Next of kin plaque : Private Joseph Kennedy Donovan, 7 Battalion, 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 'JOSEPH KENNEDY DONOVAN'.

Joseph Kennedy Donovan was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1893. A successful athlete and keen footballer, he was working as a fitter and turner when he enlisted in the AIF on 20 August 1914.

After initial training he was assigned to 'A' Company, 7 Battalion, with the service number 215. At some time during his service he was transferred to 'B' Company, but the exact date cannot be established from his service record. The battalion left Melbourne for Egypt aboard the transport HMAT A40 Hororata on 19 October. Further training took place in Egypt.

Donovan landed at Gallipoli with his battalion on 25 April 1915, as part of the second wave. The battalion transferred to Cape Helles on 6 May for the attack on the village of Krithia. Donovan was wounded on 8 May, a day when the battalion sustained 250 casualties. Suffering a compound fracture of the right thigh, he was evacuated to Egypt in the hospital ship Guildford Castle. He died on the ship on 16 May, shortly before it reached Alexandria, and was buried at the Chatby War Memorial Cemetery.

His elder brother, 1184 Gunner Dennis John Donovan also served in the AIF. Enlisting two days after Joseph he was assigned to the artillery. He too was wounded on Gallipoli, in the head and neck in July 1915. He was evacuated to England, rejoining his unit in France in 1916. By the end of the year he was hospitalised again, suffering from shell shock. He returned to Australia in March 1917 and was discharged.