Trafford

Born during the March quarter 1878 in the Stockport R.D. - ref: 8a/96, the
son of Thomas Herbert & Mary Elizabeth Kendal (nee Mowle).

1881 Census - Woodleigh, Stockport-Etchells, Gatley.      Son - aged: 3 -
born: Gatley.    Head of household - Mary E. Kendal - Wife - aged: 42 -
occ: Silk Merchant's Wife - born: Ireland.   Plus 4 siblings and 4 domestic
servants.   His father was a visitor at The Cedars Hoole House, Hoole,
Cheshire.  Listed as being aged: 38 - occ: Silk Merchant.  This was the
home of the Mowle family and his father-in-law was an Iron Founder,
employing 70 Men & 15 Boys.

1891 Census -   37 Gatley Road, Stockport Etchells, Gatley.    Son - aged:
13 - Scholar - born: Cheadle.    Head of household - Thomas H. Kendal -
Married - aged: 48 - occ: Silk Merchant - born: Manchester.    Also - Mary
E. Kendal - Wife - aged: 52 - born: Ireland.    Plus 5 siblings and 4
domestic servants.

1901 Census - Gatley Hill, Stockport Etchells, Gatley.   Son - Unmarried -
aged: 23 - occ: Silk Merchant - born: Cheadle.     Head of household -
Thomas H. Kendal - Married - aged: 58 - occ: Silk Merchant - born:
Manchester.    Also - Mary E. Kendal - Wife - aged: 62 - born: Ireland.  
Plus 3 siblings and 4 domestic servants.

Herbert married Dorothy Jane Godson during the Jun Qtr 1903 at Stockport
R.D. - ref: 8a/12.   The daughter of a medical practitioner.

His father died at Avondale, Southport, Lancashire on the 22nd September
1908.  Reported in the London Gazette dated 16th October 1908.

1911 Census - "Newstead", Bonville Road, Dunham Massey, Cheshire.    Head -
Married - aged: 33 - occ: Silk Mender & General Finisher (Employer) - born:
Cheadle, Cheshire.    Also listed - his wife - Dorothy Jane Kendal - aged:
32 - born: Cheadle, Cheshire.   Plus their two children and four servants
in an eleven roomed house.  They had been married for 7 years and produced
2 children who were both still living.

His widowed mother was then residing at Home Green, Gannock Park, Deganwy,
Llanrhos, Carnarvonshire.    Head - Widow - aged: 72 - occ: Private Means -
born: Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland.  Plus 2 of Herbert's sisters and 2 domestic
servants.

Herbert & Dorothy resided at "Newstead", Bonville Road, Dunham Massey.  
They had four children - John (b.1907) - Richard Herbert (b.1909) - Phillip
(b.1912) - Walter (b.1916).

Herbert was the Hon. Treasurer of the Altrincham & District War Supply
Depot, a position he resigned to take up motor transport work at the front
in October 1917.   Colin Graham of the Altrincham History Society has
written an account of the Bowdon War Supply Depot under "Occasional Paper
23".

The 07/06/1918 edition of the Altrincham Guardian reported that he was
serving with the British Ambulance Convoy, attached to the French Army and
had been awarded the Croix de Guerre for his work in April 1918.   It also
stated that he died near to Soissons, France.

Herbert died during the "Battle of the Aisne", that took place between the
27th May and 6th June 1918.   He was serving in the 39th Division in the 11
(French) Cavaltry Corps.   A German offensive, the Battle opened on the
27th May with a bombardment of the British lines by 4,000 German artillery
guns.  The bombardment was accompanied by a gas attack and British
casualties were severe. 

Paul Heuzé, "L'automobile dans la guerre", Illustration, n° 3961, 1 Feb
1919, p. 127.  "The fact is that the ambulance drivers, who theoretically
were only supposed to go as far as the advance posts of the Division
Stretcher-bearer Corps, went all the way up to the aid stations to pick up
their wounded, across terrain mined by the enemy, through intense rifle
fire and waves of gas which they had to cross in the open.  Add to this the
darkness, the cries of the wounded for whom each bump in the road meant
torture, the gas mask which made it so terribly difficult to drive! And the
driver, despite all this, was aware more than anywhere else of the
importance of the role he was playing: did he not constantly hold in his
hands the lives of hundreds of wounded which he could save by his
cool-headedness and alacrity".

The President of the British Ambulance Committee - the Duke of Portland,
K.G., G.C.V.O., wrote to Herbert's widow on the 2nd March 1921 apologising
for not writing to her when Herbert was reported as missing in 1918.  In
his letter, the Duke states that Herbert had served as an Ambulance Driver
from the 1st August 1917 until his death on the 28th May 1918 caused when
his ambulance took a direct hit by a German shell and exploded.  (My thanks
to Paul Handford for the copy of the Duke's letter).  Paul also gave me a
copy of Herbert's business card for Kendal-Milne & Co., Manchester. 
Although it states his name, it does not reveal his position.

Whilst he is recorded on the WW1 Church Memorial in St. Margaret's Church,
there is also a personal memorial to him which states:-  "In loving memory
of Herbert Mowle Kendal, Croix de Guerre, Section Sanitaire Anglais, 39
Division, who was killed near Soissons 28 May 1918, aged: 40".  Listed as
"Kendall" (with two 'L' s) on the Altrincham & District Roll of Honour. 
Herbert was also commemorated on the Cheadle Congregational Church
memorial, which has since been demolished.  He is commemorated on the
Manchester Tennis & Racquet's Club Memorial.

His estate was valued at £86,013. 14s. 10d.

After representations made by Paul Handford, the CWGC has (2018) accepted
Herbert for commemoration by the Commission.

CWGC - Section Sanitaire Anglaise No.1 British Ambulance Committee.  
Husband of Dorothy Jane Kendal of Altrincham, Cheshire.