
Kenneth Martin Kemp
In 1939, he was an unemployed shop assistant.
- Family History
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Son of George Harold and Rose Ellen Kemp and the brother of Stanley Kemp of 1, Ennerdale Road, Nottingham .
Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel 62 Column 3
HMS Sikh
HMS Sikh was a Tribal class destroyer built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow and commissioned in 1938. The ship entered service as part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Royal Navy. It is not clear how Ordinary Seaman Hugh Pierce, buried in the UK, met his death on 21st January 1941. Sikh was involved in a collision with HMS Mashona on January 6th so perhaps he was mortally injured during that incident. Pierce accidentally drowned (Nottingham Evening Post 24/1/1941)
In May 1941, Sikh took part in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Sikh transferred to the Mediterranean serving as part of Force H. On 13 December 1941, Sikh – together with Legion, Maori and the Dutch vessel HNLMS Isaac Sweers – sank the Italian cruisers Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano in the Battle of Cape Bon. On 4 August 1942, Sikh together with Zulu, Croome and Tetcott sank the German submarine U-372 off Haifa.
On 14 September 1942, Sikh and Zulu landed and then covered Operation Agreement, a commando raid on Tobruk. Sikh was hit and sunk by 152 mm Italian coastal artillery, German 88 mm guns and by a bomb dropped by a Macchi C.200 – 115 men were lost, including Leading Seaman Kenneth Kemp from Nottingham and Leading Cook Harold Wilson from Sutton in Ashfield. Many more were taken prisoner. Zulu was damaged and sunk by bombing the following day. (Wikipedia)
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