WILLIAM HENRY PAUL KELLEHER

Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner), 97 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service Number 1006928)

William Henry Paul Kelleher was born on 13 Oct 1916 to William Henry Kelleher, a dairyman and Mary Kelleher née Kingston, a shopkeeper, both from Cardiff.  The family lived at 45a Swansea Street, Splott. William attended St Illtyd’s College (1926-30) and afterwards became a milkman working for his father’s business.  He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was part of 97 squadron.  He died on 17 Dec 1942 aged 26. He was the radio operator and gunner on board Lancaster bomber ED333 which took off at 17:22 from Woodhall Spa airfield, Lincolnshire for a mission to Neustadt, Germany.  It was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed some 5 km east of Urk killing all seven crew.   He is buried at the Amsterdam  New Eastern Cemetery ( Plot 69. Row D. Joint grave 3). He is remembered on the St Illtyd’s College memorial at St Alban on the Moors church in Splott.  Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.

JAMES CHARLES HENRY ALLEN KINSON

Private, 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (Service Number 7342084)

James Charles Henry Allen Kinson was born in 1912 in Cathays, Cardiff to Henry Allen Kinson, a corporation labourer, from Cardiff and Minnie Elizabeth Kinson nee Stone, also from Cardiff.  He attended St Monica’s school.  In 1937 he married Takouhi Stepanian in Cardiff who lived at 47 Minny Street, Cathays in 1939. When WWII starts James and three of his brothers enlist.  He joined the Royal Tank Corps in 1939 but later transferred to the Durham Light Infantry. He was killed a week into the battle to retake Sicily on 17 Jul 1943 aged 21. He is buried at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. His wife Takouhi remarried in 1955 but passed away in 1960 in Croydon aged 49.

EDWIN THOMAS KIRBY

Lance Sergeant,   240 Battery, 77th Heavy Anti-Aircraft. Regiment, Royal Artillery (Service Number 858166)

Ted Kirby (photo kindly provided by the Kirby family)

Edwin ‘Ted’ Thomas Kirby was born  on 7 Jul 1916 in Cardiff to Edwin Kirby, a dock gateman, originally from Darlington, County Durham and Elizabeth Kirby née Brooks originally from Penarth.  He was baptised in Grangetown on 27 Jul 1916, so likely born there too.  In 1939 Ted and the Kirby family were living at 6 Elaine Street, Splott.  Prior to the war Ted was employed by the Wellfield Coal Company.  He served in the Royal Artillery in the 77th Regiment which was a TA Regiment from South Wales comprising 239, 240 and 241 Batteries.  On 6 Dec 1941 they sailed from the Clyde. They reached Durban in South Africa early in Jan 1942. They arrived at what is now known as Jakarta, Indonesia  on 4 Feb 1942. 240 Battery were active in Java in March and surrendered to Japanese forces that month after being outnumbered.  POWs were concentrated in large camps, mainly in the Batavia area, where from about October 1942 regular drafts of ‘slave labour’ were sent to other destinations.  Some including Edwin were sent to Japan to work in the coal mine in Ube, Japan.  He arrived in Japan on 27 Nov 1942 on board the ship the Singapore Maru.  His time in Japan was short for he died on 7 Dec 1942 aged 26 of ‘Catarrh of colon & bronchitis’ as a Japanese Prisoner of War at the Ohama POW Camp. The soldiers that died in Japanese hands and were cremated.  After the war the Army Graves Service arranged for their ashes to be brought by H.M.A.S. Newfoundland to Sydney for interment at the Sydney War Cemetery in New South Wales, Australia. Commonwealth War Graves Commission record.