Desmond Kirkness was Second in Command of Auxiliary Units, but spoke very little about his wartime activities. His family only know that he was involved in the defence of the country in case of invasion. In retrospective he might even have been considered secretive, but at the time it didn't seem unusual.
No postings found for this person.
Westminster School
Commissioned from Cadet Lance Corporal, Westminster School Officer Training Coprs (Junior Division)
1 Mar 1941 Specially Appointed (ie serving in a non-Regimental role)
29 Sep 1942 Promoted War Substative Captain
29 Apr 1942 Promoted Temporary Major
Sep 1944 He attended the Quebec Conference in 1944 at the Chateau Frontenac
1950 Territorial Efficency Decoration
7 Aug 1958 Ceases to belong to the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers on reaching the upper age limit. Granted Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Married first to Marjorie Maud Dawson in 1931, subsequently divorced then married Section Officer Pauline M Lowe, Womens Auxiliary Air Force at the end of 1943. They had three children together, the first born in 1944 while he was overseas.
After the war he worked with Colonel Frank Douglas at Universal Asbestos. Eric Gray, who had been a Sergeant at Coleshill, worked with them having now qualified as an accountant.
HIs family recall the visit of David Lampe, as part of his research for The Last Ditch. In a subsequent conversation with a family member the words secret, submarines and Scotland were rtecalled, suggesting he may have been the source of the story about hunting a German Submarine that appears in the book.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34707/supplement/6855/data.pdf
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38889/supplement/1930/data.pdf
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41466/supplement/4923/data.pdf
https://elizabethan.westminster.org.uk/Filename.ashx?tableName=ta_eliza…
https://elizabethan.westminster.org.uk/Filename.ashx?tableName=ta_eliza…