Frederick Donald James Kennedy, known as Donald,  was born in the Bundarra district, of Inverell NSW Australia, was an eighteen year old labourer when he enlisted at Inverell on 16 December 1915. He agreed to serve from 12 January 1916, the date he joined the First Contingent of The Kurrajongs when they departed from Inverell for the Narrabri and Armidale camps.

As a member of the 33rd Battalion C Company, he trained at Armidale and Rutherford prior to leaving Australia on HMAT A74 Marathon in May 1916. Upon arrival in England, further training was undertaken at Salisbury Plain until Pte Kennedy was transferred to the 2nd Battalion 16th September 1916 and sent to France & joined the 2nd Battalion in the Field at Belgium on 29th September 1916.

Just six weeks later 31st October 1916 he was wounded in action and transferred to 1st General Hospital in England with a gunshot wound to his thigh. On 10th April 1917, Pte Kennedy was classified as B1A - fit for light duty only – 4 weeks. Pte Kennedy returned to France on 20th June 1917  where for a second time he was wounded on 22nd September 1917 when buried by a shell. His military records state that he suffered shell shock. 4th November 1917. he rejoined his unit. Seven months later he was wounded in action a third time 22nd June 1918 and invalided back to England with shell wounds of head, chest, left arm, & left thigh. On 19th September 1918 admitted to the Military Hospital, Fovant, England with Gunshot wound to head (old wound), left side, seriously ill. He was also found to have acute broncho pneumonia. Where he died of wounds at 9.45 a.m. on 23rd September 1918.

Private F. D. J. Kennedy was given a military funeral on 27th September 1918 with his polished elm coffin placed on a gun carriage for the journey to the churchyard of St. Edith’s at Baverstock, Wiltshire and has a Commonwealth War Graves Headstone. Six men from his unit acted as pallbearers. Four Officers, and about one hundred N.C.O.’s and men of No. 4 Command Depot attended. Pte F. D. J. Kennedy does have a personal inscription on his headstone. In Loving Memory of Don From Sisters May, Ivy, Myrtle, Laurel.

Lynn Percival