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13th (Kensington) Battalion, London Regiment
13th (Kensington) Battalion, London Regiment were a unit of the Territorial Force with their HQ at Iverna Gardens, Kensington. They were serving with 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division when war broke out in August 1914. They were at once mobilised for war and moved to Abbotts Langley. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 4th of November and joining 25th Brigade, 8th Division on the 13th.
they were in action at The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers. On the 20th of May 1915 they transferred to GHQ Troops and formed a composite unit with 1/5th and 1/12th Londons, reuminhg their own identity on the 11th of August. On the 11th of February 1916 they transferred to 168th Brigade in the newly reformed 56th (London) Division in the Hallencourt area. In 1916 they were in action on The Somme taking part in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the 1st of July. Also The Battle of Ginchy, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval in which the Division captured Combles and The Battle of the Transloy Ridges. In 1917 they were in action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Battles of Arras in April, then The Battle of Langemarck in August, then the Cambrai Operations in November. In 1918 They were in action on The Somme, in the Second Battles of Arras, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy. At the Armistice the infantry were in a rest period, whilst the artillery were in action. The Division received orders to join the British force to occupy the Rhine bridgeheads, but these orders were cancelled on the 21st of November, when they were in the area of Harveng undertaking road and railway repairs. Demobilisation was completed on the 18th of May 1919.
6th Aug 1914 Colours Laid up
3rd Nov 1914 13th Londons proceed to France
3rd Nov 1914 Nominal Roll of 13th London Regiment
3rd Nov 1914 On the Move
4th Nov 1914 To Rest Camp
4th November 1914 On the Move
5th Nov 1914 13th Londons on the Move
5th November 1914 On the Move
6th Nov 1914 13th Londons on the Move
6th November 1914 On the Move
7th Nov 1914 Training Parade
7th Nov 1914 At Rest
8th Nov 1914 Training
9th Nov 1914 Training
9th November 1914 At Rest
10th Nov 1914 Training
11th Nov 1914 Training
12th Nov 1914 13th Londons on the March
12th November 1914 On the March
13th Nov 1914 13th Londons on the March
13th November 1914 On the March
14th Nov 1914 13th Londons on the March
14th November 1914 On the March
15th Nov 1914 Inspection for 13th Londons
15th November 1914 At Rest
16th Nov 1914 Training
16th November 1914 Dog Fight
17th Nov 1914 Training
17th November 1914 Rain
18th Nov 1914 13th London Relieve 2nd Berkshires
18th November 1914 Ice
19th Nov 1914 First Casualties for 13th Londons
19th November 1914 In the Trenches
20th Nov 1914 Snipers Pose Threat
20th November 1914 Guard Duty
21st Nov 1914 Reliefs
21st November 1914 First Aid Post
22nd Nov 1914 Snipers Active
22nd November 1914 Chickens
23rd Nov 1914 Weather Bad
23rd November 1914 Rations
24th Nov 1914 Under Shellfire
24th November 1914 First Aid Post
25th Nov 1914 Repairs
25th November 1914 Relief Complete
26th Nov 1914 Quiet Day
26th November 1914 At Rest
27th Nov 1914 Reliefs
27th November 1914 Reliefs
28th Nov 1914 All Quiet
28th November 1914 In the Trenches
29th Nov 1914 Under Shellfire
29th November 1914 Shelling
30th Nov 1914 Heavy Rain
30th November 1914 In the Trenches
1st Dec 1914 The King's Visit
1st December 1914 Guard Duty
2nd Dec 1914 Very Wet Day
2nd December 1914 At Rest
3rd Dec 1914 Very Wet Day
3rd December 1914 Baths
4th Dec 1914 Snipers Active
4th December 1914 First Aid Post
5th Dec 1914 Very Wet Day
5th December 1914 Muddy
6th Dec 1914 Very Wet Day
6th December 1914 First Aid Post
7th Dec 1914 Snipers Active
7th December 1914 At Rest
8th Dec 1914 Snipers Active
