In Thy Presence Is The Fullness Of Joy
Sergeant Kenneth Robert Eyland Cambridgeshire Regiment
The Man Kenneth Robert Eyland (Ken) was born on Tuesday 22nd February 1916 (The day of the Battle of Verdun), son of Robert Ernest a Chartered Accountant’s Clerk and Pattie Warrener nee Millwood. He had one sister Patricia Phylis (Phyl) born in 1920 - 81.
Following his education Ken became a Carpet Salesman working for Messrs J Templeton and Co, Carpet Manufacturers based at 34, Little Britain, London and in 1938 he and the family were living at ‘Granville’ 8 Parkhill Road, Sidcup.
The 1939 Register shows Ken living at 29 Foskett Road, Fulham, together with other employees of the Carpet Manufacturer, including his future wife Ivy Eaton Dowse a typist with the company. With World War II imminent Ken joined the local Auxiliary Fire Service.
On Sunday 10th March 1940 Ken married Ivy at All Saint’s Church, Fulham and the service conducted by Reverend J G Jeffreys, Ken’s best man was John Williams. Following the service a small number of relatives attended a reception at 1 Betteridge Road where Ivy had been living with her aunt.
Sadly, they did not have long to enjoy their marriage as shortly afterwards Ken was called up into the 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment with service number 6020863. Possibly on account of his AFS service he was promoted to Sergeant.
Following his education Ken became a Carpet Salesman working for Messrs J Templeton and Co, Carpet Manufacturers based at 34, Little Britain, London and in 1938 he and the family were living at ‘Granville’ 8 Parkhill Road, Sidcup.
The 1939 Register shows Ken living at 29 Foskett Road, Fulham, together with other employees of the Carpet Manufacturer, including his future wife Ivy Eaton Dowse a typist with the company. With World War II imminent Ken joined the local Auxiliary Fire Service.
On Sunday 10th March 1940 Ken married Ivy at All Saint’s Church, Fulham and the service conducted by Reverend J G Jeffreys, Ken’s best man was John Williams. Following the service a small number of relatives attended a reception at 1 Betteridge Road where Ivy had been living with her aunt.
Sadly, they did not have long to enjoy their marriage as shortly afterwards Ken was called up into the 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment with service number 6020863. Possibly on account of his AFS service he was promoted to Sergeant.
On mobilisation, both 1st and 2nd Battalions were incorporated into the 18th division and spent the following year on defence duties along the Norfolk coast, training intensively in Scotland, the North East and Midlands, before embarking for overseas in October 1941. Kitted for service in the Middle East both battalions were diverted while in transit because Japan had now joined the conflict. The 2nd Battalion sped to Singapore whilst the 1st headed for India.
The 1st Cambs arrived from India in Singapore on 29th January 1942 and were immediately thrown into the line to participate in the final battles for Singapore. Despite constant assaults from Japanese infantry and tanks, the 1st were still holding out although surrounded for two days when the cease-fire was ordered. Ken was taken as Prisoner of War on 15th February at the fall of Singapore, although his Japanese PoW record says 17th.
In due course Ken was sent to Thailand to work on the notorious Burma Railway at camp M5586, succumbing to the hardship and deliberate maltreatment by the Japanese and dying on 8th January 1943 aged 26 of acute pneumonia. He was buried in the hospital cemetery at Chungkai where he remains to this day in plot 12.E.8. He was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45.
In a cruel twist, his wife was not informed of his death by the War Office until 21st August 1945, nearly three years later and had undoubtedly been living in hope during this time.
Ivy remarried becoming Ivy Stenning and died in Bromley in 2001 aged 88.
The 1st Cambs arrived from India in Singapore on 29th January 1942 and were immediately thrown into the line to participate in the final battles for Singapore. Despite constant assaults from Japanese infantry and tanks, the 1st were still holding out although surrounded for two days when the cease-fire was ordered. Ken was taken as Prisoner of War on 15th February at the fall of Singapore, although his Japanese PoW record says 17th.
In due course Ken was sent to Thailand to work on the notorious Burma Railway at camp M5586, succumbing to the hardship and deliberate maltreatment by the Japanese and dying on 8th January 1943 aged 26 of acute pneumonia. He was buried in the hospital cemetery at Chungkai where he remains to this day in plot 12.E.8. He was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45.
In a cruel twist, his wife was not informed of his death by the War Office until 21st August 1945, nearly three years later and had undoubtedly been living in hope during this time.
Ivy remarried becoming Ivy Stenning and died in Bromley in 2001 aged 88.
The Story The medals awarded posthumously to Kenneth Robert Eyland were acquired from E-Bay on 27th March 2024 and of interest as the recipient was buried in Chungkai Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, having worked on the Burma Railway – a sub-theme of this collection. There was also a vast amount of paperwork and personal letters sent to his wife following his death, too much to be shown within the research in fact.
The usual checks of the Commonwealth War Graves, Ancestry and newspaper archives enabled a reasonable biography to be pieced together and another wretched soul who perished toiling on the Burma Railway is remembered with some of his colleagues and his grave visited.
The usual checks of the Commonwealth War Graves, Ancestry and newspaper archives enabled a reasonable biography to be pieced together and another wretched soul who perished toiling on the Burma Railway is remembered with some of his colleagues and his grave visited.
Sidcup War Memorial
Kenneth Robert EYLAND is one of 16 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
- John AXON
- Thomas BURNS
- William James Johnstone BYERS
- Walter Richard COLBERT
- Percy Denis CORNWELL
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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This page last updated 28 Apr 24
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