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| Above: 1863 Map locating Mary Ann Blackman's home Randell Street, Erith, highlighted yellow |
1821Blackman Info 3a: Mary Ann BLACKMAN and the
Kenneally family |
Mary Ann BLACKMAN - John and Charlotte's fourth child
Mary Ann (Annie), the third child of Charlotte and John, was born in Wilmington Kent on 20 May 1848. She was baptised on 20 May 1848
John BLACKMAN, died on 22 February 1865 at Crayford, Kent. and Mary Ann witnessed her father's death with her cross.
| Registration District DARTFORD | |||||||
| 1865 DEATHS in Sub-District of Bexley in the County of Kent | |||||||
| When and where died |
Name | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of Death |
Informant | When registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty Second February 1865 Howberry Crayford |
John Blackman |
Male | 44 | Farm Labourer |
Pneumonia 3 weeks Certified |
X The Mark of Mary Ann Blackman Present at the death Randell Street Erith |
Twenty fourth February 1865 |
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| Above: 1863 Map locating Mary Ann Blackman's home Randell Street, Erith, highlighted yellow |
Emigrating to Australia
Mary Ann's brothers, William and George BLACKMAN are believed to have emigrated, from Howbury Farm, Slades Green arriving in Australia on 24 August 1863 aboard the 1003 tons clipper Whirlwind on the Australia run. Annie's mother Charlotte, followed arriving with eight other children on 15 May 1866 aboard the clipper Golden Empire of the Golden Line with the remainder of her eight children. She arrived in Melbourne in August 1866
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| Above: A composite image of Charlotte Blackman' and families immigration |
On 05 November 1881, she married James KENNEALLY (Vic BMD 5097/1881) as KINNEALLY. James KINNEALLY (also spelt Kenneally Kennealy) was born in 1842 in County Kildare, Ireland. He died in 1900 in Brookfield (Ref: Vic BMD 767/57).
The Australian Electoral Rolls, available in Ancestry, show Thomas' living in the family home and his occupations in 1912-15 as:
Whilst Mary, Patrick and William have the same address as Mary Ann they are not recorded as having Mary Ann Blackman as their mother. In 1914 Mary was not recorded.
In 1919 Mary Ann was recorded as:
In 1922-31 she had moved to:
Number 14 no longer exists, the plot being taken for a new road and development.
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She died on 20 January 1934 as Mary Ann KENNEALLY (Vic BMD 12758/1934) in
Geelong West aged 85. She is buried in Geelong Eastern Cemetery as KENNEALLY in Plot
EAS-COE-10-807-019 along with her third child Thomas - see below.
Right: Mary Ann Kenneally's headstone Source: Ron M |
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Left: Mary Ann and Thomas Kenneally's grave Source: Ron M |
James (Jim) KENNEALLY - Mary Ann and James' first child
James was born in 1882 at Allandale, Victoria (Vic BMD 13266/1882). On 10 May 1916 he enlisted in Geelong, from Wallacetown, Victoria, into the 9 Reinforcements of the 29 Battalion at the age of 32. Amendments would suggest that he married after enlistment. After his mother, he lists Ada Georgina of Geelong as his next of kin. He married Ada Georgina HOLMAN in 1916 (Vic BMD 8520/1916) who was born circa 1887 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, UK, according to the UK 1891 census She was the daughter of Ellen Holman/Benner and step daughter of George Benner a farm labourer. Ellen married George circa 1889.
