KENNEDY, John

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Wingham, Ontario
Original Unit
52nd Battalion - New Ontario
Regimental Number
127520
Rank
Corporal
Date of Death
Age at Death
21 years 10 months
Cemetery
Roye New British Cemetery - Somme - France
Cenotaph
St Helens Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             52nd Battalion  -  Northern Ontario
                                             “D” Company
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   127520
AWARDS:         Military Medal / Bar
RESIDENCE:                    Lucknow
DATE OF BIRTH:            October 4, 1896
                                             Lucknow – West Wawanosh Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           August 14, 1918                   21 years     10 months
CEMETERY:                     Roye New British Cemetery – Roye –
                                             Somme – France
                                             I     B     20
PARENT:                           Mr. David & Jane Kennedy – Lucknow / Whitechurch - Ontario
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Presbyterian
Enlistment:                         October 30, 1915 – Wingham into 71st Overseas Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 19 years     1 month

Corporal Kennedy arrived in Liverpool on April 11, 1916 and joins his unit in the field on June 12, 1916. For a month in the fall of 1917 he was at the 3rd Division Training School and then again late in the fall.
Corporal Kennedy was killed in action during military operations. While in the trenches he received a direct hit from an enemy shell. The unit was located at the time near Damery.
The weather was bright and sunny all day. Winds were north-west at 20 mph.
Battalion diaries: “A” Company tried advancing against enemy machine-gun posts and superior enemy numbers on the outskirts of Damery but did not succeed. The enemy attempted to attack the Battalion in small parties but these advances were covered with machine-gun fire and the enemy also used his artillery along with gas shells during the night.
The Battalion was able to thwart the enemy advance but the casualty count was very heavy. 
“D” Company had a gas attack come down on them very suddenly. They were unable to adjust their respirators before casualties were taken. The enemy mixed his gas shells with shrapnel shells during the night and it is thought that this was when Corporal Kennedy lost his life in action, in the trenches at the front.
Brigade diaries: Reports came in stating that the 52nd Battalion had killed 50-60 enemy soldiers who were advancing on one of the trenches. During the day patrols from both the 52nd and 116th Battalions had pushed forward and that the enemy artillery was extremely active and were using gas shells. During the evening, the 52nd Battalion tried unsuccessfully to make their way ito Damery and had suffered very heavy casualties. Immediately following this the enemy artillery came down on the Battalion’s position with gas and more casualties were suffered.