Background
Edward (Ted) Kenna was born at Hamilton, Victoria on July 6, 1919 and was educated in his home town before becoming a plumber.  Kenna enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in August 1940 where he served in Victoria, the Darwin area and then Queensland.

Pte Kenna was then transferred to the 2/4 Infantry Battalion after his own unit was disbanded.  He embarked for New Guinea in October 1944, was wounded in April 1945 and discharged from the AIF in December 1946.

After being discharged from hospital, Kenna returned to his home town of Hamilton, where funds were raised to build Kenna and his wife a house which remains the family home to this day.  Edward Kenna is the only surviving Australian Victoria Cross recipient of the Second World War.

Victoria Cross
On May 15, 1945 Kenna singlehandedly engaged and overcame two Japanese machine gun posts that were impeding the Australian advance on Mission Hill behind Wewak.  His lone action saved the lives of many of his comrades and helped secure a vital hill above the Wewak airfield.

Plaque dedicated to Pte Kenna at Boystown (Justin Taylan)

After the war, a street on Wewak Hill was named in Ted Kenna's honour.