1891 Census Sun/Mon 5/6th April 1891
Source: FHL Film TNA Ref RG12
Piece: 2569; Folio: 56; Page: 3; Sched: 14
Dwelling: Hurn Bank
Place: Holbeach, Spalding, Lincolnshire, Engla
Name Rel Mar Age Occupation Status Birthplace
George Benner Head M 28 Farm Labourer Employed Lincs, Holbeach
Ellen Benner Wife M 37 Lincs, Holbeach
Arthur Holman StepSon U 11 Scholar Lincs, Holbeach
Walter Holman StepSon U 9 Scholar Imbecile Lincs, Holbeach
Mabel Holman StepDau U 6 Scholar Yorks, Doncaster
Aga G Holman StepDau U 4 Lincs, Holbeach
David Benner Son U 1 Lincs, Holbeach
Isaac English Board U 28 Farm Labourer Employed Lincs, Holbeach
Jim left Australia on 19 September 1916 in the HMT A73 Commonwealth and joined his battalion in France on 23 March 1917 as number 3810. On 05 August 1917 he was transferred from 1st General Hospital, Etretat by Chantully Castle to the University War Hospital Southampton with trench fever, rejoining his battalion on 30 November 1917 after being classified A3 on 14 October 1917. On 22 June 1918 he was wounded in action with a sever gun shot wound to his left leg, left forearm and left hand and admitted to5 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) probably at Picquigny in the chateau, Hotel de Ville ad Ecole de Jeune Filles An ambulance train took him to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville.
On 05 July 1918 he was admitted to the Princess Christian Military Hospital at Englefield Green, Surrey where his left leg was amputated through the thigh. On 31 July 1918 he transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Southall, London.
Hoverbox Photo Gallery -
2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (2AAH) Southall
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| 1. 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital | 2. 2AAH limb centre |
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On 15 September 1918 he sailed to Australia by D22 Arawa arriving Melbourne on
17 November 1918. Jim was discharged on 08 February 1918.
Right: The 1907 built HMT Arawa |
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On 22 June 1918 the 29/Bn were the Brigade Reserve Battalion defending the Bray-Corbie Road sector, Villers Bretonneux prior to the Battle of Amiens. Enemy artillery and machine-guns were very active on the front and the support lines in the vicinity of Vaux-sur-Somme. One hundred OR were seconded to the Engineers to construct splinter proof shelters and 20 OR as an ammunition carrying party. During the month of June 1918, from a battalion of 497 OR,16 were wounded in action and one wounded accidentally: Map location 62D NE.J.21.a and c and 62D NE.I.10.c and d. 1
He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The Australian Electoral Rolls, available in Ancestry, show James' homes and occupations in 1915-16 as:
In 1919 the married couple were living with his mother Mary Ann:
In 1921-24 there was a change of address and independence:
In 1928-49 another was a change of address and Ada was on home duties:
In 1942, whilst at the same address they were joined by a son:
A second son joined them in 1949:
In 1954 Ada was alone:
but Arthur James had married:
In 1967 Arthur James was a lecturer recorded living at 272 Pakington Street, Newtown And Chilwell, Corio, with his wife, Heather Elizabeth on home duties.
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Right: Jim Kennelley's AIF memorial at Springdale Botanical Cemetery |
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| Jim's headstone gives his date of death on 09 March 1949 aged 66.
He was buried in Geelong Eastern Cemetery plot EAS-METH-10-807-468
Georgina died in on 26 December 1974, aged 87 (Victoria BMD 25/1975), which records her mother as Ellen, her father as George Holman and who was born in Holbeach. Right: James and Ada Kenneally's headstone Source: Heather Schoffelen |
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End notes
John Henry KENNEALLY Mary Ann and James' second child
John Henry was born in Broonfield in 1889 (Vic BMD 28820/1889). In 1915 he married Alvina Wilhelmena RAU (Vic BMD 11109/1915). He died 04 December 1961 in Newcomb, Geelong aged 72 (Vic BMD 5773/1961). Alvina Wilhelmena was born in 1895 in Paraparap, though there is no obvious Vic BMD record. She died in Geelong on 09 December 1961 aged 66 (Vic BMD 23716/1966).
