Victor Albert Loos Kenney, aged 29, died on 14 October 1944 in the Battle of Overloon. He was a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment (Service No. 5882412). He was initially buried at Vogelsangs Farm and subsequently re-interred on 15 July, 1946 in grave I. B. 13 at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

Early Life

Victor’s parents are believed to have been Elvira Elizabeth Ann Hines and Alfred Kenney who married in Wotton Underwood, near Aylesbury, Bucks. on 5 August 1905. At the time, Elvira was living in Wotton Underwood. She claimed she was 19 but was actually only 18. Alfred was living at Ham Green which is just a mile or two to the north, near Kingswood. He claimed he was 27, though he was actually 29. Alfred was working as a labourer.
 
Elvira Hines had been born on 24 February, 1887 in Wotton Underwood. Alfred Kenney is thought to have been born in 1875 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
 
Alfred and Elvira had 4 children between 1906 and 1911, though two died in infancy: Thomas Richard in 1906 in the Aylesbury district who died the same year; another Thomas born in 1907 in Henley in Warwickshire; an unnamed female child who was born and died in 1908 in King’s Norton, Warwickshire and Elvira Melina who was born in February 1910 in King’s Norton.
 
In 1911 Alfred and Elvira Kenney were living at 10 Blenheim Place, Moseley, King’s Norton, Worcestershire. Alfred was working as a Labourer. With them were their surviving children, Thomas and Elvira Melina. Another child, Annie, was born on 27 October 1912 in Rugby, Warwickshire.
 
An Alfred Kenney was awarded medals for military service in 1914 to 1920. He appears to have served as a Private in both the Northamptonshire and Essex Regiments and latterly the Royal Engineers. It is likely that this was Elvira Kenney’s husband.
 
Information passed down in the family indicates that Elvira left Alfred Kenney while she was pregnant with Victor, taking her two daughters with her but leaving her son Thomas with his father. It is understood from the same source that Thomas Pell, with whom Elvira went to live as his Common Law wife, had been a “drinking mate” of her husband’s.
 
Victor was born on 14 October, 1915 at 13 Clarence Road, New Bilton, Rugby, although his forenames were given as Albert Victor Loos rather than Victor Albert Loos. The Battle of Loos ended around 16 October 1915 so his mother may have chosen to include the names Victor and Loos in his name for this reason. However, his birth record is rather odd in several respects. Originally it showed his father as being “Thomas Kenney” rather than Alfred Kenney and his mother as “Elvira Elizabeth Ann Kenney, formerly Hines a Charwoman”. Several official amendments were then made at a later date. The father’s name was removed completely and his mother’s name was altered to read “Elvria Elizabeth Ann Hines a Charwoman”. It isn’t certain who it was who requested these changes and it leaves a degree of uncertainty regarding who Victor’s father really was.
 
By June 1921, it is clear that Elvira Kenney had indeed parted from her husband, Alfred Kenney, though she was still shown as married. She was living in the household of Eliza Pell, a widow aged 75, at 3, Adelaide Place, Northampton. Elvira was shown as aged 33. She was not employed outside the home. Eliza Pell’s 26 year old grandson, Thomas Pell, was also present (so born c1895) and was described as single and a Florist. With Elvira were her children Elvira, Annie, Victor and John, but not her eldest child, Thomas. John was only born on 12 April 1921 in Northampton, though no birth record has been found for him. It is believed that John was the child of Elvira Kenney and Thomas Pell. Elvira and the children all had the surname “Kenny” and were all described as boarders. The records for all the children indicate that both parents were alive, but clearly Alfred wasn’t with his wife.
 
In 1921 Alf Kenney was found living in a caravan c/o Walter Fryer, Wharf Road, King’s Norton, Smethwick, Worcestershire. He was working as a General Labourer – On Grounds – at King’s Norton Golf Course. His age was given as 47 though he would actually only have been 45. With him was his son Tom aged 14, born in Henley in Arden and working as an Apprentice Wheelwright at Shepherds’ Blacksmith’s Waggon Builder in Kings Norton. Alf’s marital status is given as “Parted”.
 
Eliza Pell’s husband had been a butcher who had died by 1921. Thomas Pell was one of three children whom her daughter Florence probably had with Thomas Boyles, with whom she was living in 1901 but who had died by 1908. Thomas was the eldest of the three, born in 1894. He applied to join the territorial force of the Northamptonshire Regiment on 26 October 1914. However, he was discharged two months later on 15 December 1914 as being “unlikely to make an efficient soldier”. His mother’s name was given as Florence Pell.
 
