Kenneth Mumby
Kenneth Mumby was born on July 15 1916, in Sculcoates, East Riding of Yorkshire. Kenneth was the third of four children to Joseph Kent Mumby and Ethel Louise (née Jackson). His older siblings were Doris Brusby (born March 23 1911) and Joseph Kent Jr. (born June 27 1913), and his younger brother was Wilfrid (born July 15 1918).
Kenneth Mumby’s parents were married on October 9, 1910. The 1911 census records them residing at 11 Louise Terrace, Alexandra Street, Hull, where Joseph worked as a barman. During the First World War, Joseph, service number 133093, served in the Royal Garrison Artillery as a 3rd Class Air Mechanic. During his service he was injured and in 1920 he received a grant of £35.00 from the Military Service (Civil Liabilities) Department to start a window cleaning service.
On the 1921 census the family were living at 18 Gordon Avenue Cannon Street Hull. Kenneth was 4 years and 11 months old. Clearly the grant had paid off, as his father Joseph was now a self-employed window cleaner.
Ken was active as a professional boxer between 1938-1940 and took part in 12 professional contests. The Daily Mail Hull of January 7 1939 reported on East Hull boxing bouts, including Ken’s fight against Bill Simpkins. The article described how Ken ‘did good work’ and ‘punched as strongly in the seventh round as if he was only just commencing and was still fresh when the towel was thrown in by Bill Simpkins corner’.
By 1939, Ken was still living with his family at 18 Gordon Avenue Hull. By this time his father Joseph is classed as a disabled blind pensioner. Ken is working as a Boiler Fireman and also as a Decontamination Warden for the Air Raid Precautions.
Ken was mentioned in the pages of the Daily Mail again on 7 March 1945, but this time for a much more tragic reason. The article reads ‘A well known Hull Lightweight boxer has died of wounds while serving with the B.L.A. He is Ken Mumby , the son of Mr & Mrs J Mumby of 18 Gordon Ave. Hull.’ The article describes that Ken was formerly employed by the Hull Corporation, had been in the army since March 1940 and had attended St Paul’s School as a boy. It also states that Ken’s younger brother Wilfrid is in Italy and another brother J.K Mumby (Joseph Kent) has recently returned to this country from Burma where he was fighting with the Chindits.
Bombardier Kenneth Mumby, Service Number 469892, died on 09 February 1945 aged 28. He is buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, in the Netherlands. His headstone inscription reads ‘In memory of our dearest son and brother, dearly loved and sadly missed.’
These photographs were shared with us by the family of another member of 324 Battery, William Woof, who survived the war. William was close friends with Ken Mumby. It is thought that Ken is the man on the right of the first photograph below. However this is not confirmed as we have not been able to source another photograph of Ken.
We would like to hear from family members of Ken Mumby to find out more about his life and find a photograph of him. If you are related to Ken Mumby please email [email protected]