8th December 1914 Wounded
9th Dec 1914 Rain incessant
9th December 1914 Mud
10th Dec 1914 Occassional Sniping
10th December 1914 First Aid Post
11th Dec 1914 Wet and Cold
11th December 1914 Rain
12th December 1914 Rain
13th Dec 1914 Occassional Sniping
13th December 1914 At Rest
14th Dec 1914 Changes in Trenches
15th Dec 1914 Reliefs
15th December 1914 Apples
16th Dec 1914 Artillery Shelling
16th December 1914 First Aid Post
17th Dec 1914 Under Shellfire
17th December 1914 In the Trenches
18th Dec 1914 23rd Brigade make Attack
18th December 1914 First Aid Post
19th Dec 1914 13th London Relieve Lincolns
19th December 1914 First Aid Post
20th Dec 1914 Heavy Firing
20th December 1914 On the March
21st Dec 1914 Trenches Bad
21st December 1914 In Billets
22nd Dec 1914 No Relief
22nd December 1914 In the Trenches
23rd Dec 1914 All Quiet
23rd December 1914 In the Trenches
24th Dec 1914 Carol Singing 
24th December 1914 At Rest
25th December 1914 Festivities
25th Dec 1914 Merry Christmas
26th Dec 1914 Much Work Done
26th December 1914 Reliefs
27th Dec 1914 Truce Continues
27th December 1914 In the Trenches
28th Dec 1914 Snipers Active
28th December 1914 First Aid Post
29th Dec 1914 Very Wet Day
29th December 1914 First Aid Post
30th Dec 1914 Fire Trench Abandoned
30th December 1914 At Rest
31st Dec 1914 Slow Progress
31st December 1914 At Rest
1st January 1915 First Aid Post
2nd January 1915 First Aid Post
3rd Jan 1915 Box Drains
3rd January 1915 In the Trenches
4th January 1915 First Aid Post
5th January 1915 At Rest
6th January 1915 At Rest
7th January 1915 Reliefs
8th January 1915 In the Trenches
9th January 1915 In the Trenches
10th January 1915 In the Trenches
11th January 1915 In Billets
12th Jan 1915 Trench Work
12th January 1915 Baths
13th January 1914 Reliefs
14th Jan 1915 Few Enemy
14th January 1915 Rain
15th January 1915 First Aid Post
16th January 1915 In Billets
17th January 1915 In Billets
18th January 1915 Reliefs
19th January 1915 In the Trenches
20th January 1915 First Aid Post
21st January 1915 In Billets
22nd January 1915 In Billets
23rd January 1915 In Billets
24th January 1915 In Billets
25th January 1915 In the Trenches
26th January 1915 In the Trenches
27th January 1915 In the Trenches
28th January 1915 In Billets
29th January 1915 In Billets
30th January 1915 In Billets
1st February 1915 In the Trenches
2nd Feb 1915 Prisoner Taken
2nd February 1915 In the Trenches
3rd Feb 1915 Shortage of Sandbags
3rd February 1915 In the Trenches
4th February 1915 In Billets
5th February 1915 Baths
6th February 1915 In the Trenches
8th Feb 1915 Stormy
18th Feb 1915 Sniping and Shelling
20th Feb 1915 Artillery Duel
22nd Feb 1915 Sniping and Artillery Duel
23rd February 1915 In the Trenches
24th February 1915 In the Trenches
31st February 1915 In the Trenches
1st March 1915 In Billets
2nd March 1915 At Rest
3rd Mar 1915 Physical Drill
3rd March 1915 At Rest
4th March 1915 Working Parties
5th March 1915 Working Parties
6th March 1915 Working Parties
7th Mar 1915 13th Londons on the March
7th Mar 1915 On the March
8th March 1915 Working Parties
9th Mar 1915 13th Londons on the March
9th Mar 1915 Nominal Roll of 13th London Regiment
9th March 1915 Working Parties
10th Mar 1915 13th Londons in Action
10th March 1915 In Support
11th Mar 1915 13th Londons in Action
11th March 1915 Bombardment
12th March 1915 Shelling
13th Mar 1915 Intense Bombardment
13th March 1915 Shelling
14th March 1915 Shelling
15th March 1915 Poor Conditions
16th March 1915 Reliefs
17th March 1915 Dug outs
18th March 1915 Dug outs
19th March 1915 Very Cold
20th March 1915 Snow
21st March 1915 Reliefs
22nd March 1915 At Rest
23rd Mar 1915 Trenches Very Wet
23rd March 1915 At Rest
24th March 1915 On the March
25th Mar 1915 13th Londons on the Move
25th March 1915. In Billets
26th March 1915 On the March
27th Mar 1915 Cleaning Up
27th March 1915 On the March
28th March 1915 Working Parties
29th March 1915 Working Parties
