Two photographs
RAMC Red Barracks Nothe Fort Weymouth and WW1 France A short history of what I have found out about Granddad Kennedy i.e. Hugh Joseph Kennedys’ military history. He was a regular soldier, signed up for 18 years. He was in the Army in 1910 stationed then at Red Barracks, Nothe Fort, which is in Dorset, Portland/Weymouth but I don’t have the date he joined although in his wedding photo 1910 he is already a sergeant denoted by his stripes, so may have been C.1900 When war was declared he was sent as part of the British Expeditionary Force – BEF - and posted to No1 Stationary hospital on 15th August 1914 (possibly with number 14 Company RAMC). Arriving in Le Hauvre 18th August he joined No.1 station on the 20th August. His unit was at Le Mans until Oct 1914, then Rouen where it stayed until March 1919, St Etienne du Rouvrary Champ de Course,s Rue de Madrillet, Grandfather was a ward sergeant until he was promoted to a Warrant Officer class one (equivalent to a Matron/bed manager) His Army number was Number 17485 The medals he received are 1914 Star, British war Medal, Victory Medal, Long service and good conduct medal, and Meritorious service medal. He was an old contemptible which denotes he was sent to France at the beginning of the 1st World War when the very small regular army was made up of highly professional soldiers before conscription began properly, and the German Kaiser called them a ‘contemptible little army’. It is likely he signed up in 1900/1901 aged 15/17 then worked to become a sergeant, which could take possibly ten years?, then he married in 1910 as a sergeant) He was sent to France August 1914 eventually becoming a Warrant Officer. He received an extra payment of £50-52 pounds a year as well as a pension. I have no concrete date of birth for him but would be C1883/6 as he was recorded as aged 26yrs at his marriage and 74yrs on his death. Written up Sunday, 23 March 2014 following medals being mounted Lynne Smith nee Kennedy Granddaughter