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The Airmen's Stories - P/O P F Kennard-Davis

 

Peter Frank Kennard-Davis was born in Kensington, London on 24th February 1920, his family was from East Beach, Selsey.

His parents were Frank Edward Kennard-Davis (1896-1975) and Frances Amelia Kennard-Davis (nee Cooper).

His father was born in Argentina and served in the Royal Field Artillery until severely wounded in 1917, when he was appointed Staff Captain at the British Embassy in Madrid.

Later he was a professional photographer with a studio in London, he exhibited throughout Europe and North and South America. By 1940 he was serving with 2 (Port of London) Inland Water Transport Group, Royal Engineers. He spoke six languages and was later, in the rank of Colonel, appointed as Military Attache to countries in South America.

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PF Kennard-Davis was educated at Wargrave House, Eastbourne College though he left at age 14 to attend the Thames Nautical Training College at Greenhithe. He was intending to join the Navy but an eyesight defect prevented this.

However the problem must have been resolved as he went into the RAF on a short service commission in May 1939. His initial training was at 13 FTS Drem and his first posting was to 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit at Ringway on 12th April 1940.

Kennard-Davis was posted to 5 OTU Aston Down in July 1940 and, after converting to Spitfires, he joined 64 Squadron at Kenley on 3rd August. Five days later his Spitfire L1039 caught fire during combat with Me109s over Dover and Kennard-Davis baled out, seriously wounded with fragments of metal in his head, body, right arm and right leg.

He was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital and died there on 10th August.

His Spitfire, L1039, crashed and burned out near West Langdon.

Kennard-Davis was 19. He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery in the grave of his grandparents.

 

 

 

Below: almost a year later a presumed girlfriend was still unaware that he had been killed, the official reply is rather stark..

 

 

Above images courtesy of and copyright the National Archives.


 

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