Kenneth was born in London and enlisted as a scholar with the Regular Army on 31 August 1926 aged 15 years. He undertook trade training as an Artificer Royal Artillery at the Military College of Science, and he was stationed at the Royal Artillery barracks in Woolwich. He was described in his Certificate of Service as a good instructor and a first-class tradesman.

He was posted to Hong Kong in December 1937.

Kenneth was taken prisoner by Japanese on 26 December 1941 and spent some time as a PoW in Hong Kong. In September 1942 he boarded the Lisbon Maru for transportation to Japan. Kenneth was housed in No.3 Hold at the rear of the ship.

Following the torpedo attack on 1 October 1942, Kenneth managed to escape, and being a strong swimmer, he made it to the shore, only to be re-captured some days later.

He was then taken to Japan and worked whilst a PoW in the docks in the port of Kobe.

On release from captivity in November 1945, Kenneth returned to England via the United States aboard the USS Joseph T Dickman.

He was based at Aldershot until 1947, when he was then posted to Taunton in Somerset. He was discharged from the Army in July 1950 having completed nearly 24 years service.

He continued to work with the Army as an Instructor, concluding his career at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Bordon, Hampshire in 1976. Kenneth was a Member of the Association of Artificers, RA and regularly attended reunions.

During the post war years, Kenneth suffered considerable ill health as a result of treatment during captivity, particularly with digestion.

He suffered a heart attack and died in 1979 aged 68 years.