John George (Jack) Keenan

Western Mail 29 Jun 1917 page 19.
Personal Information
Date of Birth	30 Apr 1900
Place of Birth	Mundijong, Western Australia
Death	8 May 1964, aged 65
Place of Death	Maddington, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 years old (?)
Description	5'7" (1.m) tall; weight 125 lbs (kg); fresh complexion, brown eyes, black hair.
Occupation	timber worker
Religion	Church of England
Address	Albany road, Maddington, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr George Frank Keenan
Military Information
Reg Number	2815
Date of Enlistment	17 Jan 1917
Rank	Trooper
Unit/Formation	WA March 1917 Reinforcement transferred to 1st Battalion Camel Corps then 14th Light Horse Regiment / Imperial Camel Corps
Date of Embarkation	22 May 1917 - 20 Jun 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A42 Boorara
Date of Return	29 Apr 1919 - 29 May 1919
Ship Returned On	HMT Dorset
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Mundijong
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

In 1917 his father was residing at Whittaker's Mill

War Service

Two months after entering camp, Jack was allocated to the Light Horse reinforcements as a Trooper, and travelled to Egypt another 2 months later.

On arrival in Egypt he was sent to isolation camp for a period before being taken on strength by the Anzac reserve at Moascar before transferring to the Imperial Camel Corps at Abbassia on 31 Jul 1917. On 23 Aug 1917 he was allocated to No 3 Company, 1st Battalion, Camel Corps at El Kuhri. Jack suffered an injury to his fingers, and was admitted to the Government Hospital at Suez on 22 Sep 1917, remaining in care until 10 Oct 1917 when he rejoined his unit.

As a result of a reorganisation of forces in Egypt , on 1 Jul 1918 Jack was transferred to the 14th Light Horse regiment., and on the 23rd he was admitted to the 6th Field Ambulance with pyrexia, rejoining his unit on 31 Jul 1918. Ill again on 4 Nov 1918, this time with influenza, Jack was hospitalised in Homs for three days.

On 26 Jan 1919 he was again off to hospital, this time with malaria. Admitted to the 14th General Hospital in Abbassia, he was transferred to Ghezireh on 22 Mar 1919 and released from hospital on 19 Apr 1919, for return to Australia.

Discharged by 5th Military District on 25 Sep 1919. During WW2 Jack served as a Lieutenant from 26 Mar 1942 until 31 Jan 1945 with the 2nd West Australian Volunteer Defence Corps, Regimental No. W67880.

Post War

In the Canning registration district during 1922 Jack married Violet Maud Dalziell. Violet died 21 May 1991, aged 90.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1958 Maddington, grocer;