Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

09/02/1916

Date of Discharge

28/08/1919

Place of Enlistment

Goulburn NSW

Gender

Male

Place of Birth

Armagh, Ireland

Address (at enlistment)

Cotter Junction ACT

Occupation

Labourer

Next of Kin

Patrick and Jean McKenna (parents), Caledon, County Armagh, Ireland

Service Number

2447

Final Rank

Private

Final Unit

56 Battalion AIF

McKenna was an Irishman working on the construction of the Cotter Dam when he enlisted in February 1916 at Goulburn. He embarked for England in September 1916 with reinforcements for the 56th Battalion arriving in France in December 1916. He was involved in the capture of Louverval in April 1917 and at the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917. He was hospitalised in June with an abscess on the left arm and after rejoining his unit, received a gun shot wound to the left leg on the front line near Polygon Wood in September 1917. He was treated in England and returned to France in March 1918 taking part in battles at Villers-Bretonneux, Peronne and the Hindenburg Line. He returned to Australia on June 1919 and was discharged in August 1919. McKenna died on 26 July 1963 at Auburn NSW.

Description - height 5 feet 5 inches, weight 152 pounds, chest 36-38 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, reddish brown hair, Catholic.

National Archives (A206) Volume 9 [Federal Capital (Yass-Canberra district). Copies of correspondence, reports etc subsequent to passing of 'Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909 (NSW)' and 'Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Commonwealth)'] - folio 95, 1913 FCT Census
Queanbeyan Age - 14 January 1916
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)