Education & Career :

Admitted to the Inn: 1908 May 16: Kenny, Laurence Henry, at present holding office under the London County Council (Education Department Executive) of 3 John Street, Bedford Row in the County of London; the second son of James Henry Kenny.

Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1911.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

10th Battalion attached to the 8th Battalion The Suffolk Regiment.

See also: Gray's Inn - Memorial:

Second-Lieutenant Laurence Henry Kenny was educated at the City of London School, being called to the Bar in 1911. In September 1914 he joined the Inns of Court OTC and was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion Suffolk Regiment in December 1914. He was drafted to France in December 1915, and was reported missing after a midnight trench raid on 25 June 1916 at Suzanne de Bray, near Cambrai, being then 34 years of age.

The day prior to his going missing/death, he writes an account of a Reconnaissance Patrol on which he, a fellow officer, an NCO and 3 ORs were tasked. The report is destined for his Commanding Officer. The War Diary for the Battalion exists for the following day, but no mention is made of Lieut. Kenny.

Masonic :

P.Prov. G.B. (middx)
Joined Middlesex Masters Lodge No. 3420.

He was not included in the original working of the Masonic Roll of Honour 1921, but is listed amongst those in the 1933 Scroll, at Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley