Kennon, Livingstone
1962 Private Livingstone Kennon - 28th Battalion AIF
Livingstone Kennon was born in Warrington Lancashire England in 1877 to William and Susanna Kennon, and was one of three siblings, with, Alex born in 1883 and Martha in 1889. Sadly their parents died quite young, with William in 1895 and Susanna in 1898.
He was educated in Lancashire and then Surrey as the family had then moved to Bermondsey.
After leaving school he took up work as a Tanner before he then joined the British Army. Livingstone would spend twelve years in the Army serving with the 2nd battalion East Surrey Regiment. This included a year in South Africa, serving in the Boer War.
Livingstone married Louisa on the 25th April 1897 at St Saviour Church Southwark, Newington, Surrey England. They had a son William born in 1898, Livingstone born in London in 1899, Florence in 1901, Violet in 1904 and May in 1905.
After 12 years' service, Livingstone left the Army and he appear to have worked as a brick layer.
They left London aboard the ship Otway on the 3rd February 1911 arriving in Fremantle several weeks later. Livingstone, Louisa and their children were accompanied by his brother Alex. 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 Machinery Assembler.
On the 25th June 1915 Livinstone enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 121lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Fair;
Distinctive Marks - Tattoos - Scotch girl and flag, bracelet and royal coat of arms on left arm and Crucifixion, bracelet and Brittania on right arm.
Upon his successful enlistment, Livingstone was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. His brother Alex had just departed with the original 28th Battalion.
Livingstone trained with them in WA for the next few months while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These finally came through and on the 2nd September 1915 they boarded the HMAT Anchises in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt. The journey took just over three weeks and they had arrived by the end of September 1915. Livingstone and his group were then disembarked but they did not have long in Egypt as they were soon put aboard a troopship at Alexandria and sent to the Dardanelles. On October 12th 1915 he was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion at Anzac Cove. Sadly a week prior to his arrival, his brother Alex had been killed by a Turkish shell.
The Gallipoli campaign was then winding down and Livingstone survived the last few months unscathed and withdrew with the 28th Battalion in December 1915.
After they left Gallipoli the 28th Battalion had a short time at Lemnos Island but were then returned to Egypt on the 10th January 1916. They remained here for the next three months, either training or holding sectors of the Suez Canal defence line. On the 16th March 1916 the 28th Battalion arrived at Alexandria Harbour and boarded a troopship to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 21st March 1916. After being disembarked the men were sent to the north of France where they arrived at Armentieres. They spent the next few months in this sector while they gained experience on the Western Front, before moving to the Somme in July.
Unfortunately Livingstone's records are sparse on details but it appears that while the 28th battalion were sent to France he remained in Egypt where he had been given the rank of Sergeant and a position as Instructor at the training camp. He then went to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp in England. He then joined the 28th Battalion in France on the 27th January 1917.
When he joined them, the 28th battalion were on the Somme battlefield. He then saw further action in March 1917 at Lagnicourt and May 1917 at Bullecourt. He came through these actions safely but fell ill and was diagnosed with cardiac issues. He was initially sent to No.3 Canadian Stationary Hospital at Doullens before being transferred to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers.
He spent a week at Camiers and was then transferred to England. He was then admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital where he remained till the 6th July 1917. Livingstone was then transferred to Bermondsey Military Hospital at Lewisham. He remained there till the 11th August 1917 when he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He spent a further three weeks there and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.
Livingstone had been found as to be medically unfit for further frontline service so would be sent home. He spent a few months at Weymouth and boarded the transport ship Persic on the 20th December 1917. He arrived back in Fremantle on the 4th February 1918. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 27th May 1918.
He then returned home to Silas Street (McLaren Street) and resumed his work as a machinery assembler.
Livingstone died in Perth on the 27th January 1934 aged 66. He is buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A4 0390.
On the 31st January 1934, the West Australian newspaper published an obituary after his death;