John Henry enlisted on 13 July 1915 as a single 27 year old labourer into the 8th Reinforcements of 22/Bn giving the address of his widowed mother 'care off Broomfield Post Office'. For the majority of the war he driver, number 3568 in the 14th Australian Field Artillery. A summary of his war records shows:
29/12/15 Embarked for Active Service Abroad
23/2/16 Allotted to 57th Battalion, Zeitoun
2/3/16 Taken on strength (TOS) of 57thBn, Tel-el-Kebir
18/3/16 Transf to 58th Bn, Tel-el-Kebir
15/3/16 Transferred to 48th Battalion, Tel-el-Kebir
17/3/16 Transferred to 5th Div. Artillery
18/3/16 Posted to 55th Battery, Tel-el-Kebir
19/6/16 Embarked at Alexandria to join BEF
27/6/16 Disembarked Marseilles
30/6/16 Admitted No.2 Gen Hospital, Harve. - Contusion Thigh
11/7/16 Discharged to No. 4 Con. Depot, Etaple
14/7/16 Joined 5th ADBD, Etaple
8/8/16 TOS 14th FAB
OFFENCE: 1) Drunkenness, (2) Creating a disturbance. (3) Insubordinate language to NCO
9/8/16 AWARD: 21 days F(ield)P(unishment)No.2
3/9/17 AWARD: 21 days F.P.No.2
3/9/17 WOUNDED IN ACTION
3/9/17 Admitted to A(ustralian) F(ield) Amb(ulance) - S(tab) W(ound) Back
6/9/17 Wounded in Action,
9/9/17 Adm G(un)S(hot)W(ound) Back
22/9/17 Transferred to England ex France
22/9/17 Transferred to Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot
19/10/17 Discharged to No. 2 C(onvalescent) Depot, Weymouth
29/10/17 Marched into No.3 Com. Depot, Hurdcott
8/11/17 Classified B1a1
15/11/17 Classified B1a3
22/11/17 Classified B1a4
2/12/17 Classified A3
3/12/17 Marched into Overseas Training Bde
14/1/18 Marched into RBAA
23/1/18 Proceeded Overseas to France ex Heytesbury
24/1/18 Marched into AGBD, Rouelles ex England
26/1/18 Joined 14th FAB (Field Artillery Brigade?)
13/10/18 Admitted to 1st AD Hospital, Rouen - N(ot)Y(et)D(iagnosed)
17/10/18 Transferred to England ex France
19/10/18 Transferred to 1st SC Hospital, Birmingham Colitis Seriously ill
16/12/18 Discharged from Hospital and granted furlough till 20/12/18
OFFENCE: Being AWL from 10am 30/12/18 till noon 2/1/19
3/1/19 AWARD: Forfeited 4 days' pay. Total forfeitures 8 days'
4/1/19 Marched into No.1 Com Depot ex furlough
24/1/19 Left England for return to Australia per HT Delta
10/3/19 Disembarked at Melbourne
24/4/19 Discharged from AIF at Melbourne - MU Disability not stated 1
John Henry was awarded the 14/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The War Diary of the 14th Australian Field Artillery Brigade for 03 September 1917 records< font face="Comic Sans MS"> '2-ORs wounded' at 7am in a programme of bursts of harassing fire on the hostile front system by day and night at stated times. It involved the 53rd and 54th batteries. The War Diary also mentions John Henry's 55th Battery. The War Diary daily location reference of 28NE 1. I.8.d.1.6 is in the fields outside the east walls of Ypres. 2
The Australian Electoral Rolls, available in Ancestry, show James' homes and occupations in 1919 as:
In 1921-22 he was living with Alvina:
Between 1928-36 there was a different address:
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In 1937-49 there was a change of address and employment: Right: The Kenneally's home at 309 Bellerine Street |
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In 1942 they were joined by a son and in 1949 a daughter:
In 1954 both children had left home, there had been a change of address and a retirement:
| John Henry was buried in Altona Memorial Park, Hobsons Bay City.
Right: John Henry Kennelley's headstone |
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Alvina was buried in Altona Memorial Park, Hobsons Bay City.
