Kennon, Alexander
No.887 – Corporal Alexander Kennon – 28th Battalion AIF
Alexander Kennon was born in Surrey England in 1881 to William and Susanna Kennon. A sister, Martha, was born in 1889. The family lived in Bermondsey London England. Alex was educated in Surrey and after leaving took up work as a labourer and then joined the British Army. He served for eight years in the 1st Royal West Surrey Regiment.
Unfortunately, he lost his parents within a few years of each other, William dying in 1895 and Susanna in 1898.
Alex left the British Army and moved to Western Australia when he was 29, leaving London aboard the ship Otway on the 3rd February 1911 arriving in Fremantle several weeks later. He travelled to WA with his brother Livingstone and sister-in-law Louisa. Upon arrival they took up residence at 22 Silas Street South Fremantle (Later renamed to 11 Mclaren Street) and Alex found work locally as a labourer.
On the 10th March 1915 Alex went to Swan Barracks in Perth and enlisted in the AIF. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall;
Weight of 131 lbs;
Chest Measurement - 36-38 inches;
Complexion - fresh;
Eyes - blue;
Hair - Light Brown.
His religious denomination was Church of England. He also made his brother Livingstone as his next of kin.
Alex was sent to No.13 Depot at Blackboy Hill Camp and on the 16th April 1915 was assigned to the 1st Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. He spent over a month with them but on the 26th May was transferred to “D” Company of the 28th Battalion.
Alex trained with the 28th Battalion for another month in WA and was promoted to Corporal. On the 29th June 1915 the 28th Battalion boarded the H.M.A.T. “Ascanius” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. They arrived at Suez over three weeks later and were marched into camp near Cairo. They only remained in Egypt for a short period as on the 4th September 1915 they left Alexandria aboard the H.T. “Ivernia” bound for Gallipoli. Arriving at Anzac several days later the men were transported to the beach and were sent to the northern sector. On the 5th October 1915 Alex was killed by a Turkish shell while the battalion was on Lower Cheshire Ridge. It seems that Alex’s burial spot was later lost as when the war graves parties came through in 1919 his grave could not be found. Cpl Alex Kennon is therefore commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.
Alex’s brother Livingstone also served in the 28th Battalion and returned home at the end of 1917.