Kenneth Markham Rose
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Kenneth was born in 1890 at Nethey Abbey Hampshire and was the son of John Markham Rose originally born in East Markham a Lt- Colonel and Edith M Rose. In the 1891 census the family are living at Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth John is a serving Lieut and Kenneth is one year of Age. 1901 - Recorded as a boarder [in a school] at The Hall, The Park, Shipdham, Norfolk. Scholar, aged 11, born at Netley, Hants.
He was attached to the Gambia Company, Royal West African Frontier Force with which he was with when he was killed, leading a company of the West African Frontier Force against the German troops at the Mbile river Cameroons, West Africa 3rd May 1915. He is buried at Jaunde Road, Cameroons and his name commemorated on the Gambia memorial
Gambia was Britain’s smallest and most northernmost colony in West Africa. The area of the colony was about 4,000 square miles stretching along both banks of the Gambia River and the population was believed to be less than 160,000 persons. The capital was Bathurst located on the Atlantic coast. The colony was surrounded on its three landward sides by French Senegal. Before the Great War Gambia’s military contribution to the West African Frontier Force was an infantry company titled The Gambia Company. The establishment of the company was five Europeans (a Captain, two Lieutenants and two non-commissioned officers) and 130 Gambian soldiers holding ranks from private to company sergeant major.