30th Mar 1915 Platoon Training
30th March 1915 At Rest
31st Mar 1915 Training & Route March
31st March 1915 At Rest
1st Apr 1915 Into the Trenches
1st April 1915 In the Trenches
2nd April 1915 Dug outs
3rd Apr 1915 Very Wet Day
4th Apr 1915 1st Londons relieve 13th Londons
4th April 1915 On the March
5th April 1915 Shelling
6th Apr 1915 Training
6th April 1915 Shelling
7th Apr 1915 13th Londons relieve 1st Londons
7th April 1915 Reliefs
8th April 1915 First Aid Post
9th April 1915 First Aid Post
10th Apr 1915 Thunderstorms
10th April 1915 In the Trenches
11th Apr 1915 Church Parade
11th April 1915 Shelling
12th April 1915 New Billets
13th Apr 1915 Training
13th April 1915 At Rest
14th Apr 1915 Training
14th April 1915 In Billets
15th Apr 1915 Training & Working Parties
15th April 1915 In Billets
16th Apr 1915 Route March & Tactics
16th April 1915 In Billets
17th Apr 1915 13th Londons Inspected
17th April 1915 Fire
18th April 1915 Reliefs
19th Apr 1915 Alarm Signal
20th Apr 1915 13th Londons Giving Instruction
21st Apr 1915 1st Londons relieve 13th Londons
21st April 1915 In Billets
22nd Apr 1915 Reconnaissance
22nd April 1915 In Billets
23rd Apr 1915 Training
23rd April 1915 In Billets
24th April 1915 Reliefs
25th Apr 1915 Enemy Shelling
25th April 1915 First Aid Post
26th Apr 1915 Enemy Shelling
26th April 1915 First Aid Post
27th April 1915 At Rest
28th April 1915 On the March
29th April 1915 Concert
30th April 1915 Reliefs
1st May 1915 Music
2nd May 1915 In the Trenches
3rd May 1915 Very Hot
3rd May 1915 On the March
5th May 1915 13th Londons on the Move
5th May 1915 On the March
6th May 1915 Hot Day
6th May 1915 At Rest
7th May 1915 Ready for Action
7th May 1915 At Rest
8th May 1915 In the Trenches
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: The Northern pincer 2.30am: all units in the North report that they are in position, having assembled at night.
4.06am: sunrise and all very quiet on this front.
5.00am: British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German wire and howitzers firing High Explosive shells onto front line. Many reports are received that British 4.7-inch shells are falling short, and even on and behind the British front line (Later it is agreed that this is due to faulty ammunition, as well as excessive wear to gun barrels).
5.30am: British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to HE and also fire at breastworks. Two guns of 104th Battery, XXII Brigade RFA had been brought up into the 24th Brigade front and they now opened fire at point blank range against the enemy breastworks; they blow several gaps, although one of the guns is inaccurate due to the unstable ground on which it is located. The lead battalions of the two assaulting Brigades of 8th Division (24th Brigade has 2/Northants and 2/East Lancashire in front; 25th Brigade has 2/Rifle Brigade, 1/Royal Irish Rifles and 1/13 London Regiment (Kensingtons)) move out into the narrow No Man's Land (in this area it is only 100-200 yards across). German bayonets can be seen behind their parapet.
5.40am: On the further advance the 2nd East Lancs are hit by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire by the time they had progressed thirty yards from their own trench; the 2nd Northants, coming up ten minutes later, were similarly hit, but a party got through one of the gaps blown by the field guns, and into the German front trench. The attack of 25th Brigade is much more successful: the wire on the left had been well-cut and the infantry poured through, crossing the almost-undamaged breastworks and into the German fire trenches. They moved onto the first objective (a bend
in the Fromelles road), and the Rifle Brigade bombers extended the trench system they occupied to 250 yards broad. On the blowing of the two mines at 5.40am, the lead companies of the Kensingtons rushed to occupy the
craters, moved forward to capture Delangre Farm, and then formed a defensive flank as ordered.
