Major Kenneth William Lee SIMONET
Remembrance - The Yorkshire Regiment, First World War
Major Kenneth William Lee SIMONET
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Major Kenneth William Lee SIMONET

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Major Kenneth William Lee SIMONET.

1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 21 January 1916.
Commemorated Panel 14, Basra Memorial.

Barrie Bertram (<bhbertram@tiscali.co.uk>) has provided the following information on Major Kenneth Simonet, who was an Old Boy of Queen Victoria College, Jersey (Channel Islands);-

"Kenneth William Lee Simonet, third son of William Simonet, of Radier, Grouville, Jersey, entered (Queen Victoria College) in September 1892, at the age of eleven, and remained for seven years. He was in the Football XV for two years, 1897 and 1898. In 1899 he obtained a commission in the 2nd (East) Battalion, RMIJ and in the following year headed the list of Militia candidates for the Army. He was gazetted to the Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment, and became Captain in 1909 and Major in 1916, most of his service being in India.

At the beginning of the War he was appointed instructing officer to a Territorial battalion in India, but in December 1915 was attached to the Black Watch and went to Mesopotamia. He was only once in action. Badly wounded early in an attack on the Turkish lines, he refused to be sent back, and again led his men during a further attack, when he was mortally wounded, 21st - 22nd January, 1916."

The following information is given in M L Ferrar's "Officers of the Green Howards 1688 - 1931";-

Born in Jersey 14 March 1881, son of William Simonet od Radiez (sic), Jersey.
2nd Lieutenant 5 January 1901, Lieutenant 16 January 1904, Captain 1 April 1909.
Killed in action in Mesopotamia 21 January 1916 when attached to the Black Watch.
"In him the Regiment has lost not only an excellent officer but one of the most sympathetic of men, and he will be deeply mourned by his comrades. He was a nephew of the late Lieut-Colonel J F Simonet who served for 14 years in the 19th." (Green Howards Gazette).

Memorial in Gorey Church, Jersey.

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