F.S.(Sep) Kelly, Hood Bn, RND 1881-1916
F.S. Kelly was born to a wealthy family in Sydney, Australia.
He first achieved distinction in rowing. He won the Diamond Sculls three times and gold in the men’s eights at the London Olympics.
After a successful musical career at Oxford, he studied in Frankfurt and gave recitals in Europe and Australia while developing his skills as a composer.
He joined the Royal Naval Division in 1914, worked with Denis Browne on improving the Hood Battalion band at Blandford Forum, then travelled out to Gallipoli with Browne and his friends, Rupert Brooke and Oc Asquith, the Prime Minister’s son.
Brooke’s death en route moved Kelly deeply; he wrote his best known composition Elegy for String Orchestra: In Memoriam Rupert Brooke during the campaign. He was wounded twice at Gallipoli and won the Distinguished Service Cross.
He was killed fighting at the Somme in 1916. Jelly D’Aranyi, violinist, played the sonata he wrote for her at his memorial service.
