Asst.Steward John Kent . Merchant Navy SS. Athenia
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Capt. Leon Kent . United States Army from Beverley Hills, CA In the first desperate hours of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, a young Army lieutenant was given an order that seemed impossible: stop a fast-moving column of German tanks from advancing..
The three soldiers assigned to the lieutenant were not trained in anti-tank warfare. The only artillery piece available was designed to bring down airplanes, not tanks. And the firing position provided no cover if the tanks returned fire.
A battlefield dispatch from the Associated Press described what happened:
"Anti-aircraft gunners, who stayed behind when the infantry withdrew, played a vital role in preventing a major German breakthrough in Belgium. … One battery, commanded by Lt. Leon Kent of Los Angeles, knocked out five tanks, including one King Tiger tank, in two hours."
The three soldiers received Silver Stars for bravery. Kent, who stayed beside his men during the fight, was meritoriously promoted to captain. He was supposed to receive a Silver Star, but the paperwork was lost. In 1998, at the nudging of a congressman, the oversight was corrected and the award bestowed.
"What Capt. Kent showed was extraordinary leadership," retired Army Maj. Gen. John Crowe said before a 2011 ceremony at the December 1944 Historical Museum in La Gleize, Belgium. "He wouldn't ask his troops to do anything he wouldn't do himself. That's the kind of leadership that inspires troops."
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NG Kent . British Army NG Kent served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Roy Kent . Royal Canadian Air Force pilot 419 Sqd.
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Pte. Stanley George Kent . British Army 1/7th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment from Romford (d.17th July 1944) Stanley Kent was my great uncle. I do not know much about him but this is what I have been told. He was married to Iris Alexandra and has a son called Norman Tommy Kent. After the war my grandad Thomas Henry Kent, Stanley's brother, asked the church for permission to marry Iris and they had a daughter.
I hope to discover more about my great uncle and one day find his marker in Tessel.
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Lt. Wilfrid Robin Leigh Kent . Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve HMS Manchester Lieutenant Kent joined HMS Manchester as the assistant electrical officer, at Scapa Flow in 1941. He served during the sinking of the Bismark and was in charge of the radar room where he recalled the disquiet of the radar operators who could see the shells from the Bismark on their screens. After serving in the evacuation of Norway and anti-invasion duties in the North Sea, Wilfrid was on the Manchester in July when it was part of Force X escorting the Malta convoy in which more ships were lost than any other. HMS Manchester was herself hit by an Italian aerial torpedo in the starboard side aft in the boiler room on 23 July 1941. His cabin was squashed by the blast and he had to sleep on the steel deck. His report on the ship's damaged electrical systems must have caught someone's eye, since he was flown back to Britain from Gibraltar in August 1941 to carry out research into high power electricity at HMS Vernon Torpedo School resulting in improvements in the design of shock absorbers for high voltage circuit breakers on warships. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Commander and led a secret team developing the first homing torpedoes.
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W Kenway . British Army 12th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment W Kenway served with the 12th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Lt Cmdr. James Henry Newton Kenworthy RD. Royal Naval Reserve HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940) My father, Sub Lt Broadhurst, had written beneath the picture: Lt Commdr J.H.N. Kenworthy RNR. A grand old sailor, a staunch supporter of the merchant service and the RNR. Revelled in Naval tradition, was serving in the cunard at the outbreak of war.
He refused to leave the Captain, who in turn refused to leave the upper bridge and so died. Navigator of the Forfar.
He was 39 years old, son of John and Maud Kenworthy and husband of Sybil Caldwell Kenworthy, of Crewe, Cheshire.
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L Kenworthy . British Army L Kenworthy served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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NW Kenworthy . British Army Royal Armoured Corps NW Kenworthy served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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WO Edward Kenwright . Royal Air Force Bomber Command Edward Kenwright served with Bomber Command during WWII as a Sergeant Flight Engineer and later as a Warrant Officer.
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A. A. Kenyon . Royal Canadian Air Force 419 Sqd.
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P/O. Arthur Thomas Kenyon . Royal Air Force 35 Squadron from Prestwich, Lancashire (d.24th Dec 1944) Arthur Kenyon lost his life when his Lancaster crashed on take-off killing all crew on 23rd of December 1944 en-route to bomb Cologne.
