Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

A Second War ‘Dunkirk’ M.C. group of three awarded to Second Lieutenant P. D. R. Kindersley, Highland Light Infantry, whose actions helped extricate his battalion from a desperate situation; transferring to the newly-formed Reconnaissance Corps, he died in service in March 1941
Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1940, in Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘H. F. T. Kindersley, Esq., c/o Mrs. J.D. Herringham, Little Lords Mead, Lymington, Hants.’ [the recipient’s brother, at their aunt’s address], extremely fine

Four: Lieutenant H. F. T. Kindersley, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces, who was captured and taken Prisoner of War by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942
1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, all privately engraved ‘Lt. H. F. R. Kindersley F.M.S.V.F.’, mounted for wear, with a Federated Malay States V.F. cap badge, nearly extremely fine (7) £1,800-£2,200

M.C. London Gazette 22 October 1940.
The original recommendation, submitted by Brigadier J. G. Smyth, V.C., states: ‘On 29 May 1940 when 1st H.L.I. became surrounded by enemy tanks and infantry this officer was acting as Brigade Liaison Officer. He came through to Brigade H.Q. to report the situation of his battalion at great personal risk and later took back a message to his C.O. which enabled considerable elements of the battalion to be extricated under cover of darkness. His behaviour throughout was admirable and his reports clear, intelligent and helpful.’

Philip Douglas Ronald Kindersley was born in 1918 at Rekko Hill, Kajang, Malaya, where his father was established as a pioneer coffee and rubber planter. Sent to England for his education, Philip attended Repton School between 1932 and 1935, passing into the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1936. He was commissioned into the Highland Light Infantry in 1938, the Kindersley name being familiar in the regiment through the distinguished career of his uncle, Colonel Archibald Kindersley, CMG, and his cousin, Claude Kindersley (who would receive both the DSO and MC in the approaching war), already serving with the 2nd Battalion.

Second Lieutenant Kindersley served as intelligence officer of the 1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry when it joined the British Expeditionary Force in France. There it was assigned to Brigadier ‘Jackie’ Smyth’s 127 Infantry Brigade at his particular request, his high opinion of the regiment having been formed when its 2nd Battalion was present at the action in which he won the Victoria Cross in 1915. In mid May 1940, when the collapse of the French army and the German invasion of Holland obliged the B.E.F.’s withdrawal towards the Escaut line, 127 Brigade came under ‘Macforce’, a scratch formation created to guard the bridges over the River Scarpe between Raches and St. Amand and protect the exposed right flank. Here the H.L.I. came under sustained attack from the air, the beginning of two weeks of hard fighting during which they developed something of a speciality as a rearguard unit, in the retreat north-westwards to the Channel coast.

On 29 May 1940 the Battalion was at Rexpoëde, less than 10 miles from Dunkirk, having just completed a particularly arduous march of 25 miles, hard on the heels of two successive night withdrawals. The battalion was suddenly attacked in the rear by tanks which had broken through a neighbouring formation. Determined and effective resistance was immediately organised, which kept the enemy tanks and infantry at a distance all afternoon, the position being subjected to shelling and mortar fire throughout. Any movement at once drew rifle and automatic fire.

The situation was confused - the battalion out of touch with higher command and likely surrounded. It was in these circumstances that the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J. D. Russell, gave Kindersley his task. As he recounted to a brother officer:
‘I have sent back Philip to get orders and find out what is happening. We can be quite sure that if it is humanly possible for anyone to get back, Philip will do it.’

This confidence was not misplaced; Kindersley’s journey to Brigade H.Q. under heavy fire, and his hazardous return with the order to retire, enabled the survival of the remainder of the battalion. Their arrival within the Dunkirk perimeter was a great relief to their Brigadier, as recalled by Smyth in his memoir:
‘I was particularly pleased with the H.L.I. They had had by far the worst time. They looked an awful crowd of ruffians, unshaven and black with sweat and dirt. But they were tremendously pleased with themselves. They had been up against a very awkward situation, had had a rough close-quarter scrap and given a great deal more than they had received in the way of hard knocks. They gave me a great welcome and were all full of fight and in high morale. I remembered my words to Gort when I chose them: “But they’ll fight like hell when it does start”. And they certainly did.’

When the Reconnaissance Corps was formed in January 1941, Lieutenant Kindersley was appointed to command C Squadron of 42nd Reconnaissance Regiment, in the acting rank of Captain. However, his promising career was brought to an abrupt close when a bout of scarlet fever developed into meningitis. He died at Ipswich Isolation Hospital in March 1941.

Henry Francis Ronald Kindersley, the elder brother of the above, was born in 1912 and after education at Radley College he followed in his father’s footsteps as a planter in Malaya, firstly with the British American Tobacco Company, and afterwards at the Sengat Rubber Estate, Ipoh (1937-56). As an officer in the Malay Volunteers he was captured at the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942, and worked on construction of the infamous Burma railway. On returning to England he made his home on the Isle of Wight, where he was active in business and the community. He died in 1970.

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