James Lawrence Kelly

James Kelly (Service No 1736) was born in Tallong, N.S.W.

At enlistment he was single, 23 years old, worked as a miner and was living at Helensburgh, N.S.W.  James nominated his sister, Adella Hammond, as his next of kin.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A23 Suffolk with 17th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements on 28th July 1915.  The troops arrived in Egypt on 11th September 1915 and James joined 17th Battalion on Gallipoli on 17th September.

He was admitted to hospital with influenza on 24th December 1915 and did not return to duty until 14th March 1916.

He arrived in France on 17th March 1916 and was wounded in action at Pozieres on 26th July 1916 when he was evacuated to hospital for treatment of a severe gun shot wound to his leg.  James returned to duty in France on 3rd July 1917.

On 20th September 1917 he was wounded a second time, this time while fighting at Polygon Wood and was evacuated to hospital with a severe gun shot wound to his shoulder.

James' war over and he was returned to Australia in April 1918 and discharged medically unfit on 11th July 1918 due to his shoulder wound.

There is an entry on James file recording a change to his next of kin to his wife, Rosina, in London in 1917 but she does not seem to have come to Australia and there is no further mention of a wife.

James died in 1952.