Pukeuri
Occupation Labourer
Previous Military Experience North Otaho Mounted Rifles - 7 years
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin James KENNEDY (brother), Pukeuri, Oamaru
Religion Roman Catholic
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation 5th Reinforcements
Unit, Squadron, or Ship New Zealand Field Artillery
Date
Transport Maunganui or Tahiti or Aparima
Embarked From Wellington Destination Suez, Egypt
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals 1914-1915 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

Prisoner of War Information

Date of Capture
Where Captured and by Whom
Actions Prior to Capture
PoW Serial Number
PoW Camps
Days Interned
Liberation Date

Discharge

Date 6 June 1918 Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 19 June 1929 Age 50 years
Place of Death Public Hospital, Oamaru
Cause Pulmonary haemorrhage - 3 hours; pulmonary tuberculosis - 2 years
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Morven Catholic Cemetery
Memorial Reference
New Zealand Memorials Glenavy and District Roll of Honour (served)

Biographical Notes

Charles Kennedy was born on 19 November 1878 in Ireland, the son of James and Anne (née McAlister) Kennedy. Charles’ parents, several brothers and a sister came to new Zealand and settled in the Morven district. Charles was a labourer at Glenavy both before and after the war, while his brothers James and Bernard farmed, James at Glenavy and later at Pukeuri, Bernard at Morven and later at Temuka. Both parents died early on 1908, of Morven. Charles named his brother James as next-of-kin when he enlisted on 18 April 1915 at Trentham, and also gave Pukeuri as his own address. “A highly popular resident of Glenavy,” Mr Charles Kennedy was farewelled at the Glenavy Hotel in mid April 1915. The chairman “spoke in high praise of the many excellent characteristics of the departing guest.” A handsome wristlet watch and a purse of sovereigns were presented to Charles. Gunner C. Kennedy embarked with the New Zealand Field Artillery of the 5thy Reinforcements. Private Charles Kennedy, of Pukeuri, returned to New Zealand by Draft156 which was due in April/May 1918. Charles Kennedy, of Glenavy, arrived in Waimate by the express from the north in mid May. Charles Kennedy died on 19 June 1929 at the Oamaru Public Hospital. He was buried with his parents in the Morven Catholic Cemetery. Private Charles Kennedy, 5th Reinforcements, is named on the Glenavy Honours List of Soldiers who saw active service in the Great War 1914-1918.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [07 June 2021]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [07 June 2021]; Oamaru Mail, 19 April 1915, Evening Star, 16 April 1918, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 11 May 1918 (Papers Past) [07 April 2015]

External Links

Related Documents

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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