southaustralia

The Commonwealth War Graves database shows his parents as Herman Koeppen Wendt and Jane Koeppen Wendt. The Australia Birth Index shows that he was born on 17th July 1898 at St Peters and his birth was registered at Norwood, South Australia. His parents are listed as Herman Carl Koeppen-Wendt and Jane Shannon. They had married on 24th April 1889 at the residence of Mrs David Shannon in Yatara near Stockwell, Australia and the marriage was registered at Kapunda, South Australia.

Kenneth's Australian Army records can be seen here. naa12.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Bar... He was 18 and 1 month when he enlisted as an ordinary soldier in the 14th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion in Adelaide, South Australia on September 4th 1915. His occupation is given as Student. Mother Jane was his next of kin and they were living at Winchester Street, St Peters, South Australia. It looks like he had resigned from his college Cadet Force to sign up. The file contains a letter from his father giving permission for Kenneth to enlist. His medical on enlistment describes him as 5 feet 11 3/4 inches tall, weighing 164lbs, with a fair complexion, Brown Hair and Brown eyes. Religion is Church of England. He spent time training,first in Austalia, then in Egypt, (arrived 11/03/1916, left 29/05/1916) and then at Etaples in France, (arrived 07/06/1916, left 26/07/1916) before finally arriving with his unit, the 10th Battalion, in France on the 30th July 1916. He was appointed Lance Corporal"in the field" on the 24th October 1916. On the 5th November he joined No.6 Officer Training Battalion at Balliol College, Oxford and on the 1st March 1917 was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. On the 2nd March it looks like he was assigned to some kind of Headquarters Unit in London - lots of abbreviations, so not clear.Essentially it looks like a purely administrative posting as he was actually at AIF Depot, Tidworth leaving there for France on the 14th March 1917. He spent a day at Etaples- finally arriving back with the 10th Battalion on the 21st March 1917. Before 6 weeks were up he would be dead. It looks like his mother signed for his personal effects in July 7th 1917 while staying at a Hotel at 22 Lancaster Gate, London. She signed for his War Medals in July 1918 at an address of 33 Inverness Terrace, Hyde Park, London W2. His will was registered with the Supreme Court of South Australia in August 1917, with his father Hermann Carl Koeppen-Wendt as sole executor. Hermann is described as a Jeweller. His son is listed as Kenneth Koeppen-Wendt. Extract from the Battalion War Diary contained in an an Appendix covering the operations from the 4th May to the 9th May. 6/5/1917 At 0330 orders were received from Brigade to place "C" Coy at disposal of the 12th Battalion who were in the line. At 0345 "C" Coy Commander reported to 12th Battalion and received instructions to move to O.G.S to relieve "A" Coy of the 11th Battalion.The Coy. moved at 0400 and reported to Capt.Vowles in the front line at 0430, despite a severe barrage maintained on the C.T.which caused 10 casualties. "C" Coy were then allotted by Platoons to the 11th and 12th Battalions and materially assisted in repelling the enemy counter-attack. In regaining a portion of the trench captured by the enemy, Lieuts. Dougall and Wendt, who were gallantly leading the party, were killed. www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/23/27/awm4-23-27-1...

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

They never did get the eastern boundary of south australia correct, it is still in the wrong place today.

From National Library of Australia trove.nla.gov.au
2433 Private George Trevitt Thurgarland, 27 the Battalion from Largs Bay, South Australia. A 28 year old sailor prior to enlistment on 21 June 1915, he embarked for overseas with the 5th Reinforcements from Adelaide on 13 October 1915 aboard HMAT Themistocles. He was killed in action on 1 July 1916 near Messines, Belgium and is buried in the La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery, Belgium

George Trevitt Thurgarland was born Queenstown, Southern Australia in August 1887. The son of Mr Henry Babington Thurgarland of Military Road, Largs Bay, Southern Australia, George became a sailor.

George enlisted for military service on 21st June 1915, aged 27 years 10 months,at Keswick, Southern Australia, to serve for the duration of the war and four months.

Private 2433 George Thurgarland was assigned to 5th Reinforcements, 27th Battalion A.I.F. His initial medical noted: Height 5ft 7.75in tall, Weight 146 lbs, 36in chest expansion, dark complexion, brown eyes, dark hair.

On 14/09/1915 George embarked on H.M.A.T. “Ballarat” at Adelaide and sailed for Egypt (27th Battalion has landed at Gallipoli on 11/09/1915 and remained there until December).

On 12/01/1916 George was taken onto strength of 27st Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, the training centre for the 1st Australian Imperial Force. Later in the month he contracted cerebro spinal meningitis and was admitted to 5th Field Ambulance, Tel-el-Kebir on 27/01/1916.
As George recovered from his illness, he was transferred to No2 Casualty Clearing Station, Tel-el-Kebir, on 07/02/1916, and subsequently discharged to duty 19/02/1916.

27th Battalion was earmarked for service in Northern France, and on 15/03/1916 embarked in Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force. They disembarked in Marseilles on 21/03/1916. A fortnight later, on 07/04/1916 the men first entered the front lines.

In June 1916 George was admitted 2nd Divisional Rest Station with deformed feet and discharged to unit 4 days later. On 1st July 1916 the Battle of the Somme commenced, but George’s unit were in the lines to the north, in Belgium, and George was Killed in Action. He was laid to rest by Rev. W.C. Smith at La Plus Douve Farm, S of Wulverghem, 1.75 miles W.S.W of Messines Ref Trench Map Sheet 28 Square T.12.a.4.1.

Soldier’s Personal Record, National Archives of Australia.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Could you rotate it, please?