Right: Alvina Kennelley's headstone |
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John Willis was born in Geelong in 1920 (Victoria BMD 3965/1920). He married Hazel Blanche TEBILCOCK in 1946 (Victoria BMD 10543/1946) who was the daughter of Charles Henry and Alice Maude born in Newtown, Geelong in 1918 (Victoria BMD 27931/1918). She died on 15 April 1985 in Geelong East (Victoria BMD 8809/1985). John Willis died on 16 August 2005.
| Right: Hazel Blanche and James Willis Kenneally's headstone in Barrabool Hills (Hightown) Geelong Source: Scootergirl |  |
In World War 2 John Willis, service number V28470, enlisted on 15 August 1940 aged 20 years 5 months in Geelong as part of the 2 Cavalry Division of the Australian Service Corps. His attestation papers record him as lving at 309 Belline Street Geelong, working in the finishing room of R.S.&S Textile Mill. His NAA record only shows he was transferred to Area 23A on 09 March 1942, which according to the Defence Service Homes Act 1918 is for Home Service.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records their homes and occupations in the 1942-1949 Rolls as:
From 1954 to the final Roll of 1977 he was married and living at:
| Right: the Kenneally home at 2 Warren Street in Thomson, Geelong |  |
Norman Blackman KENNEALLY - John Henry and Alvina's third child
Norman Blackman Kenneally b.15jun1921 Vic BMD 13194/1921 d.10nov1997 | m.3rdQt1945 UK GRO ref: Pontypridd 11a 1414 | Elizabeth jane (Betty) Lewis b.15may1921 UK GRO ref: Llanelly 11a 2515 d.28aug2011 |============|============|===========|| Janice Graham Wendy b. b. b.
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There is some confusion as to Norman's date of birth. Whilst his Attestation
Papers records 15 September 1919, his headstone gives 15 June 1921, which is
supported by Vic BMD (Vic BMD 13194/1921). He enlisted at Geelong on 20
October 1939 as VX5004 aged 18 but with a declared age of 20 into 'C' Coy of
the 2/6 Battalion. Perhaps he was underage. His mother, living at 309 Bellerine St.,
Geelong was given as his next of kin.
Right: 2/6Bn colour patch |
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Raised at the Royal Melbourne Showground on 25 October 1939, the Battalion chose the same colours as its World War 1 predecessor but added the grey border to either distinguish it from the between wars militia or to signify that it had fought at Tobruk. A short period of rudimentary training followed at Puckapunyal, Victoria before the 900 strong battalion sailed from Melbourne on 14 April 1940, for the Middle East on the transport Neuralia as part of 17th Brigade and 6th Division.
During his time with the Unit, Norman had several brushes with the authorities:
On 06 January 1941, in Libya, Norman was wounded in action by a grenade wound in the left thigh. A telegram was sent to JH KENNEALLY at 309 Bellecrine Street, Geelong.On 08 February 1941 his temporary rank of corporal was confirmed.
In early April, the 2/6th, with the rest of the 6th Division, deployed to Greece to resist the anticipated German invasion. For the 2/6th, the Greek campaign was essentially one long withdrawal through a series of rearguard positions, beginning on 16 April. In the last days of the campaign its companies were dispersed by higher command; some were subsequently evacuated by sea between 26 and 29 April, but approximately a quarter of the battalion was left behind and taken prisoner. Some of the evacuees were landed on Crete and, after fighting with the 17th Brigade Composite Battalion, many of these men, including Norman, were also captured.
The Official History of the War of 1939-1945 and the Battalion War Diary describes the action of the 2/6 Battalion and the action that Norman Blackman Kenneally would have been involved in.
The journey to Greece
On 27 March 1941 the 2/6 arrived at Amiriya, south of Alexandria from Mersah Matruh, Egypt to re-equip. Five days later, transports were dispatched to the docks. They arrived at Piraipefs (the modern spelling being Piraeus) on 04 April having been bombed at sea. Eight other ranks were killed and five wounded, though damage to the transport ships was surprisingly small. The transport was then sent 450km to Larissa. On 09 April the troops moved to Amiriya station in full marching order and three blankets and entrained for Alexandria Docks. At 14.30 the transport Cameronia left the quay bound for Piaraeus.
