Private Josiah Alexander Chancellor Kennedy

1. Private (Army). 1914-11-10 ?
2. Private, 16th Battalion, Infantry (Army). 1915-12-31 ?
3. Captain (British Army). 1916-10-24 to 1919-07-01
4. Second Lieutenant (British Army). 1916-10-25 to 1919-07-01
5. Private, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Infantry (Army). 1915-02-09 to 1916-10-24
6. Private (Army). 1914-11-10 to 1915-02-09
7. Private (British Army). 1913-01-01 to 1913-12-31

British War Medal
Date of award: 1925-07-06
Notes: destroyed in 1967 house fire

Victory Medal
Date of award: 1925-07-06
Notes: destroyed in 1967 house fire

1914-1915 Star
Notes: Destroyed in house fire in June 1967.

The complete Prisoner of War Diary for Josiah Kennedy has been posted at:

http://laughton.ca/military/ww1/jackennedy/prisoner.htm

Medal card to Kennedy, Josias.

You will note that Josiah Alexander Chancellor Kennedy actually had two (2) sets of Attestation Papers, both sets are now on Library and Archives Canada. His first regimental number was 643 which was later changed to 51288. There is some indication that Josiah attested initially while underage, was challenged and re-attested at a later date. Details of this ongoing investigation is noted on his commemerative web site.

Full details of the exploits of J. A. C. Kennedy with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (March 15, 1915) and subsequently with the Royal Irish Rifles are provided on the web site prepared by Grandson Richard Van Wyck Laughton at:

http://laughton.ca/military/ww1/jackennedy/

After surviving wounds in Flanders in 1915 he returned to the PPCLI and then transferred to the BEF with the Royal Irish Rifles. Details are provided on the web site as noted.

Pay records show that Josiah was paid as a member of the 30th Infantry Battalion (Regimental Number 643) in November and December 1914, with a notation that he was transfered to P.P.C.L.I. on December 31, 1914, still under the original regimental number 643. The next pay slip is marked "P.P.C.L.I." and he is listed as "reinforcements" in January, February and March 1915. He was fined 10 days pay in march 1915 - perhaps they finally found out he was under age!

The records of the P.P.C.L.I. show that Josiah joined the unit in the field on March 15, 1915, just days after he reached the legal age of 19.

On finishing officer's training, Josiah moved from the CEF to the BEF as a 2nd. Lieut in October 1916 with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. He served with this group until March 1917 and then moved to the 8th Service Battalion, still as a 2nd Lieut.

On August 4, 1917, he took command of a Company in the 8th Service Battalion and was given the promotion to "Acting" Captain. He relinquished this acting rank and command of the company on October 7, 1917.

Josiah was captured in a complete over run of his unit on March 21, 1918 at Essigny Stn.and thereafter he served out the remainder of the war as a Prisoner of War. He was repatriated on December 6, 1918.

On April 25, 1918 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, still with the 8th Service Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. The final RIR records list him as a Captain in the 7th/10th Royal Irish Rifles in June 1920.

At the time that Josiah was with the 30th Infantry Battalion (later designated 30th Reserve Battalion and absorbed by the 1st Reserve Battalion) he was under age as he was born on March 3, 1896 which put him only at 18 years of age in November 1915. On this set of Attestation Papers he only marked his birth as "1896" perhaps hoping someone would take him as being of the age of attestation.

As noted in the other service listings, Josiah moved through the 30th Infantry Battalion (underage in 1914) into the 16th Infantry Battalion at the end of the year, or thereabouts. Some documents show that he was transferred to the PPCLI on December 31, 1914. Other documents suggest that he went to the 16th Infantry Battalion (Canadian Scottish) as a "PPCLI Replacement" and then re-attested in the PPCLI (Still under age) on February 9, 1915. The War Diaries he was transferred to the PPCLI "in the field" on March 15, 1916.

We then know that Private Kennedy was wounded at Bellewaerde Lake on May 10, 1915 at the 2nd Battle of Ypres. He rejoined the PPCLI on June 12, 1915 until he suffered unrelated medical consequences in the trenches in November 1915, resulting in his return to England for surgery and extended medical care (Tuberculosis and Orchitis). He returned to Headquarters, East Sandling on June 9, 1916 with the RCR and PPCLI (7th Reserve Battalion RCR & PPCLI at Seaford). At this time he completed officers training and was struck-off-strength on October 24, 1916 to accept a commission with the BEF (Royal Irish Rifles).