Kenneth Mayhew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Mayhew
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Mayhew in 2011.
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| Born | 18 January 1917 Helmingham, Suffolk, England |
| Died | 13 May 2021 (aged 104) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
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British Army |
| Years of service | 1939–45 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Suffolk Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Second World War
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| Awards | Knight 4th Class of the Military William Order (Netherlands) |
Major Kenneth George Mayhew (born January 18, 1917 – died May 13, 2021) was a brave British Army soldier who fought in World War II. He was one of the special people to receive the Military William Order, which is the highest honor given by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Kenneth Mayhew joined the army in 1939. He became an officer in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. He led a group of soldiers who landed in Normandy on D-Day in 1944. They fought in the North West Europe Campaign. Mayhew was hurt while fighting in the Netherlands. He went back to lead his soldiers, but was injured again and had to return to the United Kingdom.
In 1946, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands made Mayhew a knight. He received the Knight fourth class of the Military William Order. The people in charge of the order lost touch with him in the 1980s. But then, he was seen wearing his medal at a special event in 2011. After that, he became an active member of the order again.
Contents
Early Life
Kenneth Mayhew was born in Suffolk, England, on January 18, 1917. His father was a farmer. He went to Framlingham College. From 1936 to 1939, he played cricket for the Suffolk County Cricket Club.
Military Service
When World War II started in 1939, Mayhew joined the army. In January 1940, he went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After his training, he became a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. This group was part of the 8th Infantry Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Division. His battalion was supposed to go to France in 1940, but the Battle of France happened. So, they stayed in the United Kingdom. From 1942, they started getting ready for an invasion of France. They practiced landing on beaches.
On June 6, 1944, Mayhew led his company on D-Day. They had 13 armored vehicles and landed at Sword Beach in Normandy. His unit captured the Hillman Battery. This was a strong German fort with 12 bunkers and 150 soldiers. This helped free Colleville-Montgomery. Then, they fought in the Battle for Caen. On June 28, they were part of Operation Charnwood. They fought a tough battle at Château de la Londe, where many British soldiers died. His company then freed Flers and moved towards Belgium and the Netherlands.
The 1st Battalion was supposed to meet airborne troops at Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden. But this plan did not work out. During battles in the Netherlands, Mayhew's company helped free Weert (September 22), Venray, and Overloon (October 16–19). In Weert, Captain Mayhew got help from local resistance fighters. To find German positions, they often had to put themselves in danger. This led to several injuries among his soldiers. On October 16, 1944, during the Battle of Overloon, Mayhew was hurt by shells. This happened while he was helping build bridges for tanks across a stream at Venray. He was sent to a hospital in Brussels. But he went back to his company, even though his doctors told him not to. He was worried someone else would take his command. On February 25, 1945, he was injured again while moving towards the Rhine river. He was then sent back to the United Kingdom.
Knighthood
After World War II, the government of the Netherlands wanted to thank foreign soldiers. They wanted to reward them for helping free their country. In October 1945, the United Kingdom suggested Mayhew for a lower honor. However, the Dutch government decided he deserved a higher award. On April 24, 1946, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands made Mayhew a knight. He received the Knight fourth class of the Military William Order. This Order is the highest and oldest military honor in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is given for "performing excellent acts of Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty in battle." Because of his injuries, Mayhew could not travel to the Dutch embassy in London. So, he received the honor by mail. Before he passed away in 2021, Mayhew was the oldest living knight of this order.
Later Life
After the war, Mayhew worked selling artificial fertilizers. In 1965, he met Queen Juliana of the Netherlands at Huis ten Bosch. This was to celebrate 150 years of the Military William Order. In the 1980s, the order lost contact with Mayhew when he moved. The last time they heard from him was in 1982. He received a book about the Military William Order by mail. People thought Mayhew had passed away. He even attended a monument unveiling in Weert in 1994, but no one from the order noticed him.
In September 2011, Mayhew was at a memorial service in Venray. A Dutch medal researcher saw him wearing his Military William Order decoration. At that time, only seven knights were known to be alive. They were highly respected. So, finding an eighth knight was big news. The order confirmed he was a member. They told the Minister of Defence and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The Dutch embassy in London sent someone to Mayhew's home to get back in touch. In May 2012, Mayhew visited the Netherlands. He met Queen Beatrix and the other Dutch knights. He also received a special medal from the town of Venray.
Since 2012, Mayhew visited the Netherlands many times. He was an active member of the Military William Order. In May 2013, he was a special guest at the annual Liberation Day ceremony in Wageningen. He also visited the Overloon War Museum. In May 2014, Mayhew opened the Liberation Day celebrations in Wageningen. Over 1,800 veterans and 120,000 visitors were there. Later that month, Mayhew helped "baptize" tulips in London. These tulips were a gift from the Netherlands to mark 70 years since Operation Market Garden.
On December 6, 2014, he was a special guest at the knighting of Gijs Tuinman. Mayhew was one of only two knights present. The event was shown live on Dutch TV. Mayhew welcomed Tuinman as a new member of the order. In January 2017, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands sent Mayhew a letter for his 100th birthday. The Dutch ambassador to the United Kingdom delivered it. Mayhew was also a guest at Buckingham Palace in October 2018. This was during a visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to the United Kingdom. In 2018, a book about his life was published. King Willem-Alexander wrote the introduction.
As a D-Day veteran, Mayhew attended several memorial services in Normandy. These were in 1994, 2004, and 2014. These events were organized by a local group called "Les Amis du Suffolk Régiment" (Friends of the Suffolk Regiment). The town of Colleville-Montgomery, which the Suffolk Regiment freed in 1944, also helped. In 2014, Mayhew met a former German soldier who defended Hillman Battery. He also met a grandson of Colonel Ludwig Krug, who was the German commander of Hillman Battery.
Personal Life
Mayhew married Rosalie Elizabeth "Betty" Howell in 1939. She has since passed away. They had three children: a son named Roger (born in 1940) and twin daughters, Susan and Gillian (born in 1945). They also had six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. After Betty passed away at age 79, Mayhew married his second wife, Patricia. Kenneth Mayhew passed away on May 13, 2021, at the age of 104.
Honours and Medals
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)
- United Kingdom
- 1939–45 Star: For fighting outside the United Kingdom.
- France and Germany Star: For fighting in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Defence Medal: For service in the United Kingdom.
- War Medal 1939–1945: For serving in the Armed Forces.
- Netherlands
- Knight 4th class of the Military William Order (1946): For bravery, leadership, and loyalty in battle.
- Appreciation medal from the municipality of Venray (2012).
- France
- Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Images for kids
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Mayhew and his wife Patricia in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Kenneth Mayhew para niños