The 2/5, 2/6, 2/7 and 2/11 Battalions as 17/Brigade, part of 6/Division, disembarked from HMT Cameronia at Piraeus on 11 April 1941 but were still in Athens on the afternoon of the following day. On the 13 April Brigadier Savige, commanding the 17th, arrived at General Thomas Blamey’s (later Field Marshall Sir) headquarters for orders. Supported by seven cruiser tanks and a battery of New Zealand artillery, they were expected to cover the road through the Pindus to Grevena and Kalabaka against the advancing Germans, who had broken the Greek line. On the morning of the 15 April, Blamey issued orders detailing the withdrawal and rearguards. The 2/6 were to form part of the second rearguard for the withdrawal to the line in front of Kalabaka, creating an Australian front to the Gulf of Salonika in front of Athens, with the 6/Division on the left. On the 13 April, despite plans were already being drawn up for the evacuation of Greece by a naval
force, the 2/6 marched 8 miles, in full marching order, to entrain at Rouf Station, Athens at 07.00 on 14 April. Almost 1½ hours late the train, comprising of two carriages and 21 box trucks for 38 men each, departed for Larissa. However, on the night of 14/15 April, the train carrying the 2/6 stopped south of Pharsala, the train crew fearing air attacks. As Larissa was being heavily bombed the train proceeded to Orphana, the troops detraining at 13.05. The position of the Battalion was not a happy one being in the centre of a plain armed with Bren guns and rifles with 50 rounds per man.
Rearguard
On 14 April, the Germans probed the ANZAC positions. The 2/6 were withdrawn from Savige’s command to form a new rearguard at Domokos protecting the withdrawal to Thermopylae. The 2/6 arrived at Domokos Pass on 16 April and took a position on the right of the road in the foothills north of Domokos to cover the withdrawal of troops. With 2/7, they formed a rearguard for the British troops, commanded by Brigadier EA Lee, retreating along the single crowded road out of Larisa. With vehicles, in a ten-mile nose to tail convoy, they were an easy target for aircraft. In the early fine afternoon of the 19 April, the 2/6 were subjected to a two-and-a-half-hour air attack at 07.30 and again at 12.15 resulting in one officer being killed and two men wounded. By that time Savige Force were some miles south of Domokos and through the Brallos Pass. Brigadier Lee, commanding, decided that the rearguard was not going to be hard press and he allowed the remaining ANZACs to pass through Lamia and on into the Thermopylae position.
On the morning of 20 April, a small force of the 2/6 and 2/7 were carefully concealed astride the road, above the foothills and below the top of the Domokos pass. At 11.00 a German aircraft landed in front of the rearguard and enemy vehicles left Domokos but came under accurate fire as soon they were seen. At midday on the 20 April, Savige only command the 2/6 and 2/7. Orders were received to defend the four roads and track exits from the scrub covered mountains covering the Lamia-Brallos road one mile north-west of Brallos. Once the retreating army was through the
pass, Lee ordered the rearguard to withdraw with the exception of the 2/6, who were hindered by their retreat road being blown by engineers. The fine weather ended and it rained all day. At 17.00 the 2/6, covered by two cruiser tanks, were ordered to withdraw. On the 21 April new orders were to include holding the extremely rugged high ground on the left flank one mile west of Gravia village, where the battalion bivouacked on a peaceful knoll covered in small mountain oaks. The 2/6 held a line extending four miles west of the railway and the gorge (Thermopylae Pass) through which the railway ran and were expected to stand fast.
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| Above: 2/6 Battalion's retreat through Greece and evacuation |
The enemy were still at Larisa and not ready to attack. It wasn’t until 18.00 on the 21 April that German vehicles emerged from Lamia on to the road then ranged and controlled by British artillery until the German artillery got the upper hand. Orders were received on 22 April for the 2/6 to begin to thin out its six-mile front over extremely rough country, holding its forward posts until 21.00. At 19.50 the machine gun section opened fire at 11,000 yards scattering a German reconnaissance platoon. With two platoons of ‘C’ Coy and two platoons of 2/7 acting as rearguard, the Battalion embussed on the night of 23-24 April, arriving Mandra, on the outskirts of Athens, at 08.15, to disperse under cover of the olive trees. It was intended that 2/6 be evacuated from Kalamata to Alexandria.