6.10am: Brig.Gen. Oxley (24th Brigade) orders the support battalion, 1st Notts & Derbys, to support the attack of the Lancashires, but they are also held up with high losses, at almost unbroken wire. The front and communication trenches are by now very crowded and chaotic; German shelling adds to confusion. By now, the fire across No Man's Land was so intense that forward movement was all but impossible. The support battalion of the 25th Brigade, the 2nd Lincolns, was ordered forward, to cross by the craters; they did so, despite losing many men on the way. Men of the Brigade were at this time seen to be retiring to their front line, having apparently received a shouted order. German prisoners, making their way to the British lines, were mistaken for a counterattack and there was a great deal of confusion. Brig.Gen Lowry Cole, CO 25th Brigade, was mortally wounded when standing on the British parapet in an attempt to restore order.
8.30am: the attack had established three small lodgements in the enemy positions, but they were not in contact with each other and were under tremendous pressure. Otherwise the attack had come to a standstill and all movement into or out of the trench system had become impossible. The men in the German positions were cut off.
8.45am and again at 11.45am: Haig orders Rawlinson (CO, IV Corps) to vigorously press home the attack.
1.30pm: A renewed attack with 2nd Queens of 22nd Brigade in support, did not take place as the troops were heavily shelled in the assembly areas and many casualties were suffered even before the original support lines had been reached. Major-General Gough (CO, 7th Division, whose 21st Brigade had now also been ordered forward by Haig) reported that after a personal reconnaissance he was certain that forward movement was at the present time impossible.
5.00pm: General Haig, hearing of the continued failure of the Southern attack and the hold-up after initial success of the Northern attack, orders a bayonet attack at dusk, 8.00pm.
2nd Battalion Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: Evening and Night 2nd Battalion Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
6.00pm: such chaos in the trench system and on the roads and tracks leading to it that it becomes clear that fresh units will not be ready for the 8pm attack. Haig cancels the attack and rides to Indian Corps HQ at Lestrem, to meet with all Corps commanders to consider the next moves.
7.30pm: the meeting breaks up having decided to renew the attack next day, taking advantage of night to reorganise. Efforts were made throughout the evening to reinforce the small garrisons of the lodgements in the enemy trenches. 26 men of the 2/Northants, of which 10 were wounded, returned to the British front.
2.30am 10 May: the 200 or so surviving Rifle Brigade and Royal Irish Rifles were withdrawn from their position, all efforts to reinforce them having been repulsed.
3.00am 10 May: the last few Kensingtons also returned from their position; all British troops were now out of the German lines. Around this time, First Army HQ, having by now got a good picture of the losses, failures and general conditions, called a Commanders conference for 9.00am, to take place at I Corps HQ on the Locon road, some 1.5 miles from Bethune.
9.00am 10 May: the Army and Corps commanders and staffs in attendance learned that there was insufficient artillery ammunition to continue two attacks. (The Secretary of State for War, Kitchener, had also just ordered a considerable portion of existing stocks to be sent to the Dardanelles); for example there were only some 3,000 18-lbr rounds left, and some of that was way behind the firing positions. They also heard that the 4.7-inch ammunition that had caused problems on IV Corps front was too defective for further use and that the fuzes on 15-inch heavy rounds were also defective and the shells simply did not burst on hitting the wet ground. All further orders for renewing the attack were cancelled at 1.20pm; the views of the conference were transmitted to GHQ. 7th
Division was ordered to move from it's position north of Neuve Chapelle to the south of it, with a view to strengthening a future offensive there.
British casualties from the 9 May attacks continued to move through the Field Ambulances for at least three days after the attack.
More than 11,000 British casualties were sustained on 9 May 1915, the vast majority within yards of their own front-line trench. Mile for mile, Division for Division, this was one of the highest rates of loss during the entire war.
There is no memorial to the attack at Aubers Ridge.
9th May 1915 13th Londons in Action
9th May 1915 Into Battle
9th May 1915 Attack Mase
10th May 1915 In Hospital
11th May 1915 13th Londons in Billets
13th May 1915 13th Londons in Billets
19th May 1915 13th Londons leave Division
20th May 1915 13th Londons on the March
21st May 1915 On the Move
22nd May 1915 Composite to be formed
23rd May 1915 Church Parade
24th May 1915 Inspection
25th May 1915 Inspection & Presparations
26th May 1915 Training & Presparations
29th May 1915 News from Prisoners
30th May 1915 Detachments Entrain
31st May 1915 Kensingtons Depart
7th October 1915 Travelling
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
14th December 1914 In Billets
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
18th Aug 1916 On the March
19th Aug 1916 Reliefs
4th of September 1916 Units Mixed Up
6th of September 1916 Wood Cleared
2nd February 1917 Reliefs
7th Apr 1917 Reliefs
17th Aug 1917 Reliefs
8th May 1918 13th Londons near Arras The 13th Battalion London Regiment are around Neuville Vitasse, outside Arras.
