Lance Sergeant Kenneth William Shipp Royal Signals
1939-45 Star. Pacfic Star. Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45.
The Man Kenneth William Shipp (Ken) was born on Friday 13th August 1915 at 9 Christchurch Road, Newport, Wales. Son of William, a Private in the Royal Field Artillery and a Carter for a Mineral Water Manufacturer and Mabel Annie nee Lane. He was seemingly an only child and Baptised in St Matthew’s Newport on 8th September.
Sadly, Ken’s mother Mabel died in 1919 aged just 29 and the 1921 Register shows Ken living with his Grandparents Walter and Eliza Lane at 29 Maindee Parade, Newport. The census clearly states, ‘Mother Dead’!
William remarried in 1921 to Edith Mary nee Brown and Ken moved back with his father and stepmother living at 19 Stafford Road, Newport. William and Edith had a son, Ken’s half-brother, David G born on 22 December 1922. Ken attended Durham Road School and was also an Old Maindee Boy Scout.
Following his education, Ken became an Assistant Chemist and in 1933 aged 17½ joined the 2nd Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) with service number 3854676. His family were shown on the 1939 Register still living at 19 Stafford Road, Ken was not present.
Ken was promoted to Lance Sergeant and posted to Malaya in 1936. Following the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939 and subsequent Japanese aggression the 2nd Bn were sent to Singapore as part of the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade and involved in the subsequent defence of the island following the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941.
Despite a stiff resistance and after severe fighting Singapore surrendered to the Japanese on 15th February 1942 and Ken was taken as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese. He was shipped to Thailand where together with others he was forced to work at the northern end of the infamous Burma Railway. He may have been based at the Kami Songkurai Camp, located only short distance from Three Pagodas Pass and the border with Burma, it was one of the most remote camps.
Ken eventually succumbed to the harsh treatment meted out by the Japanese and appalling conditions in which he was forced to work and died of Colitis on 3rd November 1943 aged 28. He was cremated and buried at the camp cemetery but reinterred in December 1945 to Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Burma, plot B3. X. 11.
Ken was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45 which were sent to his stepmother Edith at 19 Stafford Road.
Sadly, Ken’s mother Mabel died in 1919 aged just 29 and the 1921 Register shows Ken living with his Grandparents Walter and Eliza Lane at 29 Maindee Parade, Newport. The census clearly states, ‘Mother Dead’!
William remarried in 1921 to Edith Mary nee Brown and Ken moved back with his father and stepmother living at 19 Stafford Road, Newport. William and Edith had a son, Ken’s half-brother, David G born on 22 December 1922. Ken attended Durham Road School and was also an Old Maindee Boy Scout.
Following his education, Ken became an Assistant Chemist and in 1933 aged 17½ joined the 2nd Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) with service number 3854676. His family were shown on the 1939 Register still living at 19 Stafford Road, Ken was not present.
Ken was promoted to Lance Sergeant and posted to Malaya in 1936. Following the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939 and subsequent Japanese aggression the 2nd Bn were sent to Singapore as part of the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade and involved in the subsequent defence of the island following the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941.
Despite a stiff resistance and after severe fighting Singapore surrendered to the Japanese on 15th February 1942 and Ken was taken as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese. He was shipped to Thailand where together with others he was forced to work at the northern end of the infamous Burma Railway. He may have been based at the Kami Songkurai Camp, located only short distance from Three Pagodas Pass and the border with Burma, it was one of the most remote camps.
Ken eventually succumbed to the harsh treatment meted out by the Japanese and appalling conditions in which he was forced to work and died of Colitis on 3rd November 1943 aged 28. He was cremated and buried at the camp cemetery but reinterred in December 1945 to Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Burma, plot B3. X. 11.
Ken was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45 which were sent to his stepmother Edith at 19 Stafford Road.
Ken Shipp's Japanese Prisoner of War Record Card.
The Story The medals awarded to Kennerth Willim Shipp were acquired from Claydon Auctioneers on 29th June 2025, having only been found following a cursory search of The Saleroom two days before. They were of interest as Kenneth had died working on the Burma Railway, a sub-theme of this collection and was buried in Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Burma.
The medals came with his named award certificate and box of award addressed to his stepmother with Ancestry and the Newspaper archives enabling a reasonable biography to be pieced together.
At the time of writing, Myanmar is still not a country that it is advisable to visit.
The medals came with his named award certificate and box of award addressed to his stepmother with Ancestry and the Newspaper archives enabling a reasonable biography to be pieced together.
At the time of writing, Myanmar is still not a country that it is advisable to visit.
Medal Award Box addressesd to Mrs Edith Mary Shipp.
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Ken Shipp's Medal Award Certificate
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Thanbyuzuyat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Myanmar
South Wales Argus 4th June 1943.
Kenneth William SHIPP is one of 26 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
- Joseph DUCKWORTH
- Harold Edward EKE
- Kenneth Robert EYLAND
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Charles Roger LLOYD
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Alfred Arthur MANNING
- John MARKS
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- James Gordon MITCHELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Harold Norman SPALDING
- Alfred Henry STEVENS
- Walter Leonard TAYLOR
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
This page last updated 5 Jul 25
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