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Nov 28, 1899
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Born in Finch Township, Ontario
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Dec 7, 1915
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Attested into the 154th Battalion in
Cornwall, Ontario
Ø Number 633002
Ø Next of kin given as John Kennedy, father, Lancaster, Ontario
Ø Previous occupation given as Farmer
Ø No previous military experience given
Ø Religion given as Methodist
The battalion trained in the Barriefield Camp,
Kingston, Ontario
He lied about his age, stating that he had been
born in 1897, not his actual birth year of 1899
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Mar 7, 1916
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Transferred to the 59th Battalion in
Kingston and assigned to “D” Company
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Apr 1, 1916
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Embarked the SS Olympic in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Apr 11, 1916
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Disembarked in Liverpool, England and proceeded
to the Bordon Camp, West of Bramshott
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Jun 1, 1916
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Transferred to the 45th Battalion in
Shorncliffe
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Jul 4, 1916
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Transferred to the CPTD (Canadian Pioneer
Training Depot) in Shorncliffe
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Oct 26, 1916
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Transferred to the 166th Battalion in
Shorncliffe
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Nov 11, 1916
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Transferred to the Signals Base in Seaford to
train as a Signaller
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Dec 31, 1916
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Transferred to the 196th Battalion in
Seaford. On this same day, the battalion
was absorbed into the 19th Reserve Battalion
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Mar 17, 1917
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Transferred to the 6th Reserve
Battalion
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Jul 11, 1917
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Transferred to the 21st Battalion and
arrived at the No. 2 CIBD (Canadian Infantry Base Depot) in Etaples, France as part of a
draft of 108 reinforcements from England and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21st
Battalion
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Jul 17, 1917
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After leaving the base depot, Private Kennedy joined
the 21st Battalion in Angres, France and was assigned to the Signals Section
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Nov 12, 1917
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While serving on the
Passchendaele front, Private Kennedy’s company came under a heavy barrage of shell
fire and he was severely wounded. While being
carried out of the area on a stretcher, he was hit again by an enemy shell and killed. He was buried in the Kink Corner Cemetery,
Zonnebeke, Belgium.
One of those helping
to carry his stretcher was Clarence Anderson MM
When the war ended
the Imperial War Graves Commission exhumed his remains and reburied him in the Tyne Cot
Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Unfortunately
when he was exhumed, there was uncertainty as to the identification of the individuals as
there were multiple burials in each grave. His
headstone in the Tyne Cot Cemetery reflects this with the wording “Known to be buried
in this cemetery”
Following the war the
British War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Cross were sent to his mother, Mrs. J.A.
Kennedy, Box 1214 Cornwall, Ontario
The Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were sent to his
father, Mr. J.A. Kennedy, at the same address
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Below is an
excerpt from the book written by a 21st Battalion Signaller, J. A. Bain, self published in
1986
Neil Kennedy is
honoured on the Lancaster, Ontario War Memorial
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