George Eric KENNEDY NX46815

My Grandfather George Eric KENNEDY NX46815 joined the 2/3rd Pioneers in Newcastle in 1940. He was attached to B Company as a Corporal and travelled to the Middle East with the Battalion on the Queen Mary. Prior to this the boys built military camps in Cowra as well as the top end. Pop served in Syria before being transferred to El Alamein where he performed tasks such as the removal of mines with some of the British Engineers prior to the major battles. I am led to believe that he was seriously wounded in the early stages of the El Alamein offensive (October 1942) after the vehicle in which he was travelling hit a landmine. Pop survived with serious injuries for 3 days before help arrived, keeping alive a British engineer who had lost his arm during the explosion. All others on board were killed. I am led to believe that the area in which they had been blown up sustained some serious artillery fire for the 3 days prior to being found. Pop suffered a fractured spine and was subsequently placed in a plaster cast for 3 months and was discharged in 1943 medically unfit, having to learn to walk again. He returned to Australia on the Hospital Ship WONGANELLA.
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Due to his injuries Pop found it hard to maintain a full time job, however worked after the War in the Agricultural Department. He lived on the North Coast of New South Wales at Bangalow where both he and his wife Ruth raised two son’s. Pop passed away in 2005 aged 88 and was always proud of his Army Days. I now have his medals and a lot of other small momento’s including his discharge papers and a very rare copy of the first edition of the 2/3rd Pioneer magazine which lists all the original members. I would be happy for anyone who is a decendant of these men to contact me for the little information that I have. Pop never spoke much about his experiences but I am very proud that he served overseas and I miss him terribly. He was the President of the local RSL Club for over 40 years and was immensely Proud of his position.
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Lest We Forget
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Peter KENNEDY (Grandson)

MEN OF THE 2/3 PIONEER BATTALION. LAST POST : Noel Eldershaw MacDougall

Hi
I have been trying to reach the 2/3 Pioneer Battalion Association but have been unable to find a contact.  My father-in law Noel Eldershaw MacDougall passed away on 7th July at the age of 92.  He fought bravely with the 2/3 Battalion after enlisting in Armidale with the Light Horse with Mr Peter Tindal, Mr Brian Hughes, Mr Mac McKenzie and Mr. Fitzgerald all of Grafton and was later transferred to Cowra.  These men remained closest friends all their lives.
Mr MacDougall lived at "Marengo Ebor", the property held by his family for over a century. He was a wonderful stockman and a gentleman – true legend in the area.  No one knew the Chalundi bush like he did. He loved his land, his cattle and his horses (both work horses and racehorses) but unfortunately had to live in the Dorrigo Community Health Centre for the last years of his life. He was well looked after there but he always yearned for his bush and his dogs. 
Mr MacDougall was married to Lesley Shannon (deceased) of Mackey and had three sons, Alister, Angus (deceased) and Graham and ten grandchildren.  Kirsty, Peta, Henry and Stuart (Graham’s children), Minnie, Tim, Sarah and Harry (Angus’s children) and Scott and Ryan (Alister’s children)
A funeral will be held at the Anglican Cathedral in Grafton at 10am Tuesday July 21st.
If you would like more information please contact me.
Regards
Robyn MacDougall

His funeral will be held at the Anglican cathedral in Grafton on 21st July at 10am. 

Hello Robyn, I shall try to find the phone numbers for the men who write the PIONEER Newsletter. I am sure they would like to know of your father-in-law’s passing. I knew Brian Hughes well when I was growing up and I am frequently in Ebor, Dorrigo and now live near Grafton. I would like to attend the funeral as a representative of My Dad and will do what I can to let the official Pioneers know. My condolences to you and the family. Yrs Lynne. P.S Thank you for the story. This is what my father was hoping we could gradually put together so that none of them is forgotten and so that their stories do not begin when the war began nor end when it ended. Yrs.

ASSISTANCE REQUIRED

MARK GLEASE (grandson of A.K. BYRNE) is planning a trip to Egypt and would appreciate info on sites to visit and areas of interest to 2/3 Pioneers.

PIONEERS IN MELBOURNE – 2009

Hi There,
A group of us that are descendant of 2/3 Pioneer battalion diggers here in Melbourne march on behalf of the unit every Anzac day. There is a fir tree dedicated to the unit on the main walk to the shrine and we also every 12th of May hold a service there and at the eternal flame to commemorate the life and death of Bluey Mackey VC. We only have a couple of original serving diggers from the unit left and have been trying to build a network of decendants down here.
In September we will be making a pilgramidge to Cowra to try to find the last survivors of the unit and their descendants in the hope that we can keep maintain and preserve the well known passion of the group.
Any help or contact would be much appreciated.
Darryl Wilson, 2/3 Pioneer Battalion Association – Melbourne Branch (or remnants there of).