Name
Peter Francis Kent
14 Sep 1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/02/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps
3rd Sqdn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
H.A.C. CEMETERY, ECOUST-ST. MEIN
VIII. D. 13.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
GB Kent & Sons (Kent Brushes) Memorial, Apsley,
St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Aldenham,
St John the Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Aldenham,
Hadley Wood Memorial
Individual plaque in St John the Baptist Church, Aldenham,
Letchmore Heath Village Memorial,
Bengeo School Memorial – Location to be confirmed
Pre War
Peter Francis Kent was born on 14th September and baptised on 29th October 1898, in Aldenham, Herts, to parents Ernest Neild and Lilian Margaret (nee Turner). He had one brother, Humphrey Neild and one sister Phyllis Margaret and he was living with his family in 1901 at Aldenham Cottage, Letchmore Heath, Herts. His father was Director of a brush manufacturing company, George B. Kent and Sons, owned by his father, George Barton Kent.
The company is still trading as GB Kent and Sons, in Apsley, Herts, although it is now owned by the Cosby family.
Wartime Service
Peter attested at Watford on 5 Sep 1916 and allocated to the Army Reserve on the following day. He was mobilised on 8 Oct 1916 and enlisted in the 1st Battalion Kings (Liverpool) Regt. After a initial training at 1st Officers Cadet Battalion until 20 Dec 1917, he went on the School of Military Aeronautics to complete basic training and transferred to RFC in Feb 1917 as Second Lieutenant.
During training he crashed on his first solo flight when he misjudged his landing, he was injured but after recovering he continued training and graduated as a pilot on 4th May 1917.
He was posted to 3 Squadron and went to France in December 1917 and joined his squadron at Warloy. He was killed in action on a rushed mission in which 3 aircraft took on 6 enemy aircraft over enemy lines. His Sopwith Camel F1 was downed following a collision with a burning aircraft and both planes crashed. His body was initially buried by the Germans in Lecluse churchyard and re-interred later in HAC Cemetery.
The inscription on the tablet in St John’s the Baptist Church reads: Praising God for the dear memory of Peter Francis Kent, 2nd Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps Younger son of Ernest and Lily Kent who gave his life for his country in a gallant air fight flying over the enemy lines in France on February 6th 1918. Born at Aldenham Cottage in this parish September 14th 1898. Buried at Lecluse (Pas de Calais) France "Among those never to be forgotten – for all time a part of the glory of England".
Additional Information
His brother served from the Outbreak of War as a private Honourable Artillery Company, later a lieutenant in the East Kent's (Buffs).
His father received pay owing of £51 11s 1d.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer, Stuart Osborne, Taff Williams
Jonty Wild, Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
