John Patrick Kenneally
Lance-Corporal, Irish Guards
- Register No.
- 677 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lance-Corporal (register: Lance Corporal) all Lance-Corporals →
- Unit
- Irish Guards all Irish Guards VCs →
- Date of action
- 28 April 1943 on this day → all of 1943 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 17th August, 1943 on this day → all of 1943 →
- Born
- 15th March 1921 at Birmingham
- Memorial / grave
- not known
- Medal held by
- the Guards Regimental HQ
Digest of citation
On 28th April 1943 at Dj Arada in Tunisia, Lance-Corporal Kenneally charged alone down a bare forward slope straight into the main body of the enemy who were about to make an attack, firing his Bren gun from the hip. The enemy were so surprised that they broke up in disarray. The Lance-Corporal carried out a similar action on 30th April when, accompanied by a sergeant of the Reconnaissance Corps, he charged the enemy forming up for an assault and inflicted many casualties. After he was wounded he still refused to give up. Using a comrade as a support on one side, he hopped from one firing position to another carrying his gun in one hand
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
KENNEALLY, John Patrick. (reg No. 677).
Lance-Corporal. Irish Guards.
London Gazetted on 17th August, 1943.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Guards Regimental HQ Born on 15th March 1921 at Birmingham. Death not recorded.
Memorial not known.
Digest of Citation reads: On 28th April 1943 at Dj Arada in Tunisia, Lance-Corporal Kenneally charged alone down a bare forward slope straight into the main body of the enemy who were about to make an attack, firing his Bren gun from the hip. The enemy were so surprised that they broke up in disarray. The Lance-Corporal carried out a similar action on 30th April when, accompanied by a sergeant of the Reconnaissance Corps, he charged the enemy forming up for an assault and inflicted many casualties. After he was wounded he still refused to give up. Using a comrade as a support on one side, he hopped from one firing position to another carrying his gun in one hand.
Additional information:. He attained the rank off Company Quartermaster Sergeant. He was the last person in the African campaign to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Additional information
He attained the rank off Company Quartermaster Sergeant. He was the last person in the African campaign to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Death not recorded.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: not known
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