Kenneth Mayhew

British World War II veteran (1917-2021)

Major Kenneth George Mayhew (18 January 1917 – 14 May 2021) was a British Army veteran of World War II. Mayhew was one of the only four living knights of the very exclusive Military William Order, the highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[1]

Kenneth George Mayhew
Mayhew in 2011
Born(1917-01-18)18 January 1917
Helmingham, Suffolk
Died14 May 2021(2021-05-14) (aged 104)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1939–45
RankMajor
UnitSuffolk Regiment
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight 4th Class of the Military William Order (Netherlands)

In 1939 Mayhew was an officer of the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. He commanded a company which landed in Normandy in 1944 and fought in the North West Europe Campaign. Mayhew was injured while fighting in the Netherlands.

In 1946, Mayhew was knighted by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, receiving the Knight fourth class of the Military William Order. The chapter of the order lost contact with him in the 1980s until he was seen wearing his medal at a memorial service in 2011.[2]

Mayhew died on 14 May 2021, aged 104.[3]

References change

  1. "En toen waren er weer acht..." (PDF) (in Dutch). Defensiekrant. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  2. "Major Kenneth George Mayhew RMWO (R29-34)". The Society of Old Framlinghamians. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  3. Oorlogsheld Kenneth Mayhew (104) overleden Archived 2021-06-05 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)