Concerned about the approach of tanks or the dropping of paratroopers, Savige, on 25 April, ordered three companies and two platoons of the 2/6, totalling 102 personnel, to be placed at the north side of the Corinth Canal defending its single bridge, and at the Argos airfields to ensure that for three nights 600 vehicles carrying 6,000 troops had access to the evacuation ports. On the morning of 26 April, the defending force was subjected to 120 dive bombers and strafing by fighters. At about 07.15 between 800 and 1500 paratroopers and glider troops dropped astride the canal and near Corinth. The suddenness of the attack and the unpreparedness of the British Forces left an ‘Every man for himself’ scenario and the companies withdrew to the hills. In the course of the action ten men of the 2/6 were killed and eleven men wounded.
Hoverbox Photo Gallery - The retreat through Greece
This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets
Source: Official History Vol. II
| 1. The road to Brallos Pass, looking north 2. Brallos Pass, viewed from the arch bridge |
3. Larisa during an air raid 4. Burning trucks on the plain south of Lamia |
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Evacuation from Greece
At 02.00 on the 21 April, Blamey was informed that the British forces were to embark but orders were not issued until 23 April. Initially, embarkation was planned from the beaches of Rafina, Porto Rafti, Megara, Theodora and Navplion, east of Athens, beginning the night of 24-25 April and to be completed on the night of 26-27 April.
However, the earlier embarkation beaches were abandoned in favour of the more distant ports of Megara, Navplion and Kalamata, which were suitable for destroyers. At 06.45 on the 26 April the 2/6 arrived at Kalamata to bivouac under the olive trees until moving, in small groups, to the beach. Later, at 02.15 on 27 April troops moved to the quay to board the destroyer HMS Hero for transfer to HMT Dilwarra and Costa Rica in a convoy destined for Alexandria. Hero ferried 17 officers and 290 other ranks to the Dutch transport Costa Rica, which carried 2500 troops in total. Altogether 8,650 men of the 16 and 17 Brigades were taken from Kalamata on the night of 26-27 April.
Crete
On 27 April, Admiral Pridham-Wippell decided to send the convoy of six crowded troop ships, escorted by a force of cruisers and destroyers, including Costa Rica to Alexandria rather than Crete. Soon after dawn the Costa Rica’s air raid siren sounded and then men maned every weapon – Vickers, Bren and Hotchkiss machine guns - to defend the ship. A near hit brought a shower of water over the Costa Rica’s forecastle. At 14.40 a plane glided out of the sun: its bomb struck the water 7 or 8 feet (2.1m or 2.5m) from the ship, whose engine stopped immediately.
| At 15.00 water was entering the ship through the sprung port side plates. The
troops were told to fall in and assemble on the lower deck. The destroyers
Defender and Hero came alongside the ship that was rising and falling 18
or 20 feet (5.5m to 6m). When Defender was full Hereward came along
side and then Hero. Finally, with the Costa Rica listing steeply, the
machine gunners jumped on to her deck. No lives were lost.
Right: The stern of the Costa Rica sinking, viewed from the City of London with HMS Defender on the left Source: Official History |
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The Germans advanced southward through the Mediterranean in order to deprive the British of an air base only 700 miles (1127km) from the Rumanian oilfields and from where their aircraft could harass Egypt and shipping bound for Egypt. Originally, it was decided to defend Crete with three fresh brigades. Any troops evacuated from Greece should be taken to Egypt. Despite this, troops from Greece were landed in Crete and there was the pressing need for the Cretan force to feed and ‘house’ 30,000 men rescued from Greece who were weak in number and equipment. The garrison on Crete now totalled around 8,500 Australians landed from Greece and taken off the sinking Costa Rica and carried to Suda Bay in destroyers. On 05 May, Brigadier Vasy requested that some 5,000 unarmed Australians be evacuated to Egypt.
The War Diary estimates only remnants consisting of about 200 officers and men of the 2/6 were on Crete. The 2/6 and the 2/5 made a 17 Brigade composite battalion of 20 officers and 367 men, part of Cremor Force and the smallest Australian battalion on the island. They were based around Kalami on the southern shore of Suda Bay (map p.219). The Official History has no details of the actions of the 17 Composite Brigade. As the 2/6’s war diary was destroyed in Greece its record was written in retrospect and does not contain an account of those of the Battalion in Crete. ‘During the period
28 May to 01 June these remnants, unarmed, retreated in parties of not more than 6 men across the mountains from Kalibes (Kalyves) to Sphakia (Hora Sfakion). Some were evacuated from this port, but the majority were surrendered to the Germans on the morning of 01 June.’ A total of twelve officers were reported captured.
