A kingdon – campaign medals & military service

Notes: This is John Victor Kingdon born in 1915 in Pontypridd, South Glamorgan, Wales, he was the son of Samuel John Kingdon b.1876 in Ystrad, Rhonda, Glamorgan & Agnes Goulding, b.1880 Abercan, glamorgan, who Married in Pontypridd, Wales in 1900; During a Night Navigation Mission whilst training in Canada in flying a B-24J Liberator, their plane crashed into a mountain near Flora Lake on Vancouver Island & the entire crew were killed; There is a grave marker at the crash site; At the time of his death John Victor Kingdon’s address was #37, Tyntyla road, Ystrad, Rhonda, Glamorganshire, Wales;

Notes: This is John William Kingdon born in Tavistock in 1886; I believe that he was a 33 year old married Gardener living at Keepers Cottage, Adderley, Market Drayton, Shropshire when he was called up on 16.06.1917 in Shrewsbury & he was probably in the Reserve & being re-called for service in WW1 as his enlistment date was deemed to be 24.06.1916; There is correspondence on his file regarding his final release status & why he had to return from Ireland at the time of his call up (he was working there as a Gardener), but I believe that this was eventually resolved; His wife was Alice Kingdon (nee Hall) & I believe that they were married in 1911 in Pershore, Worcestershire, (there appears to have been 3 living children, Olive Kingdon b.1812 in Eton, Buckinghamshire, Arthur Kingdon & Ernest Kingdon born 09.03.1918 in Market Drayton; There may have been an earlier daughter Elizabeth born in 1911 Eton, Bucks. Who may have died); I believe that John William was wounded with a Gun Shot Wound to his left hand whilst serving in France around 21.09.1918 but his records are very damaged & difficult to read; He appears to have served until 08.02.1920 when he was transferred to the Class Z Reserve; John W Kingdon may have worked at Buckshaw Lodge, Sherbourne, Dorset after leaving the Army as this is the address for his medals to be issued; Medals Card on file; This person needs more research;

Notes: I do not believe that this man actually served in WW1, but he is recorded as a Reservist in the 1st Division Roll of #14 (Southland) Recruiting District in 1916, his address is recorded as being a Farmer at Kingsdale Farm, Gore, Southland, New Zealand; This is John Wesley Kingdon born in 1876 in New Zealand, the son of Nehemiah Stephens Kingdon & Mary Grose Webber who Married in Bodmin, Cornwall in 1862 & who sailed from London, England on 30.09.1865 to New Zealand arriving in Lyttelton on 01.01.1866 on board the ‘Mermaid’; In 1911, 1914, 1919 John Wesley Kingdon is a Farmer at Croydon Siding, Wakatipu, Otago; In 1928 he is recorded as a Farmer at Kingsdale, Croydon; In 1935, a Farmer in Croydon, Wallace, Southland; In 1938 John Wesley Kingdon is registered as a Farmer in Croydon siding, Mataura; I lost him from here? However, there is a John Wesley Kingdom recorded as dying in 1945 Aged 68; (He is the Brother of Kingdon, William Fletcher: New Zealand, 2nd Division Reservist, 1917, WW1); More research required;

On the Australian War Memorial internet site, www.awm.gov.au, there is a photograph showing troops prior to boarding ‘HMAT Euripides (A14)’. Identified (front row, centre, holding a kitbag) is #6392 Private John William Kingdon. Pte. Kingdon enlisted using an alias (Eric Balkan) on 24 June 1916. In August 1916 Kingdon's mother wrote to the Minister of Defence and asked that her son's records be changed to show his real name. He embarked on 11 September 1916 as J W Kingdon but was under age (16) and was returned to Australia on 26 December 1916. He later re-enlisted as #66577 Pte. John William Stanlake and embarked on ‘HMAT Boonah (A36)’ at Adelaide on 22 October 1918.

Medals were Forfeited; This Soldier could still be researched further;


Kingdon, John William: New Zealand, 1st Division Reservist, 1916, WW1;