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F/Lt. Bennett Ley Kenyon . Royal Air Force 419 Squadron I met Ley Kenyon in the Chelsea Arts club in the 1970s when researching images for a book on WWII escapes. He was an artist, and was ordered to record the building of Harry. The drawings were hidden in Tom Tunnel at the forced evacuation but were returned to Ley after the war; the whole experience was so traumatic for him however, that he had barely looked at them since until I came along. He expressed some annoyance that the character in 'The Great Escape' mainly based on himself was depicted as showing fear and even cowardice while carrying out the task of recording the tunnel, which he vehemently denied.
A number of the drawings Ley Kenyon made of Harry Tunnel can be found online at The Great Escape
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Tpr. Frank "Smokey" Kenyon . British Army Reconnaissance Corps from Birkenhead My father, Frank Kenyon was captured in Sicily in 1943. He was eventually taken through Italy to Stalag 18A. I was born in March 1942, so, apart from when I was first born, I did not see him until I was nearly 4 years old. Apparently I was not happy, as I had my Mother all to myself for those years and told him to 'leave Mummy alone, she's my Mummy!' I remember as a very small child seeing my mother crying, it was apparently when she got the telegram to say my father was missing, presumed killed. My sister was born after he came home, in November 1946, and I remember Dad telling us stories of camp life when we were children.
One of the tales was of getting potatoes and hiding them in their trousers, as another contributor mentioned. He also said that he was in a working party making bricks, and they used to doctor the mix so the bricks would collapse. When my mother sent photos of me as a baby, one of the guards looked at them and was amazed, saying that they were told the British children were starving, and I was 'so fat!' One time he said he had escaped and got within half a mile of the border (with Switzerland?), before being captured by guards with Alsatians - he hated the dogs for the rest of his life.
I have a notebook he wrote during his time there, containing stories, anecdotes, cartoons and poems, all written in tiny writing in pencil.
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LAC. Stewart Steele Kenyon . Royal Canadian Air Force 429 Squadon from Toronto Stewart Kenyon served with 429 Squadron. Stewart died in 1991
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Teresa "Terry" Kenyon . Women's Land Army from Wigna, Lancashire My aunt, Teresa Kenyon, served in the WLA between 1945 and 1947 in Devon.
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William Kenyon . British Army 23rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery from Manchester My Dad, William Kenyon survived the war, but died in 1975. I found this amongst his papers with quite a few names I assume he fought with. The poem "Looking Back" is by Bmdr F H Gamblin.
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Mjr. L. M. Kenyon-Fuller . British Army 80th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Major Kenyon-Fuller was a Battery Commander with 80th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
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Keogan . British Army Royal Army Service Corps Keogan served with the Royal Army Service Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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D Keogh . British Army D Keogh served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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D Keogh . British Army D Keogh served with the British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Stkr. Frank Keogh . Royal Navy HMS Lapwing from Eltham, London (d.20th Mar 1945) Frank Keogh enlisted in the Royal Navy at Great Malvern, Worcestershire on 25 January 1943 aged 17. He followed his elder brother Richard into the Navy. He started out as a Stoker 2nd Class initially on HMS Duke Anson Division (the Royal Naval shore establishment based in Great Malvern). His brother was also a stoker.
During May 1943 he was on convoy support services in the Atlantic onboard the destroyers HMS Milne and HMS Onslought.
July 1943 saw Frank off of the Norwegian Coast onboard HMS Manhratta (Destroyer), where he was involved in diversionary offensive sweeps (this was the same time as invasion of Scicily was ongoing).
In August 1943 Frank was onboard HMS Oribi (Destroyer) and was present at the Royal visit by HM King George VI to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow and he also took part in demonstrations with ships of Flotilla on the following day.
Following further training in Scapa and Plymouth, Frank was promoted to Stoker 1st Class in January 1944.
He subsequently joined the newly commissioned HMS Lapwing (a Black Swan Sloop in March 1944 and was deployed in the Western Approaches for convoy escort.
In May - HMS Lapwing was nominated for service with the 111th Escort Group in support of the allied landings in Normandy, based at Plymouth, but joined the Group at Milford Haven in June for escort of Convoy EBP1. Although the operation was delayed by 24 hours until the 5th, whne they joined Convoy EBP1 with Group in the Bristol Channel.
Frank and the Lapwing arrived on the beach head on 7th June with EBP1 after passage through the swept channel. They then returned to Plymouth with Group in order to continue escort of follow-up convoys.
After termination of Opeation Neptune, the ship remained in the Channel area for convoy escort and anti-submarine operations. Before transferring to 8th Escort to Group for convoy defence in the North West Approaches.
In October 1944 - HMS Lapwing was detached for Russian convoy escort duty with the Home Fleet and was deployed for Convoy JW61 during passage to Kola Inlet.
