Lou Kenton facts for kids

Lou Kenton (born September 1, 1908 – died September 17, 2012) was an amazing English person. He worked as a proofreader, checking texts for mistakes. But he was also a brave medical courier and ambulance driver during the Spanish Civil War. He helped the International Brigades, a group of volunteers fighting for freedom. When he passed away, he was the oldest living member of this group.

Lou Kenton's Early Life and Activism

Plaque remembering the Battle of Cable Street

Lou Kenton was born in Stepney, a part of east London. His family was Jewish and came from Ukraine. They had escaped from unfair attacks in Russia. Sadly, his father died from a serious illness when Lou was young.

Lou left school at 14 and started working in a paper factory. There, he first faced anti-Jewish hate. This made him want to fight against unfairness. In 1929, he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain. He helped stop a big meeting of the British Union of Fascists in 1934. He also stood up to them during the famous Battle of Cable Street in 1936.

Serving in the Spanish Civil War

In early 1937, Lou Kenton left London. He rode his motorcycle all the way to Albacete, Spain. There, he joined the International Brigades. These were volunteers from many countries. They fought against a harsh government in the Spanish Civil War. His first wife, Lillian, a nurse, soon followed him. She had fled from Nazi Germany in 1933.

When Lou arrived, he joined the Medical Unit. For almost two years, he worked as a medical courier. He rode his motorcycle to deliver medical supplies. He took them to hospitals all over the country. He also drove ambulances on the front lines. He brought injured people to safety. In late 1938, he returned to Britain. He helped raise money for a new ambulance. By the time he finished, the International Brigades had been disbanded.

Lou Kenton's Later Life

After the war, Lou felt very sad. One of his jobs was to help Spanish refugees return home. He said it was hard to see the children crying. They held onto him as they were handed over.

British "Lidice shall live" poster

Lou then joined the Merchant Navy. This meant he worked on ships. At the start of World War II, he worked on a whaling ship. It was called the Southern Princess. Lou and Lillian divorced. In 1941, he married his second wife, Raffa Ephgrave. He was hurt during the Blitz, a bombing campaign in London. He spent two years in the hospital. After that, he got a factory job.

In 1942, a terrible event happened in Lidice, Czechoslovakia. Many innocent people were killed. Lou joined the British "Lidice Shall Live" group. He worked with them for many years. In the 1990s, he even became their chairman.

After World War II, Lou joined the Homes for Heroes campaign. This group helped soldiers who had no homes. They helped them find empty places to live. Lou then started working at the Financial Times. He was a proofreader there. He kept working until he was in his 70s.

Lou remained a strong communist. He worked hard for trade unions. He also helped with marches for unemployed people. But in 1968, the Soviet Union stopped a movement for freedom in Prague. After this, Lou left the Communist Party. He joined the Labour Party. He stayed a member for the rest of his life.

Lou Kenton's Commemorative Pottery

From 1980, Lou Kenton started making special pottery. He made it for trade unions and groups fighting for change. Many organizations asked him to create pieces.

• Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
• Tobacco Workers' Union
• Society of Graphical and Allied Trades
• Trades Union Congress
• National Union of Mineworkers
• The People's March for Jobs
• The International Brigade
• Greater London Council Peace Year
• National Council for Civil Liberties
• Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
• The Greenham Common women's campaign

Lou had two children and two granddaughters.

Spanish Passport for Lou Kenton

On May 26, 2009, an exciting announcement was made. Seven British older people would get Spanish passports. This would happen at the Spanish Embassy in London. Lou Kenton was 101 years old at the time. He was the oldest person to receive this honor.