Notes: I do not believe that this man actually served in WW1, but he is recorded as a Reservist in the 1st Division in 1916, recruited in #5 Recruitment Centre in Wellington, stating that he was living in Buick Street, Petone, Hutt, Wellington as a Picture Framer; This is John William Kingdon but I have yet to properly identify him or find a birth date for him? From the Electoral Rolls & Records I would suggest that he was probably the son of Walter Kingdon, a Fell Monger b.ca.1850 & Anne ?? as he lives at the same address as them on a number of occasions; In 1896 John William Kingdon lives in Victoria Street, Petone, Wellington, working as a Labourer; In 1905 & 1906 he lives in Buick Street, Petone & is recorded as being a Wool Classer; In 1911 & 1914 Rolls he is at #17, Buick Street, Petone, first as a Wool Classer & secondly as a Picture Framer; In 1916 John William Kingdon is recruited for WW1 New Zealand Army 1^st Division Reserves at #5, Wellington Recruiting District; I failed to find any military records for this man so assume that he did not serve in WW1? In 1919 he is back at the address in Buick Street, Petone, Hutt, Wellington working as a Picture Framer; In 1935 he is once again a Wool Classer living at #58a, Sydney Street, Petone; In 1938 John William Kingdon is at #30, Birdwood Street, Lower Hutt, Wellington as a Wool Classer; I do not believe that he ever married & that he died in 1940 Aged 70; Needs more research;

Notes: There is a reference in the Kingdon Family Book (1932) indicating that a Seaman’s Will was prepared for Joseph Kingdon in 1798; A letter of Administration (admon.) was granted to a Widow Ann Kingdon but there is no clue as to her relationship with this mariner, was she his Wife or his Mother? The ships mentioned are the” Attack”, the “L’Eclaire” & the “Terror Bomb”, however I can find no information on any of these vessels except that the Sloop “L’Eclaire” may have been a French Privateer at one point & may have been captured & in Sheerness for repairs in 1793; Not identified;

Notes: This is Joseph Arnold Kingdon, born 25.08.1888 in Horton, Yorkshire (Bradford), he was often recorded as Arnold Kingdon; He was the son of James Moore Kingdon, a Clothing Manufacturer Cashier & Bookeeper born in Great Horton, Yorks on 30.04.1864 & Elizabeth Jaggaer Pulman b.1865 in Great Horton, who married in Bradford in 1886; In the 1891 Census Joseph A Kingdon lives with his parents in West Lane, Embray, Bradford, Yorkshire West Riding; Unfortunately his Father Died on 08.10.1894 aged 30 years & in the 1901 Census Arnold Kingdon is now aged 12 & living with his Widowed Mother, a Confectioner, at #6, St Margaret’s Road, Bradford, with his Pulman Grandparents; In the 1911 Census Arnold Kingdon, now aged 22 years, is working as a Municipal Clerk for Bradford Corporation & living with his Widowed Mother & his Widowed Grandmother Pulman at #286, Great Horton road, Bradford, Yorkshire; Joseph Arnold Kingdon Married Ethel Maud Yates in 1914 in Leicester; (She was a Nurse in Bradford in the 1911 Census); I believe that Joseph Arnold Kingdon Died on 09.06.1935 whilst living at #50, The Avenue, Clayton, Bradford, he was aged 46; Awarded the British War Medal, ADM 171/127;

Notes: ADM 188 records have Joseph John Kingdon having served with the Royal Navy a #81288 & born in Devonport on 28.01.1858; This Sailor’s Official Naval Number would indicate enlistment between 01.01.1873 & 31.12.1873; I believe this man to be Joseph John/William Kingdon born in Stoke Damerel in 1858; He was the son of George Frederick Kingdon, a Naval Dockyard Stoker & Naval Pensioner b.1830 in Devonport, & Jane Giles, b.1831 in Walkhampton in Devon, who Married in 1851 in Stoke Damerel; In the 1861 Census Joseph Kingdon was living with his parents in Johns Street, Stoke Damerel; In the 1871 Census Joseph Kingdon is aged 13 & living with his Mother in Wilcove, Antony, Cornwall; Joseph John Kingdon enlisted in the royal Navy in 1873; In the 1881 Census Joseph J Kingdon is a single serving Able Seaman onboard the 1^st Class Ironclad ‘HMS Agincourt’ of the Channel Squadron, situated in Gibraltar; In 1882 this Sailor served with ‘HMS Agincourt’ in the Egyptian Campaign, both at Alexandria & Tel-El-Kebir between 16.07.1882 & 14.09.1882, his Ship’s Number was 5.799; The medals for this campaign were sent to him on 11.05.1883 at ‘HMS Agincourt’ where he was still serving; I understand that Joseph John Kingdon Married Elizabeth Jane Bickford, b.1861 in Plymouth, in Stoke Damerel in 1883; In the 1891 Census Elizabeth Kingdon is living alone with 2 young children at #48, Duke Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon, her husband is recorded as being away at sea; I failed to locate Joseph J Kingdon in the 1891 Royal Navy Census; In the 1901 Census Joseph & Elizabeth Kingdon live at #48, Duke Street, Stoke Damerel, Devonport, Joseph is a General Government Labourer; In the 1911 Census Joseph & Elizabeth Kingdon still lived at #48,Duke Street, Devonport, Devon, he is a Government Labourer; I believe that Elizabeth Jane Kingdon Died in 1931 in Devonport, Aged 77 & that Joseph John Kingdon died in Cornwall in 1935 Aged 78; Awarded the Egyptian Medal & Alexandria 11.07.1882 & Tel El Kebir Clasps; (He was the Son of Kingdon, George: Royal Naval Dockyard Stoker, Paddle Tugs in Devonport); (He was the Father of Kingdom, W E: Royal Engineers No: 514302 Rank: Sapper 1914-1920 WO 372/24, See Also: Kingdon, William E: Royal Engineers Regiment No: T1005 Rank: Sapper 1914-20 WO 372/11); (He was the Brother of Kingdon, John: #82600, Stoker, Royal Navy; ADM 188/76/189);

Notes: There are records in the ‘Families in British India Society Database’ that show a Captain Kingdon Departing from Madras for England on 23.03.1817 aboard the Ship ‘Lucy Maria’; I have no other information;

Notes: There are records for the Department of The Director of Experiments And Research at the Admiralty in Whitehall for the year 1919, which refer to a K.H. Kingdon, Esq., M.A. working as an Assistant Physicist under the direction of Professor J.C. McLennn in the Mining Section of the Department of the Director of Torpedoes & Mining, however, I failed to find any other records for this person; Insufficient information to enable identification;

Notes: There is an ‘In Service’ death record for a young Wren serving with the WRNS at ‘HMS Vernon’, (shore base), dated Sunday 30.11.1975, she was aged 19 years; I believe that this is probably Karen Francesca Kingdon, born 20.09.1956 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, (Mother’s maiden name Russell), who’s death was registered in the 1^st Q 1976 in torbay, Devon; Insufficient information to identify further;

Notes: I believe that this is Kenneth Roy Kingdon born 08.09.1897 in Lampton Hills, Ontario, Canada, the son of James Kingdon, a Farmer, born 01.08.1860 in Ontario & Annie Agnes Mason or Moran b.03.10.1862 Ontario who Married in Peel, Ontario on 11.03.1885; In 1901 Census Kenneth Kingdon lives with his parents in Etobicoke, York, Ontario, Canada; On 06.05.1918 in Toronto, Kenneth Roy Kingdon, a Farmer aged 20 years & 7 months was drafted for WW1 service into the 1^st Depot Battalion, 1^st Central Ontario Depot Regiment which in reality was a unit based in Canada feeding soldiers into the system; In 1919 Private K.R. Kingdon was recorded as being transferred from Kinmel Park to Toronto for Dispersal to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Canadian Reserve Cavalry Regiment; On both occasions his Mother Annie Kingdon was his NOK; I believe that Kenneth Roy Kingdon Married Lorna May Howett (b.1907 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England) on 12.03.1926 in Etobicoke, Ontario & that they had at least 3 children; I understand that Kenneth Roy Kingdon died in 1977 aged 80; I have not researched further;

Notes: The Auckland Weekly Newspaper reports on the 15.03.1917, that this soldier was part of the 27^th Draft- Waikato Men contingent for service in WW1 with the New Zealand Army; Unfortunately I failed to find any other references to L W Kingdon in New Zealand;

Notes: This is Leslie Kingdon born 22.07.1893 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, the son of Henry John Hutchings Kingdon, a French Polisher, b.1864 in Barnstaple & Florence Copp from Barnstaple, who were Married in Barnstaple in 1885; In 1901 Leslie Kingdon lives with his parents in Barnstaple; I have not found this family in 1911 UK Census yet? In 1913 Leslie Kingdon is aged 20 years & emigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on board the ‘SS Ascania’ to work in farming; By 1915 he was already a Canadian Citizen & had visited England as he returned to Canada on board the ‘SS Scandinavian’ in 1915; In the 1916 Canadian Census Leslie Kingdon is a Farm Labourer living in Saskatchewan; On 08.03.1917 Leslie Kingdon was medically examined at Saskatchewan for WW1 service in the Canadian Army, he was a Miner by trade at that time; He was called up on 09.05.1918 & finally Discharged in July 1919; (He is the Brother of Kingdon, Stanley: Royal Engineers No: 122479 Rank: Sapper 1914-1920 WO 372/11 who Died in WW1 Drowned at Sea on 26.05.1917 in Iraq); (I have not researched this Soldier further);

