Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War 1895-1896, West Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

23 - 24 August 1914. The BEF had its first encounter with the German Army at Mons. Using the defensive barrier of the Mons Conde Canal the BEF was able to delay the German advance partly through the accuracy and speed of its rifle fire, and partly through the heroism of individuals. The first VC's of the war were awarded at Mons (M.Dease & S. Godley). The Belgians pulled the line left and the French to the right and, eventually, the position at Mons became untenable and the BEF slipped away to start its long retreat to the River Marne, to the East of Paris.

Detail :

See also: Bond of Sacrifice Volume 1. His portrait image above can be found in this book, the entry of which is also found at the Imperial War Museum.

CAPTAIN KENNETH JAMES ROY, 4th BATTN. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S OWN (MIDDLESEX REGIMENT). He was initially posted missing but believed to have been killed on the 23rd August, 1914, was the son of the late Rev. James Roy, Rector of Stockton on Forest Yorkshire, and of Mrs. Roy, York Lodge, Beaconsfield, Bucks. Three of his brothers served in the Navy: Commander K. S. Roy, Staff Paymaster N. F. Roy, and Surgeon D. W. Roy, F.R.C.S., R.N.V.R. Kenneth was born at Appleton Vicarage, Bolton Percy, Yorkshire, on the 21st January, 1877, and was educated at St. Peter's School, York, where he was in the rugby First XV, and at The Oaks, Upper Deal. He received his commission in the 3rd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in February 1890. In 1898 he was attached to the depot. Manchester Regiment, Ashton-under- Lyne, and from 1899-1904 was seconded for employment with the 2nd Gold Coast Regiment, West African Frontier Force. In the meantime he had in June, 1901, been gazetted to the Middlesex Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant, and had been promoted Lieutenant in March 1903. In 1905 he served with the 4th Battalion of his own regiment at Londonderry, and in May, 1907, was seconded for service with the South Nigerian Regiment, West African Frontier Force, remaining with it till May, 1908. He was promoted Captain in the Middlesex Regiment in November, 1910, having served with it in the Channel Islands, 1909-10. From February 1911 to September 1912, he again served on the African Coast with the West African Regiment. He took part in the Ashanti Campaign of 1900, for which he received the medal.

An account tell us that the attack on the Middlesex position began about 10.30 in the morning of Sunday, August 23, with a heavy artillery fire, which had lasted some while before the German infantry began to advance, disregarding all cover and firing erratically from the hip. Our men were well placed and protected, and offered a stubborn defence against desperate odds. Major Davy's company on the left was hard pressed, and its commander was wounded early in the day. As Major Abell with his company came up to its support he was shot down, as also were Captain Knowles and 2nd Lieut. Henstock. A third of this company fell in the advance ; but the rest reached their comrades in the firing-line, and for the time made the trenches in this part secure. The centre of the Middlesex line was held by Captain Oliver's company, who from a well-concealed trench took a heavy toll from the enemy, peppering away for all they were worth as if at manoeuvres. Here, also, as the day wore on, the pressure became severe, and two companies of the Royal Irish were brought up in support. On the right, at Obourg bridge, Captain Roy had been killed, and Captain Glass was wounded. Referring to his death, an officer, since a prisoner of war, said: I saw Captain Roy killed in a hand-to-hand fight on the Mons Road. He fought splendidly, but we had no chance. There were about two hundred and fifty Germans against forty of us, the remnant of my company who defended Obourg Station on the canal. I was lying on the ground helpless. We managed to keep the Germans in check for a bit, but were eventually overpowered. Only a few, I fear, escaped to tell the tale. It was a great day for our boys, but the odds against us were overwhelming.

He died beside brother Captain Jonathan KNOWLES of the same battalion. Captain Roy was an enthusiastic Freemason, and was a member of the Albert Victor Lodge in York. On the same day his brother Freemason from Albert Victor Lodge 2328, Captain Oswald WALKER was killed whilst serving with the 15th Hussars in the same battle at Mons.

An article appears in the Maltese Independent online newspaper, an article written at the centenary of the commencement of the Great War and which mentions Captain Roy. See more: here.

Masonic :

At the time of his initiation in 1905 he was already a member of the military serving as a Lieutenant of the Middlesex Regiment. He was 28 and resident at Flaxby. He remained a member of the Albert Victor Lodge until his death, the contribution record showing that he was "Killed in Action Aug. 1914."

On 11th May, 1909 he had evidently been posted to the Channel Islands, him having joined St. Annes Lodge. He resigned from this lodge, most likely on posting away, 30th September, 1911.

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