Next of Kin plaque : Sergeant J Hennessy, 9 Light Horse Regiment, AIF

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'JOHN HENNESSY'. A checker's mark, '14' has been stamped behind the lion's left back paw. A hole has been drilled through the top of the plaque in front of Britannia's helmet to allow the plaque to be screwed or nailed to a wall or wooden backing.

Adelaide born John Hennessy was working as a contractor's overseer when he enlisted in the AIF on 19 October 1914. He had already served for four years with the senior cadets in the 74th (Boothby) Infantry and had been commissioned as a lieutenant. As he was under the age of 21 both his parents gave written permission for him to enlist.

Hennessy was assigned as a private to B Squadron, 9 Light Horse Regiment, with the service number 277. He was promoted to sergeant a day later. After training in Australia the regiment sailed for Egypt from Melbourne on 11 February 1915 aboard the transport HMAT A10 Karoo. Further training in Egypt followed before the regiment landed, without their horses, on Gallipoli at the end of May.

On 28 May Hennessy was hospitalised at Anzac Cove suffering from influenza. He returned to his unit on 3 June. On 30 June he was evacuated from Walker's Ridge. Diagnosed with a middle ear infection, Hennessy was transferred to the transport 'Clacton' and taken to Mudros for treatment. Initially described at Gallipoli as being slightly ill, his condition had deteriorated by the time he reached Mudros and he was described as being dangerously ill, suffering from nervous shock. Hennessy was immediately sent on to hospital in Malta aboard the 'Seang Bee'. He arrived there on 9 July. Efforts to treat him were unsuccessful; the infection spread to his brain and he died of a cerebral abscess on 23 July. Hennessy was buried the following day in the Addolorata Cemetery on Malta. He was nineteen years old.

Newspaper reports in the 'Adelaide Advertiser' after his death suggest that his family were under the impression that Hennessy had been wounded in the head at Walker's Ridge on the day he was evacuated, and that his condition had been improving at the time of his death. The regiment had been involved in heavy fighting on this day and eight unnamed men are recorded as being wounded. Hennessey's service record clearly states that he died of disease, not wounds.

This commemorative plaque was sent to his father in 1922.