There are a series of newspaper articles in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo from 1922 to 1931 which involve Thomas Pell, alias Kenny, but described as Thomas Kenney, alias Pell in the later ones. In each case he was in trouble with the law. They include cases of him begging and stealing and being drunk and disorderly. In March 1928 he was accused of failing to send his child, John Thomas Kenney, regularly to school, though the case was adjourned for 4 weeks as the child had been attending more regularly in the interim. In June 1929 he was summoned for failing to send John Thomas and Victor to school regularly. The first case was adjourned and he was fined 5s for the second. In August that year he was summoned for habitually neglecting to provide efficient elementary education for John Thomas Kenney, but again it was adjourned for 10 weeks. Finally in 1931, he was again summoned and fined 5s for failing to send John Kenney regularly to school. His mother was quoted as saying that he had been sick, but others reported that he was playing in the street.
 
Articles in 1923 and 1928 give Thomas’ age as 33 and 39 respectively, suggesting he was born in 1889/90 rather than 1894. The address given is 3 Adelaide Place, where, in 1921, he was living with his grandmother Eliza Pell, Elvira Kenney and her children. The articles from 1922 and 1923 describe Thomas as a blacksmith’s striker rather than a florist. In June 1929 he was described as Thomas Kenney, otherwise Pell, and had moved to 73 Kingsthorpe Road. In August that year he was shown as living at 1 Tanner Row where he still was in 1931.
 
Victor’s elder sister Elvira married Ernest E Jackson in 1928 and his younger sister Annie married Frederick J Hallett in 1931. As will be seen, Victor enlisted in the Territorial Army Reserve on 24 February 1931 by claiming to be much older than he was.
 
Thomas Pell’s mother, Eliza Pell, died in Northampton in 1937 aged 91. Although there are many death records for an Alfred Kenney born in the 1870s, one of the earlier ones was in Rugby in Q1 1937. It stated that he was aged 60.
 
It seems that Elvira Kenney (referred to as Elvina E N Kenney) went on to marry Thomas Pell in Q3 1939 in Northampton. There are no records to suggest that Elvira and Alfred were ever divorced. It may be that they had to wait until Alfred had died before contemplating marriage.
 
In September 1939, Elvira Pell was living at 10 Bath Square, Northampton. She was shown as married, but Thomas Pell wasn’t present. With her was her son, John Pell, working as a general labourer but out of work at the time.

Military Service

It seems that Victor first enlisted as a Private for 4 years in the Territorial Army Reserves on 24 February 1931 (Service No. 5882412). He gave his date of birth as 12 October 1913 instead of 14 October 1915, implying he was 17 years and 4 months old. He was described as being 5ft 4 ½ in tall, weighed 112lbs, had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was declared fit. His religion was Church of England. He gave his address as 1 Tanner Row, Northampton and named Thomas Kenney of that same address as his father and next of kin. This would be Thomas Pell. Victor gave his trade as the Boot and Shoe industry which was a major industry in Northampton. He was posted to the 4th Battalion on 28 February 1931 and attended the annual camp for 15 days from that day too.
 
He was discharged on 8 February 1932 as he joined the Regular Army (Northamptonshire Regiment) on the following day. He had served for 350 days in the reserves. He now stated that he was 18 when in fact he was only 16. He had grown as he was now 5ft 8in tall and weighed 116 lbs. He again gave Thomas as his father, still at 1 Tanner Row, Northampton. He was posted to the Depot on 15 February 1932. However, he was discharged on 9 June 1932 as he had made a mis-statement as to his age on enlistment. It was noted that his actual birth date was 14 October 1915. However, it was noted that his conduct had been good during his 121 days’ service with the colours and there had been no cases of drunkenness.
 
Victor re-enlisted as a Private at Northampton with the Northamptonshire Regiment on 16 April 1934, retaining his original Service Number. He signed up for 7 years in the colours and 5 in the Reserves. He now correctly stated that he was born on 14 October 1915 in Rugby, Northamptonshire and so was 18 at his last birthday. He had been working as a Leather Worker. Oddly, he was now described as only 5ft 6 ½ in tall and weighed 125lbs. He was now said to have grey eyes. He again named Thomas Kenney of 1 Tanner Row as his father and next of kin.
 
He was posted to the Depot of the Northamptonshire Regiment on 23 April 1934. He achieved level 3 in his Certificate of Education on 31 May 1934. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 27 September 1934. He achieved level 2 in his Certificate of Education on 28 March 1935.
 
