Capt. Michael Kennedy
Canadian Veterinary Corps
Michael
Patrick Kennedy was born in Warsaw, Ontario on September 26th, 1882
to parents Patrick and Annie Kennedy. He was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church
of the neighboring village of Douro. This big Irish family later moved to Burleigh -Anstruther
Township to farm by 1901. By 1911, censuses show Michael was living at a
boarding house in the village of Kinmount, Ontario where he was working as a veterinary
surgeon.
When
the war broke out in August 1914, Michael Kennedy enlisted as a lieutenant with
the Cobourg Heavy Battery of the Canadian Garrison Artillery. The battery quickly travelled west to
Vancouver, where it was to guard the western coast for the months of August and
September.
The
Cobourg Battery never went overseas as a complete unit, but instead sent over
drafts of men from its ranks. It is
unknown whether Lieutenant Kennedy was among these drafts or if he made his way
to England under other circumstances.
What
is certain is that Michael Kennedy, arrived in England sometime during the spring
of 1916 and was posted to the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps on May 19th. He signed new attestation papers there. Previously trained as a veterinary surgeon,
Kennedy was promoted to the rank of Captain and posted to the No.1 Canadian Veterinary
Hospital in La Havre, France on June 17th 1916. As hundreds of thousands of horses were
employed in the British war effort, he would have been busy caring for sick and
wounded animals.
Captain Kennedy served close to two months at the
veterinary hospital before being transferred to the 2nd Canadian Division
Headquarters and posted as the head Veterinary Officer on June 20th,
1916. He remained in this position,
overseeing veterinary services to the entire Canadian Second Division for the
duration of the war.
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| The Military Cross |
Captain
Kennedy received recognition for his services when he was awarded the Military
Cross in June of 1918. As the third
highest decoration awarded to British military officers, the Military Cross was
awarded for distinguishable and recommendable services in battle. There is no record of the circumstances or
particulars as to why Kennedy was awarded this decoration, and it might have
been for his services in a supporting role rather than on the actual
battlefield.
Captain
Kennedy returned to Canada on May 10th, 1919. He was given a full military discharge ten
days later in Ottawa, Ontario. He would
return to Lakefield, Ontario where he would serve as the village veterinarian. He married Alice Hunter there in 1926. Michael Kennedy died on October 21st,
1932 in Lakefield. He is buried in St.
Peter’s Cemetery, Peterborough.
Archives of Ontario; Registrations
of Deaths, 1869-1947 ; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935;
Reel: 448.
Library and Archives Canada. Census
of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada. Census
of Canada, 1891. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough West,
Ontario; Roll: T-6364; Family No: 1.
Year: 1901; Census Place: Burleigh
and Anstruther, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 5;
Family No: 42.
Archives of Ontario. Registrations of
Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Series: MS929.
Library and Archives Canada. Census
of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Census Place: 48 - Somerville
Township, Kinmount Village, Victoria, Ontario; Page: 10; Family
No: 90
Archives of Ontario; Toronto,
Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 777.
Canada. "Military Service File
of Michael Patrick Kennedy." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record
Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 5090-27. Item Number 491595.
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