Born: 6th April, 1914 in Eire.
Son of Patrick and Mary Kelly;
husband of Edith Annie Kelly.

1939 Register lists Joseph Kelly as
living at 5 Market Street, Wem; listed as a General Labourer (MOT).
He is lodging with John & Martha Thorley.
John Thorley is listed as a Sweep & Window Cleaner, and a permanent member of the Fire Brigade.

In 1941, Joseph Kelly married Edith Annie Thorley.

During WWII, Joseph Patrick Kelly was a
Sapper, [2122919], 204th Field Company, Royal Engineers
Died: 14th November 1944, aged 31 years.
Casualty List No. 1618: Killed in Action.
Cemetery: Brunssum War Cemetery, Limburg, Netherlands [Grave or Reference Panel Number: II.100.]
Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign 1944/45

The 204th Field Company (Wessex), Royal Engineers was part of the 43rd Division.
In November, 1944, 43rd Division and the US 84th Division moved towards Geilenkirchen (a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany,
situated near the border with the Netherlands) as part of Operation Clipper. The 43rd Division had to lift a defensive minefield that
had previously been laid by 84th Division. On 14 November, 204th Field Company loaded some of these American mines on lorries.
They were to be dumped near the German border. Around 700 of these mines exploded simultaneously that afternoon, killing 14 sappers
of No 1 Platoon, wounding six others, and fatally injuring the brigade commander, Brig G.H.L. Mole.