Stanley Hornsby Kent (1890-1917)
Northeast rugby player was awarded the Military Cross and Bar whilst serving in the Canadian Army
Stanley Hornsby Kent was the second son of chartered accountant Charles William Kent and his wife Alice Kent nee Gallan. Their oldest son, named for his father, was aged two at the time of his brother’s birth in January 1890. Stanley was baptised three months later in St Michael’s Church, Westoe. By 1901 the family had moved to Hexham where father Charles ran his own accountancy business. The two boys had been joined by siblings May, Eva, Leslie and six-month-old baby Stella. Ten years later and still in Hexham, Stanley was working as an insurance clerk. He played for Tynedale Rugby Club, helping them to win the county cup in 1911. He was also a member of the Northumberland Hussars Imperial Yeomanry.
In February 1913 Stanley, left his life in the UK behind and sailed for Canada where he found work as a banker in Calgary, Alberta. Stanley had joined the local militia, the 19th Alberta Dragoons, who were placed on active service in August 1914 for local protective duty. However, a month later, on 23 September 1914, Stanley was at the new camp at Valcartier, Quebec, enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). A month after that he was back in England as part of the 1st Divisional Cavalry Squadron.
June 1915 saw Private 2073 attending Cadet School at General HQ in France and within a month was a 2nd lieutenant attached to the 10th Battalion. On 4 February 1916 Lieutenant Kent was wounded slightly whilst leading a wire cutting party but remained on duty with his men. His work on this raid led to him being awarded the Military Cross. The citation for this award reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry. He led a wire cutting party, which worked for six hours, and then headed an attacking party through the gap. In spite of heavy machine-gun and rifle fire and bombing by the enemy he inflicted severe loss on them. He has on two previous occasions, led daring reconnaissances.”
On 10 June 1916 Stanley Kent was promoted acting captain “without pay or seniority” and was back into the trenches around Ypres, Belgium. North of Mount Sorrel on 4 July 1916 he was injured by shrapnel from an exploding whizz-bang, being wounded in the right arm, thigh and knee. He walked to the dressing station and was then taken to No 10 Casualty Clearing Station. After three days in bed he was evacuated to the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire Canadian Red Cross Hospital at Hyde Park Corner, London with synovitus and fluid on the knee. A Medical Board recommended that he was not fit for any service for a month, so he convalesced at his parents’ home in Whitley Bay before being pronounced fit and reporting to 2nd Canadian Command Depot in Shoreham, West Sussex on 15 August 1916.
Captain Kent returned to the 10th Battalion in France on 3 March 1917 during the preparations for the Vimy Ridge offensive. He led a raid across the German lines on 7 April 1917 which led to him being awarded a bar to his Military Cross. The citation published in July reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led a successful raiding party on the enemy lines. He captured two prisoners and obtained much valuable information. Undoubtedly many lives were saved as a result of the raid. He was untiring in his efforts and a splendid example to his men.”
By now a fully paid acting captain, Stanley Kent “was acting as Intelligence Officer, and was detailed to reconnoitre the ‘jumping-off’ positions on the night of 27 April 1917 – the night previous to the attack on Arleux-en-Gohelle. It was very dark and the party had evidently lost its bearings and ran into wire. The enemy detected their presence and immediately opened up with rifle and machine gun fire – a bullet penetrating Captain Kent’s lung. He was immediately carried to a dressing station and evacuated to No 30 Casualty Clearing Station where he died two days later.”
Captain Stanley Kent is buried at Aubigny Communal Cemetery extension north west of Arras. He is remembered on the war memorial plaque in St Paul’s Church, Whitley Bay, and the roll of honour at Tynedale Rugby Club.
Civil Parish: South Shields
Birth date: 25-Jan-1890
Death date: 29-Apr-1917
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 16 Argyle Terrace, Westoe, South Shields (1891 census)
Oakfield Villa, 8 Tynedale Terrace, Hexham, Northumberland (1901 census)
5 Woodside, Hexham, Northumberland (1911 census)
Religion: Church of England
Employment: Insurance clerk (1911 census)
Banker (1914 enlistment papers)
Family: Parents: Charles William Kent, Alice Kent nee Gallan
Siblings: Charles William Kent, May Kent, Eva Kent, Leslie Kent, Stella Kent
Military service:
Northumberland Hussars Imperial Yeomanry (pre-war)
19th Alberta Dragoons Divisional Cavalry (pre-war militia)
2073
Private
1st Divisional Cavalry Squadron
2nd Lieutenant
Captain
10th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Medal(s): Military Cross and Bar
1914/15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal
Memorial(s): Aubigny Communal Cemetery, Arras, France
Plaque 1914-18, St Paul’s Church, Whitley Bay
Roll of Honour, 1914-18, Tynedale Rugby Club
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham