Kemp, John Charles (2nd Lieutenant)

Collection relating to the First World War service of 2nd Lieutenant John Charles Kemp, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 6th Battalion, (colloquially referred to as Kitchener’s Army). The collection consists of a personal handwritten account titled ‘How I got my Military Medal; Written by CQMS Kemp.’ The four page recollection opens ‘I belong to the 6th Bn The Queens. One of Kitchener’s first battalions. My company was in a reserve trench at Givenchy. We had been in these about 48 hours when my Company officer sent for me, also for my platoon Sergt. On arriving at my officer’s Headquarters we found him pouring over a trench map with his forefinger on one particular spot known as Ducks Bill. The officer turned to me and said, tonight at twelve o’clock we are going to blow up a mine …’. The final page includes a diagram, drawn by Kemp, titled ‘Plan of Crater and Trench’. The drawing includes both the German and British front lines, and B Company and C Company are labelled. Kemp was awarded the Military Medal for this action on 13 January 1916.