Corporal Kenneth Horsfield GC 1920 -1944

[Optymystic]

3531119 Corporal Kenneth Horsfield was awarded the George Cross in March 1945 for the acts of gallantry which led to his death in Brindisi the previous year, thus giving Hyde its fifteen minutes of fame. Thanks to a campaign by local journalist Mike Pavasovic, Tameside has seen fit to place a blue plaque on one of the houses in Hyde in which its local hero is thought to have lived. His mothers' house in  Brook Street was demolished by the 1960s and the house in which he was born in George Street must have gone at about the same time. It is currently proposed, current owners permitting,  to put the plaque on 27 Croft Street, his grandfather's house where he is thought to have lived briefly in the 1920s. The unveiling of the plaque is currently scheduled for week commencing 23rd February.

For information about Kenneth (work in progress) see http://sites.google.com/site/kennethhorsfieldgc/ and http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/horsfield.steve/KennethHorsfield# the original documents have been deposited with Tameside archives in Ashton

He doesn't appear to have spent much time in the Manchesters. At the time of his death he was in the SAS, but I believe he was really involved in a succession of SOE postings. This led ultimately to his death in ME 54, which was a parachute container packing factory  for SOE drops to irregulars behind enemy lines, hence the Yugoslavs at his funeral.

[harribobs]

hi opty

would you like to tell the group about how Ken got his GC?

cheers

chris

[Optymystic]

I've posted some notes about his award and a copy of his citation at http://sites.google.com/site/kennethhorsfieldgc/gallantry. As with all the other documents, I have been able to locate, the originals are with Tameside library. There is more information in Robert Bonner's Volunteer Infantry of Ashton-under-Lyne.  He has drawn from sources I have never seen.

[themonsstar]

Ashton Reporter 30th March 1945

[Robert Bonner]

Tameside Council are shortly to erect a blue plaque to commemorate local soldier Corporal Kenneth Horsfield GC. His is the only George Cross awarded to the Manchester Regiment. The Cross and his medals were presented to the Regiment some years ago by his widow and are currently in the care of the Sergeant's Mess 2nd Duke of Lancaster's Regiment - the present day successor Regiment to the Manchesters.

Horsfield enlisted in the 9th Battalion in 1939 and was attached to the SAS in Italy. Whilst in Bari an ammunition explosion took place and three men were killed and three injured.  Horsfield was one of the first on the scene and saw a man trapped inside the building and although the fire was blazing he jumped into the shed and tried to extinguish the blaze.  He knew that a second explosion was likely and ordered everyone else away whilst he continued to fight the fire and save the trapped man.  There was a second explosion and he later died on 18 August 1944 from the injuries he received.

The unveiling will take place on Thursday 26th February in Hyde Town Hall at 12.30pm.

[Optymystic]

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/blueplaque/corporalkenneth

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