Name
James Hugh O'Neill Kearney
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/06/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
25th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BONNAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
C. 13.
France
Headstone Inscription
HE DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE R.I.P.
UK & Other Memorials
Digswell House Australian Hospital Memorial, St John's Church, Digswell
Pre War
James Hugh O'Neill Kearney was born in Eulo, Queensland, the son of James and Winifred Kearney of Mareeba, Queensland.
He was educated at Mareeba State School and Technical College, Cairns, Queensland and worked as a Clerk. He joined the Bank of New South Wales, Cairns branch on 19 November 1913, transferred to Atherton branch on 21 November 1913 and was appointed ledger keeper in June 1914.
Wartime Service
Prior to the outbreak of war he served as a Sergeant in the Mareeba Volunteer Cadets.He enlisted on 13 March 1915 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 25th Battalion, 4th Reinforcement.
His unit embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on board HMAT A26 Armadale on 18 September 1915. He served in Egypt and the Western Front. He contracted meningitis in France and was invalided in England and later returned to Australia. He re-enlisted in December 1916 and embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on board HMAT A20 Honorata on 14 June 1917 as 2nd Lieutenant, 25th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement. He was struck by a shell fragment during a gas attack on 5 June 1918 and died several hours later, age 24.
Additional Information
His father, J A Kearney Esq. of Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia, ordered his headstone inscription: "HE DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE R.I.P.". Brother: 2765 Sergeant Donald Leo KEARNEY, 3rd Machine Gun Bn, returned to Australia, 24 July 1919.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
aif.adfa.edu.au
