Kenneth Durrant

A Private with 4th Bn., Kenneth died on 19th of August 1943 at the age of 25. 

Kenneth was born at Leeds on 25 July 1918, a son of Ernest Frank and Christiana Sarah Durrant. He was baptised at Saint John's Church, Lowestoft, on 18 September 1918. At that time his family lived at 35 Wellclose Mount, Leeds. In 1939 his family lived at 137 Bells Road, Gorleston, and Kenneth worked as a baker's ovenman. Kenneth was a nephew of Miss Margaret Ellen Lamb of 59 London Road South, Lowestoft.

Kenneth served with the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment. In autumn 1940 the Battalion was on coastal defence in the Great Yarmouth area and then moved to Brooke, and then Cambridge. In early 1941 the Battalion was sent to Scotland, then Blackburn, and Ross-on-Wye. On 29 October 1941 the Battalion sailed form Liverpool and landed at Bombay on 29 December 1941 as part of the 18th (East Anglian) Division. On 19 January 1942 the Battalion re-embarked for Singapore and landed there on 29 January 1942. On 11 February the Battalion went into action at the racecourse, before falling back to defend the perimeter. On 15 February the British forces at Singapore were forced to surrender and the remaining men of the 4th Battalion, including Kenneth, went into captivity. Kenneth was a Sonkrai (Sonkurai) Camp when he died from colitis. In December 1945 Kenneth's body was exhumed and he was reburied at Thaybyuzayat.