KELLY, Thomas Ivon Ward

Thomas Ivon Ward Kelly was one of five children,the eldest child, followed by Reginald John Kelly, born in 1899, but only survived two months,Olive, Violet and Rose Julia Kelly, b.1903.When he enlisted on 15 February, 1917, Tim Kelly was just off 22 years old, single, and working as a technical teacher. He also had military experience, two years in the school cadets and three years with the 16th Australian Medical Corps.

Following an Imperial Conference held in Britain in 1911, it was decided that aviation should be developed by national armed forces of the British Empire. The Australian Flying Corps began in 1912 with the recruitment of mechanics and pilots. In 1913, a National Flying School was established at Laverton, Victoria. As part of a Special Draft of men, Tim Kelly was sent for training to the Australian Flying Corps camp from 19 February, 1917, to 1 June, 1917.  He was given Final Leave for four days from 21-24 April, before returning to the Laverton Camp. On 2 June, he was appointed Acting Sergeant, then promoted to Acting Corporal, and on 16 October, to 2nd Lieutenant.

The new airmen departed Melbourne on 21 November on board the H.T. A71 Nestor, landing at Suez on 15 December.  Tim's enlistment form shows them 'entrained for embarkment overseas' from 15 December until 30 December, then, on 2 January, embarking from Abassia for Taranto, then on to England, landing at Southgampton on 21 April, 1918. Here Tim Kelly's Australian war record stops.

However, the history of the 4th Squadron A.F.C. show that when the original pilots and mechanics embarked in England, they were sent for further training at Castle Bromwich and equipped with Sopwith Camel fighters. They were also re-named as the 71 (Australian) Squadron, 10th Wing Royal Flying Corps. At the time Tim Kelly was with them, they were supporting the Allied forces against the German Spring Offensive. This involved heavy strafing of enemy troops and bombing of enemy fortifications. The Australian War Memorial has a photo of Tim Kelly at Cologne in 1919, presumably after the war was over, waving from his Sopwith Snipe.

Post-war, Kelly came back to Melbourne. Initially, he lived at 46 Jolimont St Jolimont, and worked as a clerk in the Crown Law Department of the Commonwealth Government.He set himself to study law, but did not complete a degree. On 27 September, 1923, he married Linda Elizabeth Young in Sydney. She gave up a promising operatic career as a pupil of Dame Nellie Melba's to move to Melbourne with Tim.They were to have four children, Patrick Laurence Ward Kelly, Bryan Ward Kelly, John Ward Kelly and Thomas Ivon Ward. In 1925, they were living at 91 Hotham St, Melbourne, and he was working as a clerk. In 1928, they had moved out to 3 Clarke Avenue, Caulfield, where he was a Secretary.

This presumably was a Company Secretary, because in 1924, he had joined Queens Bridge Motors in Melbourne. Established in 1923, They were the distributors for Reo Motors in Chicago, USA, which handledthe dirsribution for Reo in Victoria, the Riverina and Tasmania. A note in their history says 'Under the guidance of the energetic T.I.W. Kelly, who joined the company in 1924 as General Manager, it has developed into an important motor business'.Tim Kelly was a shareholder, as well as General Manager and expanded the business to sell Jowett cars, and Perkins and Victor engines, in additiion to the original Rea.The eulogy given at his funeral in 1982 said 'He tool over an ailing business which he built into a thriving empire. He ruled his company fairly and well and retired when he was 76'.

When war broke out again in 1939, Tim Kelly re-enlisted. Unfortunately, his record has not yet been digitised, so what role he played is unknown, but he served from 1939-1948, probasbly in Australia.

Thomas Ivon Ward Kelly and Linda moved several times over the next years, leaving 3 Clarke Ave in the late 1930s, they were at 1 Fitzgibbon St, Caulfield in 1949, with his occupation listed as Director. In 1954, they were at 17 Barkly St.,St Kilda, again as Director; in 1958 he was a Managing Director, living with Linda at  Fenchurch St.  Strangely anough, in 1977, living at 2 Lockerbie Court St Kilda East , he designated himself as a student.

Thomas Ivon Ward Kelly died on 24 July,1982, at Glen Eira. Linda died in 1992: Beloved wife of Thomas Ivon Ward (Tim) Kelly (deceased), loved mum of John, Pat, Tom and Bryan, loved mother-in-law to Bernadette, Patti (deceased) Marie and Josephine, loving Grand Nan of 27 kids and Great Grand Nan to 9'.