5th Nov 1918 In Action
6th Nov 1918 In Action
7th Nov 1918 Reliefs
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with13th (Kensington) Battalion, London Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Allcroft Frank Charles. Cpl. (d.6th Nov 1918)
- Bateman Harold. Pte. (d.1st Sep 1918)
- Bent Frederick George. Pte. (d.10th August 1916)
- Breeden Henry Charles. Pte. (d.19th Jan 1917)
- Clarke Charles Arthur. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Cousins John. Sgt
- Dickson William James. Cpl.
- Dickson William James. Cpl.
- Elder David. Pte.
- Fry J.. Rfm. (d.12th Nov 1918)
- Heden Alfred Howard. Sgt. (d.25th July 1915)
- Hinde William Montague. Pte.
- Holmes Ernest George. Sgt. (d.4th August 1916)
- Jarvis Charles. Pte. (d.23rd Aug 1918)
- Kirkum Bertie.
- Lander Val Penruddock Oram . L/Cpl. (d.9th May 1915)
- Lester MC Albert Edward. 2nd Lt. (d.8th May 1918)
- Macey Vernon Harold. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- Marsh W.. Sgt.
- McAuliffe Patrick Francis.
- McEntee Henry Daniel. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Norton James. Pte. (d.17th Nov 1916)
- Pattenden Thomas. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Pedder Richard Edward Alfred. L/Cpl. (d.9th May 1915)
- Phillips Ivor Christmas. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Robinson Gerald W . Pte. (d.9th April 1917)
- Rogers George. Pte (d.2nd Jul 1916)
- Rowe Horace Bartlett. L/Cpl. (d.21st May 1917)
- Smith Harry. Pte.
- Tulett Montague James. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Vincent Seymour Livingston. Capt.
- Warner John Verney. Pte. (d.11th Mar 1915)
- Woolley Frederick George. Pte.
All 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 13th (Kensington) Battalion, London Regiment from other sources.
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Sgt. Alfred Howard Heden 13th (Kensington) Btn. C Coy. London Regiment (d.25th July 1915) Alfred Heden served with the 13th Battalion London Regiment in WW1. He joined the UK Territorial Force in 1911 while still in education and became a clerk in civilian life. War broke out while he was his on summer training camp and he volunteered for active service.
He trained at Abbots Langley and then went to France from Southampton on 3rd of November 1914. He saw action at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and on 9th of May 1915, at Aubers Ridge, he was seen to fall, shot through the lungs.
He was reported killed in action on this day but, in fact, he had been taken prisoner, alive but wounded. His family learnt of this nearly 2 months later when they received a letter from him to say that he was still alive but wounded and a POW. Tragically he died of his wounds whilst in captivity on the 25th July 1915, a short time after his family received the letter, at the age of just 20. He is buried in Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery.
in France. Son of Alfred and Hannah Heden of 11 Grove Rd., Barnes, London.
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Pte. Vernon Harold Macey 1/13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment (d.1st Jul 1916) Harold Macey was born in Wales, his parents moved to London circa 1900.
His father also enlisted for WW1.
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Pte. Montague James Tulett 13th (Kensington) Btn London Regiment (d.9th May 1915) In evaluation of our family history, it is noted that Montague Tulett was my grandmother's first husband and without he is death we would not exist. Very little is known about him or any relatives that relate to that side of the family. However, while doing other research I feel it is only appropriate that he is remembered.
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Pte. Harry Smith 13th Btn. London Regiment Harry Smith was born in Battersea on 21st Jan 1897.
Harry enlisted on 4th Jan 1915 and was wounded and awarded Silver War Badge number 127794and was demobed on 28th Sep 1917. He was living in 1939 in Richmond Rd, Wimbledon 1939. His death date is unknown. He was the younger brother of William Smith who served with the RFA & RE 1914-18.
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Pte. Frederick George Woolley 13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment Fred Woolleyis my great uncle who fought at Mons. I understand his bandolier blew up and he was invalided home. I have his letters to his mother dutifully censored.
