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Those known to have served with 2nd Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Anning W. R.H. Pte.
- Best MM. Fred Dan. Pte.
- Chapman Alban. Sgt.
- Cresswell Kenneth Snow. Pte.
- Dawes Harold Jason. Pte. (d.25th Feb 1945)
- de_Kock Johannes William. Pte. (d.24th October 1942)
- Gardiner Alfred Arthur. Pte. (d.17th Jun 1940)
- Grindy Sydney. Pte.
- Heselden Eric Phillip. Pte. (d.17th Jun 1940)
- Hickmott Robert Arthur Ernest. Pte. (d.15th Feb 1945)
- Holder George Henry. Pte. (d.1st-2nd Feb 1945)
- Ingram William Frederick. Sgt.
- Mascia Louis Frederic. Pte. (d.1st February 1945)
- Moth Frank. Pte.
- Nutley Stanley Maurice. RSM.
- Parsons Lewis George. Cslm
- Peters Frederick. Pte.
- Sargeant Henry. Pte. (d.23rd March 1944)
- Sedgwick Charles George. Pte. (d.4th September 1942)
- Smith Alfred James. Cpl. (d.27th February 1945)
- Snook Herbert Sidney. Capt. (d.21st April 1945)
- Trescothick Douglas Harold.
- Vant Stephen E. J.. Pte.
- Wardle Philip Sidney. Pte. (d.17th June 1940)
- Wheatcroft George Arthur.
- Wright Frederick Charles. L/Cpl.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of 2nd Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment from other sources.
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Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment? There are:1350 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Cpl. Alfred James Smith 2nd Btn. East Kent Regiment (d.27th February 1945) Alfred Smith served with the 2nd Battalion, East Kent Regiment in WW2. He was killed in Burma on 27th of February 1945 aged 36 years and is buried Taukkyan War Cemetery now in Myanmar. He was the son of William James Smith and Kate Maria (nee Harvey). Pre war he was an attendant in the Civil Service.
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Pte. Frederick Peters 2nd Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment  My granddad Fred Peters was nearly 36 years old and in the Army Reserves when he got his call-up papers. He joined the BEF and is listed as arriving in France on 11th Sept 1939. From my research, the 2nd Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) joined the 131st Infantry Brigade in early May and took part in The Battle of France from 10th May 1940. He is listed as a Prisoner of War on 11th July 1940. Like so many other POWs, he didn't talk much about his wartime experiences. However this is a summary of what we do know:
He and another soldier were captured trying to escape on a German motorbike they "borrowed". He was transferred to Stalag XXB, Marienburg on 1st November 1940. We do not know much about his time there apart from the fact he was sometimes sent to work at a local farm, where the farmer treated him decently.
Early in 1945 he and the other POWs were forced to march for hundreds of miles. Again, he didn't go into great detail but he did say they were so desperate for food that they dug up root vegetables from the frozen ground to survive. He had a scar on his back after a German soldier hit him with his rifle because he stopped to go to the toilet. He also told how he collapsed towards the end of the march and was put in a wheelbarrow and pushed for miles by his mates to save him from falling behind, a deed which he said saved his life.
He was liberated by American soldiers in mid-April 1945 and landing back in England on 28th April 1945. After being demobilised, he returned to his job in Chatham Dockyard.
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George Arthur Wheatcroft 2nd Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment My granddad, Arthur Wheatcroft, lied about his age to join the Army. He was two years younger then the required joining age. He fought in the East Kent Regiment in The Buffs. What the family knows about his time in the war, as he didn't like to recall his time and what he had experienced, was that his comrades and he were in a tank where a hand grenade was thrown in.
He was demobed from continuing his duties with leg injuries that needing extensive skin grafts. He left the Army and married the nurse he met while recuperating.
He was today laid to rest at the grand age of 94 with his five war medals and his Buffs badge. A beautiful soldier's burial, with the great British flag cascaded over the casket, fit for a British hero accompanied by a bugler playing the last Post, and the flag bearer.
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Pte. W. R.H Anning 2nd Battalion East Kent Regiment W Anning is a friend's father.
He joined The Buffs in 1936, went to France with the BEF. He was listed as missing, but was then reported as a POW captured and interned in Stalag 344 Lamsdorf as POW Number 11810.
Although listed as a Pte, he was actually a Drummer.
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Pte. Philip Sidney Wardle 2nd Btn, 4th Coy. Royal East Kent Regiment (d.17th June 1940) My Great Uncle, Philip Wardle, never forgotten. He was killed aged 21 while being evacuated in Operation Ariel on HMT Lancastria which was bombed and sunk, Sid was shot dead whilst in the water.
A much loved son and uncle with a huge heart, great sense of humour and a member of the company football team.
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Pte. Johannes William de_Kock 2nd Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment (d.24th October 1942) My uncle, Johannes William de Kock was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa of Dutch descent in 1921 then moved to the UK soon after.
He had an older sister Ester, a brother Floris Daniel (Danny) who was my dad, Peter, and 2 younger sisters, Alice and Evelyn. I believe they lived in the Westfield, Old Woking in Surrey.
He was in the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs Royal East Kent Regiment. He so sadly died at the tender age of 21 in the Second Battle of El Alamein and is buried in the war cemetery there.
Always remembered.
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Pte. Robert Arthur Ernest Hickmott 2nd Btn. Royal East Kent Regiment (d.15th Feb 1945) Robert Hickmott was my father's brother and was killed in Burma just under a year before I was born. His age was 28.
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Douglas Harold Trescothick 2nd Btn. East Kent Regiment My father, Douglas Trescothick was called up in 1940 and was sent to Bodmin to join the D.C.L.I
He volunteered for the Buffs because he wanted to see action. According to his pay book, which I still have, his HQ was 36th Division.
He also served in the 8th Army North Africa.
His medals are Burma Star, Africa Star, 1939-45 Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 Medal.
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Capt. Herbert Sidney Snook 61st Reconnaissance Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (d.21st April 1945) My Father, Captain Herbert Snook, was killed in action in Germany on 21st of April 1945. He is buried in Becklingham War Cemetery, Germany.
He joined the Army in February 1930, originally enlisting in the Buffs. His trade on enlistment was as a musician. He was transferred to the Army Reserve in February 1938, and then rejoined the 2nd Battalion in August 1939.
He escaped from Dunkirk in a fishing boat along with survivors from the Destroyer Grenade which had been blown up in the harbour. I have a letter he wrote in July 1940, explaining how he made it back to England.
My father was involved in D Day and the subsequent battles across France.
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Pte. Kenneth Snow "Snowy" Cresswell 2nd Btn. East Kent Regiment My father, Kenneth Cresswell, enlisted with the Royal East Kent Regiment in 1925 and was posted to Gibraltar from August 1926 to February 2nd 1926. He then went to India for 3 years and 275 days. then to Burma for 1 year and 170 days. He was posted to the Andaman Island for 174 Days, then back to Burma for a further 41 days, then Home. Total service 7 years 119 days, he was then transferred to the reserves.
On 16th of September 1939 he was posted with the BEF to France as a machine gunner until 6th of June 1940when he was evacuated from Dunkirk.
His total service was 18 years and 140 days.
He was a member of the battalion football, hockey, and tug of war teams. His conduct was shown as exemplary.
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