KENNEDY, James Leslie VETERAN

Name – KENNEDY, James Leslie VETERAN
Born – 29/04/1917
Died – 12/09/1944
Location – No 60 Methodist Section
Mother – Ellen May Bilson
Father – Robert James Kennedy

Notes – James Leslie Kennedy was born to Ellen May (nee Bilson) and Robert James Kennedy in 1917. He had two brothers John Thompson and Robert Walter.

James enlisted in the Australian Army from Toowoomba during WWII in June 1940. He was attached to the Royal Australian Artilary, A.I.F. 2/10 Field Regiment. Prior to leaving Australia for war service, a public farewell was held where every soldier present was given a packet of cigarettes.

James’s Army Service Number was QX10310. In his Service file he is listed as missing in 1942 and as being a POW in both 1942 and 1943. In 1944 he is listed as missing presumed dead and Army headquarters lists the official date of his death as 12th September 1944.

According to the Australian War Memorial, James Kennedy along with over 2,000 other Australian and British Prisoners of War, mostly survivors of the Burma Railway groups in Thailand, were being transported from Singapore to Japan onboard two ships, the Rakuyo Maru and the Kachidoki Maru. James is stated as being on the Rakuyo Maru. Both Japanese ships were unmarked as carring POW and were torpedoed by US submarines on the 12th of September 1944. Tragically over 1,500 POWs were killed, all missing at sea.

James is listed on the Labuan Memorial at Labuan in Malaysia.

James is also listed on a memorial along with his grandfather and brother in the Tara Cemetery. The inscription reads – In Loving Memory of our dear father David Thompson Kennedy Died 29th March, 1941 Aged 83 years. Also his grandson and our dear son James Leslie Kennedy. Killed in Action 12th September, 1942 Aged 25 years. At rest. In loving memory of John Thompson Kennedy Born 22-5-1915. Died 18-8-1996.

Newspaper Article – Read here

War Service File  – KENNEDY, Leslie James

Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.