Notes: This is Leslie Herbert Kingdon born 1860 in Exeter, Devon, England; (His family are from the Holsworthy Kingdon line – see the Kingdon book A Second Look published in 1974); His Grandparents & subsequently his parents adopted the old fashioned spelling of the name Kyngdon after emigration to New Zealand & Australia; He was the son of Boughton Kingdon b.1819 in Bodmin, Cornwall & Elizabeth Maria Cobb from Margate, Kent who Married in 1848 in Kent, (Boughton Kingdon was a Physician in Exeter, Devon & Croydon, Surrey before Emigrating to Sydney, Australia in 1878, his parents & other siblings had already emigrated to New Zealand in 1850); In 1861 Leslie H Kingdon was living with his parents in Exeter St Sidwell, Devon, he was aged 9 months; In 1871 Leslie H Kingdon lived with his parents in Topsham Road, Heavitree, Devon; This family emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1878 I believe; Leslie Herbert Kyngdon became a regular soldier (rare in colonial Australia, which began with the NSW Volunteer Forces (Artillery) in 1878); He fought in the Sudan Campaign in 1885 with the New South Wales, Australian Infantry Battalion and later in the Boer War with the British Royal Artillery; In 1896 he was a Captain, & a Colonel from 1914; By 1919 Leslie Herbert Kyngdon had risen to the honorary rank of Brigadier-General after conspicuous service on the home front during WW1 as Commandant of Western Australia and Chief Inspector of Coastal Defences; At the time of his death on 13 April 1923, Kyngdon was the last surviving Australian officer who had served at Sudan in 1885; Could be researched further;

Notes: The Australian records have details for Louis Francis Edward Kingdon, born 03.01.1929 in Hong Kong, having served with the Australian Navy; This is the son of Cecil James Kingdon, a British Crown Agent employee & Warder in Hong Kong & later Australia, who was born 27.01.1900 in Islington, London, & Una Maud Falla, who Married in Hong Kong ca.1926; There are passenger trip records for Louis F E Kingdon between Hong Kong & UK in 1934 & 1939; The Australian Military Records indicate that Louis Francis Edward Kingdon enlisted in Sydney on 06.05.1948 for a period of 12 years; He was a Merchant Seaman at that time giving his Mother’s address in Brixton, Lambeth, London, England as his Next of Kin; I believe that he was transferred to the British Royal Navy on 11.06.1949 & served on board ‘HMS Belfast’ & ‘HMS Jamaica’; I believe that Louis F E Kingdon Married Phyllis J Wink in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in 1954, where they remained until at least 1965 as far as I can make out? However, Louis F & Phyllis Kingdon were living with his parents at #44, Strathleven road, Brixton, Lambeth in 1957; (He is the son of Kingdon, Cecil James: #1703 Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery; WW1; Who is also Kingdon, Cecil James: #15621 Gunner, 2^nd Class, Royal Marine Artillery; ADM 159/91; WW1); Needs more research;

Notes: This is Luther John Kingdon who was born on 18.07.1889 in Corsham, Wiltshire; The son of Tom Kingdon, a Mason b.1863 in Dulverton & Louisa Gardener from Corsham, Wiltshire who were married in 1888 in Chippenham, Wiltshire & living in Chapel Street, Dulverton on Somerset in 1916; In 1891 Census the family lived in Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan, Wales next door to widowed Grandfather Jacob Kingdon; In 1901 Census Luther John Kingdon Aged 11 lives with his parents in Dulverton, Somerset; In the 1911 Census Luther Kingdon is a 21 year old Carpenter living with his parents in Mill Green, Dulverton, Somerset; John Luther Kingdon Enlisted on 08.02.1916 in Basingstoke at the age of 26 years & 7 months, he was a Joiner & gave his father’s name, Tom Kingdon as his next of kin & his address as Chapel Street, Dulverton, Somerset; His original Attestation has him serving with the Wiltshire Regiment as #25466 & also # 22887 with Somerset Light Infantry but this has been crossed out on his record; His military record indicates that he served at Home from 08.02.1916 until 08.11.1916, he was then sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force until 07.08.1917 when he was sent back to England; He had received a Gun Shot wound to his left cheek & head on 31.07.1917 giving him a 30% disability; He also suffered from Pleurisy in 1918; He was finally Discharged on 25.02.1919 from the Royal Army Service Corps in Woolwich due to the wounds that he received; Awarded a 30% disability Pernsion for 12 months from 17.03.1919 but he was continually re-assessed for further Pensions awards through 1922; Luther John Kingdon Marries Amy Callaway from Dulverton in 1927 in Dulverton, Somerset; Luther John Kingdon Dies in 3^rd Q 1951 in Exmoor Aged 62; Did they have a daughter Beryl L Kingdon born 1931 in Dulverton, who later married a Geoffrey John Scoins in Exmoor in 1954; Awarded the Silver War Badge #B287925 as John Luther Kingdon; Medals Card x2 on file; (He was the Son of Kingdon, Tom: Royal Defence Corps No: 7970 Rank: Private 1914-1920 WO 372/11);