In the Crete campaign the composite 17 Brigade lost three killed, 13 wounded and 198 taken prisoner. On 05 June 1941, the Germans decided to move all prisoners to Germany. In early July some 3,000 prisoners were shipped to Salonika and placed in a verminous and disease-ridden camp there.
At an unknown date the Army sent his mother A KENNEALLY of 309 Bellerise Street South Geelong a telegram to confirming Norman was missing. This was followed by a second undated telegram to his father JH KENNEALLY informing him that Norman was reported a Prisoner of war.
Norman as a Prisoner Of War
| Date | Camp | Details |
| 8.6.41 | Missing | |
| 11.11.41 | Stalag 7a | POW Located just north of the town of Moosburg in southern Bavaria |
| 18.11.41 | Stalag VIIA | The site of one of the largest POW camps in the former German Reich from 1939-45. More than 150,000 POWs were registered in this camp and deployed in work detachments in the southern Bavarian region. |
| 6.11.42 | Oflag 3C | Situated at Lubben in Germany, it opened in August 1940. |
| 10.4.43 | Stalag 383 | Originally Oflag IIIC located in Hohenfels, Bavaria. The camp was built on a gentle slope in the middle of a piece of heavily wooded country, some miles from the nearest town. Instead of being crammed by the hundreds into unpartitioned barracks, the NCOs found themselves allocated small dormitory huts holding fourteen or less, described by one of them as "snug billets". Between September and the end of 1942 over 3000 NCOs gathered here from camps all over Germany. By April 1943 numbers had increased to over 4000.The camp had plenty of room for sports fields and walking space besides, and some larger barracks for theatrical shows and indoor recreation. When Red Cross food arrived in October to supplement the ordinary German prisoner-of-war ration, there was little to complain about at Hohenfels. Much effort went into constructing small stoves so that private food could be cooked when desired. By November one man was writing that he was "fourteen pounds heavier than when he joined up"; others spoke of there being "more freedom and less interference" and of the camp being "far less depressing" than Lamsdorf. The winter proved to be cold, but there was sufficient coal and the men were allowed to collect wood from a nearby forest. For most of them it was the best camp they had been in. The theatre was very popular.The site of the US Army Camp Albertshof. |
| 17.4.45 | Stalag 383 | After various delaying tactics, Stalag 383 was finally evacuated. The PoWs were forced to leave the camp and march south via Regensburg to Frontenhausen where they were liberated by advancing American troops. |
| 15.5.45 | Recovered POW. Returned to UK |
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| Above: Norman Kennealley's Middle East recovered POW record Source: AWM 2020.556.7 |
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| Above: Map locating Norman Blackman Kenneally's POW camps in Bavaria |
Hoverbox Photo Gallery - Stalag 383
This feature does not function correctly on phones and tablets
Source:
49 Squadron Association (Accessed: 25 October 2023)
| 1 Camp huts in the forest | 2 Camp huts | 3 Camp theatre | 4 In winter |
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Norman's Attestation Papers show that on:
His death
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Norman was buried in
Barrabool Hills Highton, Greater Geelong City cemetery plot HGH-LAWN-GE-808-14. Right: Norman Blackman Kenneally's headstone Source: Scootergirl |
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End notes
Source:
Their third son, Thomas KINNEALLY was born in 1893 at Broomfield, Creswick (Ref: Vic BMD 29362/1893) and died on 16 January1946 in Geelong West (Ref: Vic BDM 16845/1946) aged 52-53. He is buried in Geelong Eastern Cemetery in plot EAS-COE-10-807-019 in the same plot as his mother. There is no indication of a marriage.
| Right: Thomas Kenneally's headstone below that of his mother Mary Ann Source: RonM |  |
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| This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass |
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Version A6 Updated 21 March 2024 |
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