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Those known to have served with 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (Queens Own) during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Adcock William Alfred. Pte.
- Barnes Douglas Frank. L/Cpl. (d.6th July 1944)
- Bray Frank WIlliam. Staff Sgt.
- Cramp Henry Leslie. Pte.
- Dixon Thomas McFarlane. L/Cpl.
- Harris Richard. Sgt.
- Hudson Henry Francis. Pte. (d.13th Jan 1942)
- Hudson Henry Francis. Pte. (d.13th January 1942)
- King Percy Frederick George. Pte.
- Phillips Howard. L/Sgt. (d.14th Dec 1944)
- Phillips Howard. L/Sgt. (d.14th Dec 1944)
- Wallace Harry Charles. Pte.
- Waters Percy Cyril. Pte.
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 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (Queens Own) from other sources.
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Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (Queens Own)? There are:1411 items tagged 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (Queens Own) 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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Pte. Henry Leslie Cramp 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment My father, Henry Cramp was part of the BEF that left for France in 1939. As far as I know, he was captured in Belgium and spent the rest of the war as a POW in Stalag 344 Lamsdorf (his POW Number was 12087). I would really love to know more about the Regiment in those early days of the war. I would love to know where he was captured and if possible find photos.
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L/Cpl. Thomas McFarlane Dixon 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment My dad Tom Dixon was in the Territorial Army before the war so was called up in September 1939.
He was on the ship to go to France as part of the Expedition Force but was called off it as he was not yet 18 years old.
He later served in Sicily, Italy and Greece.
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Sgt. Richard "Brummie" Harris 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment Richard Harris was an air raid shelter fitter and builder. He was only allowed to be called up once he completed all the installations. He was rumoured to have saved a person's life as he fitted the air raid shelter at the guys home. The siren went off and his family came in to take cover only to be surprised because their air raid shelter had leaked and filled with water. Consequently the young guy got pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital and couldn't be called up. Once Richard was home after the war, the young guy came to thank him for saving him.Richard served with the 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment in WW2. He was in Italy where he was sitting on a step where they were staying. He heard someone whistling and was quoted to have said "if I was in way Bromwich I'd swear that was ar kid." Low and behold it was his brother he hadn't seen in months.
His brother was Gunner James Harris.
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Pte. Percy Cyril Waters 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment Percy Waters was injured on 29th of June 1944 by shrapnel in his leg and chest, he was taken to Gibralter and then flown home.
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Staff Sgt. Frank WIlliam "Tiny" Bray 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment Frank 252218 was regular army before 1939, recalled from the Reserve a short period before embarkation to Belgium. He was in action, on the front line listening post forward of Petergem in May. Frank was captured while the battalion withdrew and was force marched to Stalag XXA in Poland. He was shot at for trying to retrieve a potato on the journey. The polish camp was a fort complex. Frank said that a number died on the way or by suicide at the fort. Later, he was transferred to Stalag 383, Hohenfels, Bavaria, POW No. 5429. His daily job included taking a cart to collect supplies from the local town, guarded by a German veteran. He sent letters and postcards to Elsie, his wife during this time, He remained at the camp until American forces arrived and the war in Europe ended.
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L/Cpl. Douglas Frank Barnes 1st Btn. West Kent Regiment (d.6th July 1944) Douglas Barnes was in a reserved occupation but because his cousin and best friend enlisted he wanted to do the same and hoped to be posted to the same regiment. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Sadly, Douglas was killed after the surrender of Italy and is buried in the Commonwealth War Grave at Arezzo, Italy. His unit was attacked by a German unit who did not know that Italy had surrendered.
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Pte. William Alfred Adcock 1st Btn. Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment My Dad, Bill Adcock told me about his time in the BEF in France when they were over run by the Germans. He recounted that a small group of them were affecting the run trying to evade capture from the Germans after the fall of France. With no map reading skills, they managed to make their way over a number of days on foot to Cherbourg and escape back to England. This apparently was after the evacuation of Dunkirk.
He recounted that on one occasion they were trapped in a barn and surrounded by the enemy. My Dad asked what the date was and told it was the 29th of May to which my Dad said that it was his 21st Birthday
The reply came back from his comrade that he would be lucky to see 22 !!!
My Dad was born in 1919 so it must have been the 29th May 1940!
Their small group escaped in the end through the French countryside to Cherbourg where they were evacuated back to England.
He later survived the fighting during the Normandy landings, Holland and Germany.
He never really spoke about his experiences until well into his 60s but was immensely proud and looked forward to Regimental reunions in Maidstone, when as a teenager I used to accompany him all through the 70s.
He showed us the craters and dishing left to the lower part of his leg caused by machine gun bullets he was hit by.
We found after he passed away in 1994 that he had also served with the 4th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment in Normandy Holland and France. He was one of a few I guess that survived the fall of France and went back to help liberate France.
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L/Sgt. Howard Phillips 1st Btn. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (d.14th Dec 1944) Howard Phillips was born in 1923 to William and Elizabeth Phillips at Altarnun. He served with the 1st Battalion as a Lance Corporal. He was later promoted to Lance Serjeant. He died on 14th December 1944 of his wounds sustained whilst fighting in Italy after being in hospital in Liverpool and is buried at St. Nonnas Church, Altarnun.
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L/Sgt. Howard Phillips 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment (d.14th Dec 1944) I came over L/Sgj Phillips' name on the Altarnun War Memorial. The only information that I have is that he died here in Cornwall and is buried in Altarnun (St Donna) Churchyard and that he was only 21 years old. I am compliling an ebook about all the war memorials in Cornwall.
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Pte. Percy Frederick George King 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment My dad, Percy King, known as Fred King, was captured at Dunkirk. He was part of the rear guard holding up the German advance so more soldiers could get off
back to Blighty. He was taken to Stalag 13. He made friends with a Polish man called Konrad Kowalski and wrote to each other after the
war. He, like many of that time, did not want to speak of all the horrors that I imagine went on. When asked he just said "You don't want to know" but, he did say all he had to eat was
one slice of dried bread a day a cup of watery soup a week to live on hence he came home bones wrapped in skin.
He spent 5 years as a POW liberated in 1945. It was hard times in the POW camp was all he would say.
He was six foot tall 'till he came home then he looked more like four foot tall. It must have been hell in those dark days.
I'm only glad that I did not have to go through anything like that. I feel for all those POW's that spent time in that place
and more so for the ones that died there. God rest their souls and all to those who came back as well.
If there are any relatives of Konrad Kowalski, a son or daughter or grandchild of Konrad's please get in touch, I would love to hear of anything you may have to offer i am trying to piece together my dad's life as he died in 1968 not leaving me much to go on you can get in touch on this site.
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