All the Broken Soldiers

To the Australian Army, Private Lawrence Nicholas Kennedy was NX21854, a soldier who served for 1907 days with the 2/4th Australian Army Field Ambulance in Australia, the Middle East, the Kokoda Track and New Guinea during World War II. With older brother, Bill by his side, the Kennedy boys experienced the adventure and the joy, the loss and the despair of war – like too many others before and since.

To those who knew Nick Kennedy after the war, he was a dedicated and professional psychiatric nurse.

To the author, he was her gentle Uncle Nick, remembered as a kind, funny and generous man who seemed older than his years. The small diary he kept during World War II helped her understand why that was so.

Kennedy’s words and photographs tell the harrowing and compelling story of one young man who went to war – not to kill the enemy, but to save his fellow soldiers – only to return home forever changed by the challenges, hardships and tragedy he experienced.

All the Broken Soldiers provides a rare insight into an aspect of war fought by soldiers equipped with little more than a basic medical kit and a Red Cross armband … those who cared for the broken soldiers that war leaves behind.

About the Authors

Dr Jan McLeod is based in Newcastle, New South Wales. She is the author of Shadows On The Track: Australia’s Medical War in Papua 1942 – 1943 (2019). A university-qualified historian, researcher and educator, Jan has presented her work in various settings – ranging from community groups and local government events to academic conferences and symposiums. In 2020, Jan undertook research for, and appeared on, the Bert Newton episode for SBS Television series, Who Do You Think You Are? Jan is a recipient of an Australian Army History Research Grant (2019).

Dr Andrew McLeod is an award-winning journalist and writer. His poetry, literary criticism and academic articles have appeared in national and international journals and he has presented his research at conferences including the American Comparative Literature Association at Harvard University. He holds a PhD from Monash University and currently lives in Melbourne.