2/Lt Kenneth James Mackenzie BAINES

[Phil Wood]

Baines (the order of the forenames seems flexible) died in Jan 1916 and is commemorated on the Pleogsteert Memorial.

 

The CWGC record him as serving with the 3rd Bn, Kings Liverpool Regt - which did not go overseas.  So he was evidently attached to another battalion, presumably this is more likely to be a Kings battalion, but I gues this is not 100% certain.

 

He served in South Africa as an NCO before being commissioned into the Kings (Gazette June 1915) and he was MiD in the 15 June `9`6 Gazette.  Nether mentions the battalion he was serving in at the front.

 

Is there a King's expert who could advise me which battalion(s) he might have served with?

 

Meanwhie I shall make a start on the war diaries.

 

[Langdon]

His MIC (here if on Ancestry) has him in the 12th Battalion. Unfortunately I can't find its war diary on Ancestry but it's here at the National Archives for a fee. The Long, Long Trail shows the 12th landing at Boulogne in July 1915.

 

He's also on the Great Yarmouth War Memorial - in the 20th Battalion, but I can't find mention of him in its war diary for January 1916.

 

It's possible the Memorial meant the 20th Division, of which the 61st Brigade and 12th Battalion were part of..

 

Mike

Edited 26 October , 2016 by Langdon

[HarryBrook]

A casualty list published in The Times on Wednesday 12 January 1916 included:-

MISSING BELIEVED KILLED

Baines, Sec. Lt., K.J.M., 3rd, attd. 12th, Liverpool Regt.

[Phil Wood]

Doh!  Missing the obvious again - thanks for putting me right chaps.

 

I did try to check the Time but my access was down this morning. No excuse for missing the MIC.

 

[Phil Wood]

Ancestry does have the diary - appallingly indexed as per.

War Diary, 12^th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) – 2 January 1916

An Officer’s Patrol (2/Lt Baines and Sgt Holden) went out at 2AM and got to enemy’s wire. Here lights were thrown up by enemy and 3 sentries fired hitting 2/Lt Baines. The Sergt attempted to get his officer back to our lines, but was followed by a party of Germans who opened fire on them from very close range. 2/Lt Baines was again hit and Sergt Holben had to retire; he states that 2Lt Baines was undoubtedly dead before he left him. Another patrol attempted to recover the body, but witout success.

Usual amount of Artillery Fire, but no retaliation. Enemy infantry quiet during day, but very ‘jumpy’ at night.

So now I know - thanks again for the help.