Biography:

CAPT. RONALD SINCLAIRE KENNEDY, M.C., WITH BAR, R.A.M.C. KILLED IN ACTION AT BAILLEUL, APRIL 17TH, 1918. AGED 30. At the School 1901—6 (Park House). Capt. Ronald Sinclaire Kennedy, M.C., with Bar, R.A.M.C., was the only son of Dr. John William Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy, of Woollahra and Sydney, N.S.W.  Having come over to England from Melbourne he entered the School in September, 1901, and was in the Science Sixth for two years from September, 1904, being appointed a House Praepostor in September, 1903, House Captain September, 1904, and School Praepostor January, 1905. He was in the XV. for three years, 1903—5, and was described in 1905 as " a splendid forward, who makes full use of his weight, shows a great deal of dash, is very useful out of touch, and is invaluable to the side for his tackling alone." In the Cadet Corps, as it was then, he was a Corporal Drummer, and he won the Swimming Points Cup in 1905 and 1906. On leaving in July, 1906, he went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, was in the University XV. in 1907 and 1909, and took his Degree with a 2nd Class in the Natural Science Tripos in 1909. The Master of Christ's, in a letter written to Dr. J. W. Kennedv, said :— " I am quite heartbroken at the news I have just received of your son's death. He was one of the finest men I knew. . . . There is nobody I am more proud of than your son, and I regard it as a great honour that he was a friend of mine, for he really was. He always came to see me when on leave." He entered Guy's Hospital in January, 1910, and took the diplomas of M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. London, in April, and the degrees of M.B. and B.C. Cantab., in June, 1912. Early in 1913 he left Guy's to enter the Egyptian Medical Service, in which he successfully filled the post of Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Daquahlia Provincial Hospital, engaged exclusively on trachoma, one of the scourges of the native population, and subsequently of Inspector of Ankylostoma Hospitals, doing much useful and brilliant research work. After his return from Egypt for active service he gained the M.D. Cantab., in 1917, for a thesis based on his notes on the ankylostomiasis campaign in Egypt. His temporary commission in the R.A.M.C. was dated September 7th, 1916, and he was promoted to Captain a year later. After serving for a year with the South Lancashire Regiment on the Somme and elsewhere, he was posted to the 76th Field Ambulance. His last leave was a hurried dash home to appeal against his recall by the Egyptian Government, who had " lent " him for service at the Front. He returned triumphant to his unit and barely a month later was killed in action whilst attached to a Casualty Clearing Station near the line on April 17th, 1918. As announced in the Gazette on September 26th, 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross:— " For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in dressing and attending to wounded men under extremely heavy shell flre. At great risk of his life he made several journeys to the front line and personally brought in wounded men who otherwise must have been killed by the intense hostile barrage." And in the Gazette of July 23rd, 1918, the following paragraph was given with the award of a Bar to his Military Cross :— " When in charge of advanced bearers he collected and led forward reinforcing bearer squads in a most gallant manner thoough a heavy barrage and through lines of retiring Infantry, until he gained touch with the Regimental aid post. He cleared many wounded who would otherwise have been left to the enemy. A splendid example of persevering gallantry and fearlessness." The CO. of the 2nd Battn. South Lancashire Eegiment wrote:— " During the whole time we were together we had such a happy time, due largely to his happy, sunny disposition, and he was always such a friend and help to me. . . . At Messines he was simply splendid—absolutely no thought for himself—and he deserved a far higher reward than the M.C. In the latter part of the battle he occupied a small Boche ' Pill-box,' which had to be the Dressing Station as well as my Headquarters. So I saw him at his work under the most adverse circumstances, always perfectly calm and collected. The place at one time was a perfect shambles, but nothing made any difference to him, and he must have saved many lives that day. At Ypres, during the first week I was not with the Battalion, but when I rejoined it, every one was full of his praises. In ordinary times he did his work as well and as unostentatiously. The sanitation and general health of the Battalion were always well above the average, entirely due to his skill, care and attention." Can we wonder when we read this glorious record of devoted effort to save others that he ultimately made the supreme sacrifice? One of his Guy's friends, also an officer in the R.A.M.C., wrote of him in the Guy's Hospital Gazette:— " There is not one member of the hospital from the most senior to the most junior who will not mourn his death as one of the greatest losses Guy's has yet sustained. Mentally, physically, and morally he was a pillar of strength. Always cheery, always good-humoured, always certain that we were beating the Hun, it was impossible to be low-spirited or pessimistic in his company. Generous to a fault, he could not tolerate meanness in others. Manly and courageous himself, he had a supreme contempt for men who accepted safe posts behind the lines."


Information
Military
Honours/Medals
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How He Died
Where He Died
Died Age
School
School House
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School Achievements

Having come over to England from Melbourne he entered the School in September, 1901, and was in the Science Sixth for two years from September, 1904, being appointed a House Praepostor in September, 1903, House Captain September, 1904, and School Praepostor January, 1905. He was in the XV. for three years, 1903—5, and was described in 1905 as " a splendid forward, who makes full use of his weight, shows a great deal of dash, is very useful out of touch, and is invaluable to the side for his tackling alone." In the Cadet Corps, as it was then, he was a Corporal Drummer, and he won the Swimming Points Cup in 1905 and 1906.