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Pte. Gerald W Robinson 13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment (d.9th April 1917) Private Gerald W Robinson, lived in Ampthill and enlisted in Southampton. Initially served with 12th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (service no.23436) then with the 13th (County of London) Battalion, (Princess Louises Kensington Battalion), London Regiment (service no.493900). He was killed in action on 9th April 1917 in France and Flanders and is buried in London Cemetery, France. He is remembered on both The War Memorial and The Alamada, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Pte. Thomas Pattenden 13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment (d.9th May 1915) Thomas Pattenden was my great gramma's brother. He lived in Seven Oaks, Kent. I have not any pics of him but would love some, anyone with relatives from this regiment have photos?
He was lost at war.
My grannie immigrated to Canada and married at Eaton.
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Capt. Seymour Livingston Vincent 168th Company Machine Gun Corps 2nd Lt Seymour Vincent, originally of the 1/13th London Regiment (Kensingtons) was evacuated from Le Havre on 5th July 1916 suffering from shell shock and shrapnel wounds to the right foot and left arm. He returned to France in May 1917 and served in Salonika with the 82nd Company, Machine Gun Corps.
He was was born in 1890 and lived in Loughton, Essex.
He was seconded to the 168th Machine Gun Company on 16th March 1916. He died in strange circumstances in May 1921. He had been transferred to the 2nd Brigade, RFA, in December 1920 and had been serving at Fermoy in County Cork. He had applied for a transfer to the Army Educational Corps, before the war he was a teacher, and had then asked to resign his commission. He then disappeared without trace on 23rd May 1921. It was not until an anonymous letter was sent to the British Government in June 1924 containing details of the burial of a British officer in Lenihans Bog, Glenville, Co. Cork, that further investigations took place.
At the time of his disappearance the Colonel commanding the 16th Infantry Brigade based at Fermoy basically accused Vincent of lying about his intentions of going on leave but, within a week, another report, regretting several errors in the first, was issued which noted that Vincent had appeared somewhat disorientated before going on (approved) leave. It went on to report that five days after he left, three members of the 2nd Brigade of the IRA raided Fermoy Station and, breaking into the office there, had stolen various items from Vincents luggage, including a service revolver. Although the Royal Irish Constabulary were informed nothing was ever discovered about his whereabouts. It is thought that he, and possibly another man, were murdered by the IRA and buried at Lenihans Bog. Vincents body was later re-interred in Glenville Church of Ireland, Glenville, Co. Cork.
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L/Cpl. Horace Bartlett Rowe 13th Kensington London Regiment (d.21st May 1917) Horrie Rowe was wounded at the Battle of Arras in April 1917 (the First Battle of the Scarpe), dying of wounds on 21st of May 1917 he is buried at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, Pas de Calais.
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Cpl. Frank Charles Allcroft 13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment (d.6th Nov 1918) My Great Uncle Frank Allcroft, enlisted 1st Btn London Regiment in November 1914. He was with the London Regiment throughout and was killed in action in Angre, Belguim on 6th of November 1918. This was the units last day on the front line before the war ended.
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Bertie "Nugget" Kirkum 13th Btn. London Regiment Granddad, Bertie Kirkum, did not speak about the war, apart from one story about when he was wounded. He showed us the scars on his arm where a bullet had entered one arm, came out the other side and lodged in his other arm. I have often wondered how this happened, but can only assume that it was on the Somme and with the German machine gunners firing across the line of advance rather than directly straight at the oncoming troops. Therefore with his rifle in hand, left on the barrel and right on the trigger, he was hit. He never did tell us anything else, understandably.
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Pte. Henry Daniel McEntee 13th Btn. London Regiment (d.9th May 1915) Henry McEntee died in the Battle of Aubers Ridge aged 23. He was the son of Daniel McEntee, carpenter to the Royal Family, and was born and lived in Carpenter's Cottage, Kensington Palace, London, of Irish and German parents. His two other brothers fighting in WWI survived.
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2nd Lt. Albert Edward Lester MC 13th Btn. London Regiment (d.8th May 1918) My great uncle 2nd Lt Albert Edward Lester was killed in action near Neuville Vitasse on 8th May 1918 and awarded the military cross. His medal record has him first serving in Egypt from August 1915.
