Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Havelock Cemetery | B.1 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.127 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 4A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | 1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal | ||
Family :
Son of Richard C. Kibby, of 56, Western Rd., Southall.British Badge Forum and the Friends of Havelock Facebook group gives further details as recorded below.
"In 1910 Cecil began work as a book keeper for W. Houlder, Son and Company and remained with them until 1913. There was a decline in farming at this time and this may be why his father was employed as a caretaker at the offices of a margarine factory, one of Southall's largest employers at the time which was located off Merrick Road. A number of those at Havelock were employed there and probably knew each other. At this time the family were living in Florence Road. Fanny, Cecil's mother died in 1913. Two years later they were living in Western Road by which time Cecil had joined the 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment and it is likely he took the oath at their headquarters at the time, Treaty Lodge in Hounslow, which is now a hotel."
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 260 Squadron |
| Action : Accident |
Accidents were a minor factor in the casualty list. Our definition is deaths resulting from activities that were not directly associated with 'active service'. We have excluded Naval Accidents which are seperately identified because of their numbers and impact. Many accidents involved the aviators, operating at the the limits of technology.
Detail :
2/Lieut Kibby originally joined up during the patriotic fever of 1915. He was brought up in Middlesex and joined the local Middlesex Regiment as a Private. He went to France during March of that year proving his worth in the trenches. Gaining his Cpl stripes and a commission with the 10th Middlesex Reg (TF) London Gazette 23rd April 1918 ,2nd Lieut Middlesex Regt (T.F.)
"The battalion was mobilised in March 1915 and arrived in France. I cannot be sure which actions Cecil was involved but between 1915 and 1917 by 1/8 Battalion Middlesex took part in some of the best known, including the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, and the Battle of Langemarck. By September 1917 he had been promoted to corporal and was discharged to commission, becoming a temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps."
He transferred to the RAF on 24th May 1918 , initially joining 76 Squadron RAF and Subsequently 250 /260 Squadrons. His papers state his competence in flying DH6, BE2cs, BE2es.
Herbert KIBBY died of injuries sustained in a flying accident on the 4th September 1918 in a DH6 serial C7849. He was formerly in the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) 10th Battalion (Territorial) Source; David Barnes
"In January 1918 he joined 76 Squadron in Yorkshire and then 260 Squadron in Devon. Records show that during his training Cecil flew Royal Aircraft Factory B E 2Cs and B E 2Es, but it was while he was flying a De Havilland D H 6 that he lost control and spun into the ground."
See also: RAF Story Vault which displays his casualty card and summarises the incident. "He was taken to hospital in Exeter on the 4th September 1918 but he died over a month later."
For his service, he was awarded the Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1915 Star.
Citations & Commemorations :
"His memorial faces the original entrance in Havelock Road, and bears the emblem of the Royal Air Force. He lies at rest with his mother, and his father who died in 1936. Cecil was typical of the young men who risked their lives in the newest kind of warfare at that time. We are so used to technology now that it is easy to forget just how extraordinary these aircraft and the men who flew them must have seemed to the average person in 1918, the year that the Royal Air Force was established."Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lodge of Prudent Brethren No. 145 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
23rd April 1918 | 11th June 1918 | 23rd July 1918 |
Recorded at Catterick, York as a 2nd Lieut., R.A.F. Final note shows "Died September 1918."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley