Eugene Gerald Kelly (?–1941)
- Kelly was court martialled on 2 February 1917 at Salisbury Plains, England, while serving as a sergeant in the 45th battalion in England, for deserting while on active service. He was ordered to undergo detention for one year. On 23 March 1917 he was found guilty of uttering a forged cheque for 10 pounds in the previous December. It was unanimously recommended that the sentence of 90 days be remitted in view of the length of time he had been awaiting trial and in consideration of his previous character (concurrent with previous sentence of 12 months detention).
- there is a letter in Kelly's World War II service file from Mr E. Brown, the headmaster of Wraxall Boys School in Bristol, England, dated 17 November 1919, to the Officer of Base records in Australia, asking if Kelly was married as he had asked Brown's daughter to join him in Australia so they could marry. Brown had heard that Kelly was married and wanted to know if that was true. A letter was sent to Brown confirming that Kelly stated on his enlistment form that he was married and the office had not been advised that Mrs Kelly was deceased.
- In 1919 and 1920 warrants were issued for the arrest of Eugene Gerald Kelly for disobeying a magisterial order to support his wife and three children. He was described in the New South Wales Police Gazette, 7 July 1920, p 382 as being 36 years of age, 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, stout build, 13½ stone in weight, sallow complexion, dark brown hair, brown eyes, full round face, clean shaved, artificial teeth, a returned soldier, formerly a school teacher. The New South Wales Police Gazette, 9 July 1919, p 318 stated that he had been employed at the Victoria Barracks until last May and that he was well-dressed, generally in a dark-grey tweed sac suit, tan boots, and black hard hat, also wears gloves, and carries a walking cane.
- in 1922 Kelly was committed to gaol for failing to pay £202 in family maintenance. He was further charged with unlawfully disposing of furniture, the property of the Repatriation Department.
- Kelly was arrested in Tamworth in 1925 and returned to prison for failing to support his family.
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- World War I service file, series B2455, item Kelly E G (National Archives of Australia)
- appears before Court of Quarter sessions on a larceny charge, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 February 1922, p 6
- is found not guilty of stealing Elizabeth Blaxland's watch, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 3 February 1922, p 13
- is fined 30 pounds for failing to repay the Repatriation Department for the loan of money to buy furniture, Sun (Sydney), 3 February 1922, p 7
- death notice, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August 1941, p 20
Citation details
'Kelly, Eugene Gerald (?–1941)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/kelly-eugene-gerald-21448/text39376, accessed 9 November 2024.