Paul Aloysius Kenna
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Paul Aloysius Kenna VC
DSO
(16 August 1862 – 30 August 1915) was an English born British Army
officer of Irish
descent and recipient of the Victoria Cross
(VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to British
and British Empire
forces.
. Kenna was educated at Stonyhurst College
and St. Francis Xavier College in Liverpool - he is honoured in a memorial which can be seen in the main hall of the current college site in Beaconsfield Road, Liverpool.
during the Sudan Campaign when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 2 September 1898, at the Battle of Omdurman
, Sudan
, when a major of the 21st Lancers was in danger, as his horse had been shot in the charge, Captain Kenna took the major up on his own horse, to a place of safety. After the charge Captain Kenna returned to help Lieutenant De Montmorency
who was trying to recover the body of an officer who had been killed.
for Great Britain
as a horse rider
. He did not finish the Individual eventing (Military)
competition, also the British team did not finish the team event
. In the individual jumping event
he finished 27th.
at Suvla, Turkey
during the Battle of Gallipoli
on 30 August 1915, aged 53 and is buried in Lala Baba Cemetery
.
His VC is on display in The Queen's Royal Lancers Regimental Museum in Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire
.
His first cousin, Margaret (née) Larkin (grand-daughter of his grandfather Patrick Kenna) married Simon Mangan
, HM Lieutenant for Co. Meath. Their grandson was Group Captain Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley
.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Paul Aloysius Kenna VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(16 August 1862 – 30 August 1915) was an English born British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent and recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forces.
Background
He was the son of Thomas Kenna, a wealthy stockbroker of Liverpool who was descended from a family of minor gentry from County MeathCounty Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Kenna was educated at Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
and St. Francis Xavier College in Liverpool - he is honoured in a memorial which can be seen in the main hall of the current college site in Beaconsfield Road, Liverpool.
Victoria Cross
Kenna was 36 years old, and a captain in the 21st Lancers (Empress of India's), British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Sudan Campaign when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 2 September 1898, at the Battle of Omdurman
Battle of Omdurman
At the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the British Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, when a major of the 21st Lancers was in danger, as his horse had been shot in the charge, Captain Kenna took the major up on his own horse, to a place of safety. After the charge Captain Kenna returned to help Lieutenant De Montmorency
Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph De Montmorency
Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph De Montmorency VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
who was trying to recover the body of an officer who had been killed.
Olympics
He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
as a horse rider
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
. He did not finish the Individual eventing (Military)
Equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Individual eventing
The individual eventing was an equestrian event held as part of the equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of the event....
competition, also the British team did not finish the team event
Equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Team eventing
The team eventing was an equestrian event held as part of the Equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of the event. The team score was simply the sum of the best three scores for each nation in the individual eventing competition.-Results:...
. In the individual jumping event
Equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Individual jumping
The individual jumping was an equestrian event held as part of the Equestrian at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which had first been held at the 1900 Summer Olympics.-Results:...
he finished 27th.
World War I
He was killed in actionKilled in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
at Suvla, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
during the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
on 30 August 1915, aged 53 and is buried in Lala Baba Cemetery
Lala Baba Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
Lala Baba Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. It contains the remains of some of the soldiers killed during World War I during the battles at Gallipoli...
.
His VC is on display in The Queen's Royal Lancers Regimental Museum in Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
Family
Kenna married Lady Cecil Bertie, daughter of the 7th Earl of Abingdon. He married, secondly, Angela Mary, daughter of Herbert Hibbert. They had one daughter, Kathleen (d. 1998)His first cousin, Margaret (née) Larkin (grand-daughter of his grandfather Patrick Kenna) married Simon Mangan
Simon Mangan
Simon Mangan was a landowner and HM Lieutenant of Meath from 1894 to 1906. A JP, he was also in business with his son-in-law Patrick Leonard in moving cattle between the west and east of Ireland....
, HM Lieutenant for Co. Meath. Their grandson was Group Captain Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley
Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley
Group Captain Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley RAF , son of Cmdr Ralph Tindal-Carill-Worsley, RN, was a bomber pilot during the Second War and helped plan and execute the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, where he was imprisoned between 1940 and 1945.-Great Escape:His particular responsibility...
.