He was posted to the 1st Battalion on 14 October 1935 and sent to India that same day where the Battalion had been stationed since 1932.
 
In December 1936 and again from March to December 1937 he was involved in the Waziristan Campaign. This comprised a number of operations in 1936–1939 conducted in Waziristan on the North West Frontier by the British Indian Army against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region. The operations were undertaken against followers of a tribal chief called Mirzali Khan who was also known by the British as the “Faqir of Ipi. He was a religious and political agitator who was spreading anti-British sentiment in the region and undermining the prestige of the Indian government in Waziristan at the time.
 
Victor was awarded the India General Service Medal (1936) which included the North West Frontier Clasp for 1936/37 which was awarded on 26 November 1938 and the North West Frontier Clasp for 1937-39 which was awarded in 1940.
 
On 31 March 1939 he reverted to being in the British Service, but still in India.
 
Victor was appointed to the rank of Acting Unpaid Lance Corporal on 23 March 1940 which was converted to a paid position on 28 November that year. However, he was deprived of his Lance Corporal’s stripe by his Commanding
Officer on 9 August 1941 but it is not known why.
 
In July 1942 the 1st Battalion became part of the 32nd Indian Infantry Brigade which was part of the 20th Indian Infantry Division. The Division initially trained in Southern India and Ceylon. It may be while training that Victor arrived in Ceylon (now Sril Lanka) on 4 July 1942. He was posted to an Xii list on 13 July, suggesting an injury or illness. He was posted back to the 1st Battalion on 6 August 1942.
 
On 14 November 1942 Victor was given 27 days’ detention for being absent without leave and forfeited 1 day’s pay. He was committed to No. 6 Military Prison in Colombo on 16 November.
 
In December 1942 the 20th Indian division joined Indian XV Corps at Ranchi in Bihar but from July 1943 it was transferred to IV Corps in Imphal in India where it fought in the Burma Campaign. The Japanese had invaded Burma in 1942, resulting in the expulsion of the British, Indian and Chinese forces. Failed attempts were made to mount offensives into Burma from late 1942 to early 1944.
 
Victor was given 72 hours’ detention for on 28 March 1943, probably for refusing to obey an order. He returned to duty on 1 April 1943.
 
In July 1943 he changed his next of kin from his father to his sister Mrs Jackson, at 38 Windy Ridge, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
 
On 12 July 1943 he was sent to IFTC Retreat. This may have been some form of Training Centre in India.
 
He was awarded the Burma Star for his time in the Burma Campaign.
 
He returned home from India on 9 September 1943 where he was posted to 3 Infantry Depot. He was sent to No. 14 Infantry Training Centre on 25 October 1943. He was then posted to the 4th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment on 28 February 1944.
 
It is noted that during the week ending 8 April 1944 he volunteered for exposure to a chemical warfare agent.
 
He was sent to 42 Reinforcement Holding Unit on 4 July 1944. He embarked for North West Europe on 18 July 1944 and assigned to 33 RHU two days later. On 23 July he was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, still as a Private.
 
The 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment had taken part in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. They had been involved in fighting north of Caen throughout June. During July they were involved in Operation Charnwood followed by Operation Goodwood, both of which resulted in large numbers of casualties. On 22 July they moved to a rest area at Escoville. This is where Victor will have joined them on 23 July.
 
They were back in action from 25 July carrying out recce patrols and will have seen action at La Lande on 6/7 August. On 9 August they went into the Brigade Reserve just east of Vire, astride the Vire to Vassy road. They moved from reserve to a defensive position near Burcy on 13 August. The following day, 50 personnel were able to see an ENSA party on 14 August which included George Formby. They moved to Landisacq on 16 August then near Flers on the 19th where they remained until 30 August. During his time, the Battalion wasn’t in contact with the enemy who were withdrawing to the River Seine and beyond. Reinforcements were received but the Battalion still remained below strength. Victor was appointed as an unpaid Lance Corporal on 26 August 1944.
 
On 3 September the Battalion had a long move of 150 miles out of Normandy to reach Hacqueville north of the Seine. They remained there until 16 September, spending their time training for what was to come and with some relaxation. On 16 September they moved a further 160 miles into Belgium, reaching Soignies which is north east of Mons. The War Diary states that “The civil population were very enthusiastic, particularly in the area of the Belgian frontier”. The advance continued the following day reaching Petit Brogel near the Dutch border. Here they, together with the 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles and 1st Battalion KOSB, faced the major challenge of crossing the Escaut Canal where all the bridges had been destroyed by the enemy. The crossing took place overnight on 18/19 September. It involved the use of assault boats and then bridges built by the Royal Engineers. This was completed successfully, but with a number of casualties from enemy fire.
 
