Stoker 1st Class
John Gilmour
"Jock"
KENDALL
Royal Navy
25
John was born at 3 am on Monday 11 November 1895 at 6, Prospect Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the fourth child of William and Jessie (née McDonald) Kendall, with brother George Thomas (1892), sister Christina (1894), brother David (1897), sister Jessie Macdonald (1899), brother Sholto William (1900), sister Annie (1901) and brother Alexander (1911) making up the family unit. Sadly the first born, William (1891), died soon after birth .
John joined the Royal Navy on 27 January 1915 as a Stoker Second Class, his previous occupation being noted as an apprentice wire rope maker. On 12 June 1915 he joined the cruiser HMS ATTENTIVE where, on 27 January 1916, he was advanced to Stoker First Class. On 10 December 1918 he started a brief period in HMS VICTORY II, then served in the yacht HMS ENCHANTRESS from 27 January 1919 where he must have volunteered for submarine service as he joined HMS DOLPHIN on 1 April 1920 and HMS K5 on 15 April.
John Kendall died when K5 was lost with all hands, cause unknown, during exercises in the Western Approaches. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 32.
Brother David was sadly killed in 1919 in the last few months of the war while serving in the Black Watch.
One Response
My father’s uncle Jonny Kendall from Edinburgh. We always thought Jonny died in the war but were surprised to find out it was 1921. We have some pictures of Jonny which we got from his brother Alex Kendall who was a small child when Jonny died. My dad passed them on to me. So proud of my forefathers. Jonny’s brother David was killed in 1919 in the last few months of the war; he was 21, in the Black Watch. Two of them heros God bless.