In November she took part in anti-submarine operations against U-Boats assembled off Kola Inlet before returning with Convoy RA 61. Although she suffered severe weather damage during the return and had to go into Clyde shipyard for repairs.
At the end of November she joined the Russian bound convoy JW62 arriving in Kola Inlet on 7th, starting the return on the 10th with convoy RA62 follow more UBoat sweeps
The next convoy for Russia was Convoy JW63 arriving safely and starting her return on the 11th with Convoy RA63 although it was an exceptionally stormy passage which forced the convoy to take shelter when North East of the Faeroes, and again causing more weather damage repair work in the Clyde shipyard.
The 3rd February 1945 Saw HMS Lapwing joining Russian Convoy JW64 arriving in Kola Inlet on the 15th, but only after HMS Denbigh Castle had been torpedoed by U993 and sustained major damage from which she eventually sank. Following heavy and sustained air attacks during the passage with one escort.
The ship was deployed with other escorts to carry out anti-submarine hunts assisted by Russian aircraft to attack U-Boats assembled outside Kola Inlet and during these operations U425 was sunk by HMS Lark/HM Alnwick Castle. Although HMS LARK was subseuently hit by a homing torpedo from U968 and abandoned and HM Corvette was also sunk by U711 using the same type of weapon, with only 12 survivors.
They commended their return convoy on the 19th February after dispersal by very heavy weather and sustained air attacks which were driven off by AA fire from escorts and aircraft from HM Escort Aircraft Carrier Nairana. On the 23rd Hurricane force winds again dispersed the convoy which was reassembled, but eventually RA64 arrived back in the UK.
On the 11th March Frank and HMS Lapwing commenced their final trip to Russia, joining Russian Convoy JW65 to Kola Inlet. On the 20th she was hit amidships by a T5 homing torpedo fired from U968 off Kola Inlet in position 69 26N 33.44E. The ship broke in two but the stern section remained afloat for 20 minutes which enabled some survivors to be rescued, but unfortuanately Frank was not amongst the few. There were 61 survivors and 158 men died.
Upon his return from this trip, Frank was due to be best man at his elder brothers wedding.
Last year my mother applied for the Atlantic Medal on behalf of her brother Frank, it took a long time to arrive, but was finally delivered the day after she had passed away.
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Sgt. John Edward Keogh . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 101 Sqdn. from Hull (d.22nd June 1944) On 22nd June 1944 Lancaster III LM508 SR-P (Target Wesserling) was shot down over the Biesbosch Estuary in Holland by a nightfighter. Sgt Keogh was killed and has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The other member of the crew who died that night was F/Sgt Thomas Handley Duff. He is buried in Werkendam Protestant Cemetery.
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Pte. Michael Keogh . British Army 2nd Btn. Northamptonshire Regiment (d.30th Jan 1944)
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Sgt. James Henry Maxwell "Jack" Ker . Royal Canadian Air Force 415 Squadron from Ingersol, Ontario (d.11th Mar 1943) James Ker served with 415 Squadron.
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Sgt. James Henry Maxwell "Jack" Ker . Royal Canadian Air Force 415 Squadron from Ingersol, Ontario (d.11th March 1943) Jack Ker served with 415 Squadron. A letter reads "Concerning the loss of your uncle, the Squadron record reports that: Nine
aircraft (Hampdens) were airborne Tain for a strike on a surface vessel off
the Norwegian coast. Three unidentified aircraft were spotted by coastal
radar as they proceeded. One of the crews spotted a fully surfaced
submarine, course 220 at 15 knots. No surface shipping was sighted. The
weather was not good with frequent rain and hail, and some icing".
Unfortunately I do not have a copy of the attack report. We do know that five of the aircraft were diverted to Dyce (now the Aberdeen airport). One aircraft had lost rudder control and made an early return to Tain. Another aircraft returned to Tain with engine troubles. Unfortunately the Reigate crew was reported missing" and presumed lost.
It would seem that Jack was on the Squadron when they were presented the
Crest and motto: Ad Metam, To the Mark. This occurred on 23rd of January 1943.
After reviewing Squadron records, I assume that Jack joined the Squadron in
January 1943.
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JAT Ker . British Army Royal Ulster Rifles JAT Ker served with the Royal Ulster Rifles British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Flt.Sgt. Frank Marcel Kerbrat DFM.. Royal Canadian Air Force 90 Squadron from Manitoba, Canada Frank Kerbrat's DFM was Gazetted on the 3rd of November 1944.
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