Name
Kenneth James Mackenzie Baines
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/01/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Panel 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey, Great Yarmouth War Memorial, Norfolk
Pre War
Kenneth James Mackenzie Baines was born in 1890 on Sark in the Channels Islands, the son of James Edgar and Mary Ann Baines (nee Howard). He was one of eight children, although a sister named Mildred was born and died in Burma (1876-1877). Confusingly another sister also called Mildred was born in Sandgate, Kent in 1879.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at the village of Moinerie on Sark in the Channel Islands. His father gave his profession as retired Colonel.
Prior to the war he was resident in Bushey at ‘Ensor’, the house next to The Red House in the High Street.
Wartime Service
At the start of the war he fought with the Cape Mounted Rifles in the German South West Africa Campaign but obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion of The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), but was later attached to the 12th Battalion.
He served in France from 1 October 1915 and was killed in action on 2 January 1916 whilst on 'listening duty' close to the German trenches. An extract from the war diary for the 12th Battalion, for 2 January 1916, recorded: "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. 2Lt 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 without success."
Kenneth has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium.
Additional Information
His mother Mrs Mary Ann Yardley Baines received pay owing of £40 7s 9d.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer, Brenda Palmer
www.greatwarforum.org., Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