On 20 September, the Battalion moved on to Achel then on to Hamont the following day where they remained until 25 September. They then moved to Deurne in the Netherlands which had been captured the previous day. They remained in Deurne until 29 September, protecting it from enemy based across a canal further to the east. The Battalion moved to Milheeze on 30 September to make room for U.S. Armoured Division which was moving up. 
 
On 1 October, the Battalion moved on to Haps with one company moving to Oeffelt the following day. The object here was to clear the area west of the Maas of small parties of the enemy.
 
The Allies had failed to take the bridge at Arnhem in Operation Market Garden so were left in a very precarious narrow salient through the Netherlands. It was the aim of Operation Aintree to widen this salient by heading south from Nijmegen to take Overloon and then Venray before finally eliminating a German bridgehead on the River Maas near Venlo.
 
The Battalion was ordered to move south to St Anthonis on 11 October, but this was postponed to the following day due to bad weather. The move was completed on 12 October and they then moved slightly further west the next day, though with one man killed and 3 wounded.
 
On the 14 October the plan was for B Company to be guided through a wood held by the Royal Ulster Rifles to its front edge from where they would carry out a recce to check if a stream was passable and if the north eastern corner of a wood to the south was held by the enemy. However, the guides were late and the move through the wood was slower than expected, so the recce did not take place. At 7.30am the Company began to advance south out of the wood. However, before the Company had advanced 100 yds the enemy opened fire from a track about another 100 yds ahead. The advance continued but came under such heavy fire with so many casualties that the Company Commander issued an order to retreat back to the Royal Ulster Rifles’ position. By this point one Lieutenant and 34 other ranks had been killed or wounded. Following a recce by the Company Commanders, it was decided to launch an attack at 1530 hours with D and A companies in the lead. The enemy had been seen moving in the area of the stream in front of the wood. It was thought that the enemy holding the Battalion objective were probably a Company strong. Immediately the attacking force came into the open they were subjected to intense artillery and mortar fire but they pressed steadily on to reach their objective. During this action the Battalion suffered very heavy casualties. A total of 27 men of the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment who died that day are buried alongside each other at Overloon, including Victor. This was also his 29th Birthday. Family believe that Victor was killed by a land-mine.
 
He had served for 10 years and 182 days of which 7 years and 350 days were in India and 89 days in Europe. This was in addition to his service while under age before 1934.

Aftermath

In addition to his other medals, Victor was awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal, 1939/45 Star and France & Germany Star.
 
He had asked for his personal effects to be sent to Mrs Edith L. G. Ingram of 57 Broad Street, Northampton whom he described as a friend. They consisted of letters, a cigarette case, a chain with a cross and a small notecase containing a cross and beads. She acknowledged receipt of these on 19 April 1945. Edith L G Branson had married Edward W Ingram in 1940 in Northampton. She had been born on 18 November 1913 in Northampton. In September 1939 she had been living with her parents, Henry and Bertha Branson and two brothers, at 57 Broad Street Northampton. This was in the same area of Northampton as Victor had  lived. She was working as a Clerk in a Shoe Factory. She and her husband had a child in 1949 and all three sailed for a new life in Australia in 1959.
 
It is understood by the family that Victor was engaged to be married, though the name of his fiancé is not known. They believe that plans for their marriage were well advanced as they had bought furniture to set up home. However, this seems odd given that he wished that Edith Ingram had his personal effects when he died.
 
Victor’s name is inscribed in the roll of honour on the wall in the gardens of remembrance on Abington Square near the town centre of Northampton, though he is shown as A.V.L. Kenney, the name on his original birth certificate.
 
Elvira Pell, aged 64, died in 1952 in Northampton. It is thought that Thomas Pell died in 1958 in Northampton with a stated age of 68.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records
VAL Kenney’s Service Record from the National Archives ref WO 423/658880
Military records from ForcesWarRecords website
Lincolnshire Regiment War Diaries via Traces of War Website
Wikipedia – information on the Lincolnshire Regiment, 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, 32nd Indian Infantry Brigade, 20th Indian Division, Waziristan Campaign, Burma Campaign and North West Frontier Clasps.
Articles in Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Photo and family information provided by Elvira E.A. Kenney’s granddaughter. 

Research Elaine Gathercole