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Oliver Kayess - Information

Oliver was born in Sydney on the 3rd of August 1893 to William Henry and Annie Kayess. He grew up in Auburn, where he eventually served in the Scottish Rifles. He then met and fell in love with Belinda Hopping, marrying in Auburn in 1915. Oliver supported his family working as a clerk. They were soon blessed with their first child, Oliver Jr. born in Maitland in 1916. Sadly, Oliver and Belinda lost their precious baby shortly after he was born. Not alone in their suffering, Oliver watched the casualty lists pour in, as the battlefields claimed more and more fatalities. He decided to join up and support the war effort. He signed up in Sydney on the 26th of September 1917, aged 24. He commenced his training at the Royal Showground Camp, where he was promoted Sergeant. At the time, Belinda was at home pregnant. Luckily, before Oliver was shipped out in 1918, he was able to meet his brand new daughter, Genevieve Belinda. Belinda then settled on a property called Wattle Dell on Cumberland Rd in Ingleburn. On the 2nd of April, Oliver was appointed Acting Company Sergeant Major. He left Sydney as part of the NSW Reinforcements on the 17th of July 1918 aboard the HMAT Borda.

Oliver disembarked in London in late September, and was marched into the 5th Training Battalion in Fovant. There, he was allotted to the 18th Battalion, and the following month, was on Command at a School of Instruction. He was training troops when the war ended in November. He was then sent back to Australia leaving England on the 20th of July 1919. Oliver returned home to his beautiful wife and darling daughter. Oliver and Belinda then welcomed a set of twins, Oliver Roderick and Stewart George, born in Yenda on the 1st of September 1923. The Kayess family became standing members in the community. Surprisingly, Oliver enlisted again for service during the Second World War. He signed up on the 22nd of April 1940. He became a Warrant Officer Class I with the 19 ADCO, (N66037). Oliver was then joined by his two boys, who joined the army in August 1942. Stewart became a Sergeant with the 14th Australian Field Ambulance, while Oliver Roderick became a Private with the 55/53 Australian Infantry Battalion. Sadly, while fighting the Japanese in Papua New Guinea, Oliver Roderick was killed in action on the 7th of December 1942. Poor Belinda, who had lived through the anguish of two World Wars, had now lost her son. Both Oliver and Stewart were discharged in 1946 and returned home to Ingleburn. Oliver passed away in 1983, just short of his 90th birthday and was buried in St Mary the Virgin Cemetery in Denham Court.