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Patrick Francis McAuliffe 23rd Btn. C Company. London Regiment My great grandfather Pat McAuliffe joined up probably in the first week of July 1914, certainly no later than 6th July. His original service number was 700279. He was in C Company when 1/23rd went to France in March 1915. His date of leaving France on 28th May 1915 would indicate very strongly that he was wounded on 25th/26th May at Givenchy, most of the 'lucky' casualties who made it back to UK appear to have left around that date. He may have been held back in UK for longer than it took him to recover from his wound, as he would have been only 17 in 1915.
After his recovery he is sent in a draft to 2/21st London in Salonika, even though he has a six digit 23rd London number. He wouldn't have had to change his number when transferred as 21st London were of the same corps (East Surreys) as 23rd London, but would have been issued it in Jan/Feb 1917.
He remains with 2/21st when they move to Egypt and on the reduction of 2/21st on 3rd June 1918 he's part of the draft that goes to 2/13th London (other drafts went to 2/19th and 2/22nd) and gets his number changed to 494569 He probably has some form of medical downgrade when with 2/13th which leads to his transfer to 21st Rifle Brigade, another number change, 212896 and ultimately his garrisoning of India until some time in mid 1919 when those battalions of the Rifle Brigade seem to have returned home.
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Pte. David Elder 1/13th Btn. London Regiment My Nana had 2 brothers who served during the WW1. One was missing in action and the other was killed in action. Unfortunately, since her death the box she kept their photos in and memorabilia has gone missing. I now only have one medal with David Elders details around the edge.
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Pte. Henry Charles Breeden 13th (Kensington) Battalion London Regiment (d.19th Jan 1917) My great uncle Henry Breeden came from a large family from Leytonstone in Essex. He was part of the family business before the First World War working as a cricket bat maker. The family had a sports shop on Leyton High Road.
Henry was serving in the 13th Kensington Battalion London Regiment, when he was killed in action in France on the 19th January 1917. He is buried in Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, La Gorgue, Northern France.
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Pte. John Verney Warner 13th (Kensington) Btn. London Regiment (d.11th Mar 1915) Jack Warner is remembered at Neuve-Chappelle Farm Cemetery.
At the time of his death, his Battalion were part of 25th Brigade, 8th Division which, between 10th and 13th March 1915, were involved in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
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Pte. Harold Bateman 1st/13th Btn. (Kensington) London Regiment (d.1st Sep 1918) My Great Uncle, Harold Bateman was only 18 years old when he was killed in action and I understand that my Great Grand Mother's hair turned white overnight when she heard the news - a younger brother was then named after him. He is commemorated at the Vis-en-Artois Memorial panel 10.
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Cpl. William James Dickson 13th London Regiment My Grandfather, William Dickson was a Drummer Stretcher Bearer, he left England for France on the 3rd of November 1914. He saw service at Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, the Somme, Guillemont, Ginchy, Arras, Ypres and Cambrai. He was wounded on 3 separate occasions, being hospitalised in England and then returned to the front. Tuesday December 1st he was part of the guard of honour at EStaires to the King and the Prince of Wales. At the time of the unofficial Christmas truce in 1914, he was not in the front line, being in reserve he missed that. Sunday 14th of March 1915, as he was loading an ambulance wagon,a German shell went through it cutting one man in half and rewounding the others,he notes in his diary that, the driver and horses were unharmed. This was Neuve Chapelle. April Saturday 17th during an inspection by General Sir John French , a billet burst down, as they were all on parade no body was blamed. During the attack on the Aubers Ridge, May Tuesday 9th he was wounded in the arm, and was visited by Mr Churchill in the Hospital at Merville. Monday 17th March 1916 he is made up to Lance Corporal.He was with Major Cedric Dickens, Chales Dickens Grandson near Hebuterne, after the attack on Saturday July 1st ,from 2 companies of men only Major Dickens and 13 men were left. He was at Angle Wood when tanks were first used in an attack, which he says in his diary was a disaster. December 1916 he is made a full Corporal, on Monday the 4th. His diary goes on until September 4th 1917 when he leaves the diary at home while on leave. We have no record as to when he went back to France, but by the 12th December 1917 he is sent home again wounded. His military papers show him being discharged on May 4th 1918 as no longer fit for military service. He passed away peacefully in 1963 aged 74, a wonderful old gentleman. We Will Remember Them.
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Cpl. William James Dickson 13th Btn. London Regiment I have in my possession my Grandfather's diary of the 13th London Regiment, his name was William Dickson and he served from November 3rd 1914 to Sept 4th 1917. It's a day to day record of his war, still quite legible but in a fragile condition.
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