Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Son of Wilbur and Edna Kennedy, of St. Marys, Ontario. Brother of Allan James, John Harold, Jean Isabelle and Shirley Marie. A graduate of public school, he excelled in sports and was an outstanding baseball player for Wellburn. At the time he was called up, he had worked for Hutton's Mill at Wellburn for about two years. Wilbur Kennedy was called up under the National Resources Mobilization Act on 12 March 1943 and assigned to the Royal Canadian Artillery. He took his basic training at 12 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre at Chatham, Ontario from March 12 to May 12, 1942. Subsequently he was posted to the Coastal and Anti-Aircraft Artillery Training Centre at Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. Graduating as a trained gunner on June 1, 1942, he was posted to 53 Coastal Battery, then serving with 1st Coastal Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 1st Coastal Regiment's job was to man the heavy fortress guns guarding the harbour and the approaches at Halifax. A tedious job, it involved long hard hours on duty with very little prospect of anything breaking the monotony. He is commemorated on a bronze plaque on the Cenotaph located in St. Marys, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 177 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.