Sgt. John Ravenscroft Kinsey
British Army 23rd Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, 74th Bty. Royal Artillery
from:Winsford, Cheshire
Jack Kinsey was the first soldier to be conscripted from Winsford when he joined the Royal Artillery on 15th of July 1939, a couple of months before the official start of World War II when conflict looked imminent. His number upon joining up was 10268039, but this was changed fairly shortly after joining to 1500217 and this followed him for the rest of his Army career. His training unit was the 534th Anti Aircraft Battery, No.12 Anti Aircraft Militia Depot.
From Jack’s records, he spent a lot of his time honing his skills as a motor mechanic, attending numerous trade courses and qualifications and working his way up to Class III Motor Mechanic. This included training and trade tests at the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in March and September 1941 at Burscough near Ormskirk, which at that time was a shell-filling factory and testing ground. This gave him his Class II Motor Mechanic trade qualification. He passed his trade test to be made Class III Motor Mechanic on 18 June 1942 when based at Colombo in Ceylon.
In December 1939, Jack was assigned to the 212th Light Anti Aircraft Training Regiment (534 Anti Aircraft Militia Regiment) at Saighton Base near Chester in Cheshire, and on 24th of March 1940 he was promoted to Lance Bombardier, earning the first stripe on his sleeve. Jack spent the whole of 1940 and into 1941 with the 212th LAA Regiment. On 24th of September 1941, Jack married Alma at St Thomas’s Catholic Church in Fairfield, Hebden Bridge. At the time, she was expecting their first child.
From 29 October to 5 December 1941, he was attached to 535th Battery. His records don’t reveal the reason, but on the same day as his return he was transferred to 23rd Anti Aircraft Regiment. Ten days later, he was transferred to Southend to join the 74th Battery, 23rd LAA Regiment, 5th Anti Aircraft Division. This appears to be where Jack was prepared for his first operational duties. He was based here from 15th December 1941 until he embarked for Ceylon. On 22 March 1942, his son was born. At some point during this period, Jack was granted leave to go home to visit Alma and his newborn son. This cannot have been for long, for on 11 April 1942 he embarked for Ceylon. He didn’t see his son again until his return in 1945.
The journey to Ceylon was by sea and took until 1st of July 1942 according to his records. It took only one month for him to be promoted to Acting Bombardier when he was attached to the Anti Aircraft Command workshops in Colombo. By 30 October, he’d been given the rank and pay of substantive Bombardier, so he earned his second stripe. On 18 June 1943, he was asked to relinquish the appointment as Motor Mechanic in favour of being a fitter. However, this was reversed on 30 June. Jack must have impressed in his service, because on 30th September 1943 he was promoted to Unpaid Sergeant and then immediately to Paid Sergeant without fulfilling the normal 21 days in between the two. On 25 May 1944, he left Ceylon with his regiment to head to India. At the time, things were heating up in Burma.
Jack arrived in India on 11 June 1944. In later life, Jack mentioned that he was based at ‘Doolally’. This is Deolali, which was a British Army transit camp and college which gave birth to the phrase ‘Doolally tap’, meaning camp fever, and the British sitcom ‘It ain’t ‘arf hot Mum’. The 23rd LAA Regiment became attached to the 46th AA brigade, which in March 1944 was made part of the 44th Indian Airborne Division, and became known as the 23rd LAA Para Regiment. In fact, it was both Light Anti-Aircraft and Anti Tank. Most, if not all, of this brigade would have undergone parachute training. The irony of Jack becoming a Para was that he was terrified of flying. Maybe it was because being part of an AA unit he had seen so many airplanes shot down. He certainly never mentioned to his brother Bill that he had parachute training.
From March 1944, the Regiment was based in Secunderabad, moving to Bilaspur in June 1945 to prepare for action in Burma. Bill recalls Jack mentioning that he was in Burma, but his records reflect otherwise. I wonder whether he meant this period of his service. He told Bill about living under canvas and one of his comrades adopting a pet mongoose to help ward off snakes. He spoke of one of the locals educating them about the mongoose, and that it disappeared for a few days once. When it returned it had a bite mark on its neck. The local explained that when they were bitten by a cobra, they would forage for a certain root plant and eat it as this was an antidote to the snake’s poison. At one of these postings, Jack had a tankard engraved for his son. It was silver-plated and probably made of brass. The inscription reads: To Michael From Dad India 1945.
On 6th of August 1945, the USA dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and three days later they dropped the second bomb on Nagasaki. Fortunately for Jack, this brought the war in Asia to a close. It meant that his unit did not have to engage in hostilities in Burma which was, until that point, the plan for them. By 12th of September 1945, Jack was on his way home to see his son for only the second time.
He arrived back in England on 4 December 1945 and was posted to the 12th Light Anti Aircraft (Holding) Regiment. From 26 January until 4 May 1946, he was granted 99 days leave. His demobilisation reference from his Major reads: ‘Exemplary. Has been Chief Mechanic and in charge of Bty M.T. for three and a half years. A most capable and conscientious NCO, has had experience of M.T. Administration. Is a first class fitter and driver. Sober and trustworthy, he has given excellent service, and been satisfactory in every way’.
