Thomas James Bede Kenny, VC (29 September 1896 – April 1953) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was 20 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when for his conspicuous bravery he was awarded the VC.
Early life
Bede Kenny was born on 29 September 1896 at Paddington, Sydney, the son of Austin James Kenny, a butcher, from Auckland, New Zealand, and his wife Mary Christina, née Connolly, of New South Wales. He was educated at the Christian Brothers' College, Waverley.
Following matriculation from high school, he began to train as a chemist's assistant at Bondi. After just three months of training, on 23 August 1915, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force — a fortnight after the major Australian actions at Lone Pine and The Nek.
Following this, Kenny was immediately promoted to lance corporal and soon afterwards was evacuated to England with trench-foot. He rejoined the battalion at Hazebrouck and on 26 June 1918 was wounded during fighting in the Merris sector. Despite describing his injuries as "nothing to write home about", he was invalided to Australia in August, arriving in Sydney on 9 October. He had become a corporal earlier that same month. In Sydney, Kenny rejected an offer to join the military police, whom it is said he disliked intensely, and was subsequently discharged on 12 December.