Talk:Edward Kenna

Citizen Military Forces service
Some UK obituaries have misinterpreted Ted Kenna's military service. He enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces, the part time militia forces of the Australian Military Forces (as the Australian Army was known as in World War 2) on 9 August 1940 and was allotted service number V55955. In early 1941, Kenna joined the 23rd/21st Battalion and in December 1941, the Citizen Military Forces including the 23rd/21st Battalion was called up for full time service for the duration of the war. In May 1942, the veteran 19th Brigade of the 6th Australian Division moved to Darwin but its 2/11th Battalion remained in Perth where the 3rd Australian Corps had been formed and was being reinforced with two infantry and one armoured divisions. To take the place of the 2/11th Battalion, the Victorian based 23rd/21st Battalion joined the 19th Brigade in Darwin on 9 May 1942. The other battalions of the brigade, the 2/4th and 2/8th had seen service in the Middle East, Greece and Crete. About a month after arriving in Darwin, Kenna volunteered in June 1942 to join the AIF. He was allotted new service number VX102142 but remained in the 23rd/21st Battalion. After more than a year in Darwin, the 19th Brigade in early June 1943 moved to Queensland although the 23rd/21st Battalion first returned to Melbourne. The battalion was disbanded in Queensland in August and Kenna like many of the men of the 23rd/21st joined the 2/4th or the 2/8th Battalions of the 19th Brigade. The reference for the movements of the 23rd/21st Battalion is Graham R Mackenzie Smith. Australia’s Forgotten Army: Volume 2, Defending the northern gateways, Northern Territory and Torres Strait, 1938 to 1945, 1995, ISBN 0 646 24404 3. Anthony Staunton (talk) 06:09, 12 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Australian Military Forces, Citizen Military Forces, Australian Imperial Force
 * Interesting! (Thank you.) Pdfpdf (talk) 11:22, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

Australian National Flag to fly at Half-Mast -- for Ted
"The Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet has advised that a State Funeral for Mr Edward (Ted) Kenna VC will be held at 11am on Thursday 16 July 2009 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne. Mr Kenna was a great Victorian and Australian who displayed magnificent bravery in the face of concentrated fire in action on 15 May 1945."

"As a mark of mourning and respect and in accordance with protocol, the Australian National Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Thursday 16 July 2009 from all Australian Government offices and establishments. Other flag stations are also welcome to half-mast their flags."

-- from a unverified source--128.250.29.174 (talk) 02:41, 17 July 2009 (UTC)


 * That's standard for state funerals Nick-D (talk) 02:42, 17 July 2009 (UTC)