Occupation: Grocery shop owner
Comments: Born at: Durlston Rd, Kingston
Married on: 14 March 1942
At: St. Anne's, Stanley, Liverpool
He was posted in Jersey as a gunner to the Middlesex Regiment. At the start of WW2, and evacuated when the Germans invaded in 1942. At the roll call back in the UK, he claimed he was a driver. as no-one was the wiser, that is what he became! He spent the rest of the war in the UK driving a corporal around! He was posted in Liverpool, where he met my grandma, Mollie. He was arrested once for "borrowing" the car to go and visit her! They married, and my Father, Keith Ely was born nine months and three days later! Soon, Mollie moved south with Keith to live with Ken in West Byfleet with his parents, Samuel Charles and Edith. It was a large house attached to his shop. Soon, Ken's parents moved out, to be replaced by Ethel who was Samuel Charles' sister, her daughter and grandson. Malcolm was born. Samuel Charles and Edith moved back in, and due to friction with "mother-in-law", Ken and Mollie left to live in Hanworth. Unfortunately, there was still marital problems, and Mollie left Ken, and went with the children to live with her parents Walter and Mary in Brighton. After a while, ken bought his father's shop, snd Mollie was persuaded to move back in with him. My Father, Keith stayed in Brighton as he had just passed his 13+, and it was best for him to stay at grammar school there.
Ken sold the shop in Byfleet. Keith moved with them to the Forest Stores in Shamley Green where Ken was manager.
In June 1964 they bought the house in Roland Road, Cranleigh with Walter and Mary. The house cost £4000. Kentook out a £2000 mortgage, and he and Walter paid £1000 each.
In August 1971, Ken, Mollie and Mary moved to Shalford. Walter had died.
Ken now ran a small grocery shop at Weybridge Station. I used to work there on Saturdays.
Ken had a heart attack in the mid 1980's.
In July 1988, Ken and Mollie moved to Alfold. Mary had died.
in 1994, they moved again to Billingshurst.
Words from his wife:
I MET KEN EARLY IN 1940. THE SECOND WORLD WAR STARTED ON SEPT. 1939. I WAS AT THAT TIME EMPLOYED AS MANAGERESS BY A MR. FERENSIDE IN HIS SHOP AT CHILDWALL FIVE WAYS. THE SHOP WAS A SWEETS, TOBACCO AND NEWSAGENT.
KEN WAS STATIONED WITH THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT ON THE CHILDWALL ESTATE (THE SHOP AFTER THE WAR WAS BOUGHT BY THE BANK WHICH WAS NEXT DOOR TO THE SHOP). THE SOLDIERS, OF WHICHEVER REGIMENT STATIONED THERE WOULD FREQUENT THE SHOP. KEN OF COURSE WAS ONE OF THEM. AT THE TIME HE HAD A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER (was fed up – sic.ed). HE HAD, BY ALL ACCOUNT, JUST RETURNED TO THE UNIT AFTER A MONTH OF DETENTION IN THE ARMY DETENTION BARRACKS AT SHEPTON MALLET IN SOMERSET.
THE STORY GOES THAT AS A BATMAN/DRIVER FOR ONE OF THE OFFICERS AND HAD CHARGE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. A SOLDIER IN THE SAME HUT AS KEN WAS EXPECTING HIS WIFE TO ARRIVE AT LIME STREET STATION, PLUS BAGGAGE ETC. AND HE ASKED KEN IF THEY COULD USE THE VEHICLE TO MEET HER. THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS WAS AN OFFENCE AGAINST ARMY RULES TO DO THIS.
DURING THE RETURN FROM LIME STREET STATION THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF PETROL. KEN PHONED THE BARRACKS AND THE 'RED CAPS' ARMY POLICE ARRIVED AND KEN WAS PUT ON A 'CHARGE' A CHARGE MORE SERIOUS BECAUSE HE HAD LEFT HIS RIFLE IN THE LOCKED VEHICLE. NEVER-THE-LESS, ON HIS RETURN TO HIS UNIT HE STILL HAD THE BATMAN/DRIVER JOB.
BEFORE THE COMPANY MOVED FROM LIVERPOOL TO BARRACKS IN SURREY/HAMPSHIRE KEN WAS OFTEN AT THE HOUSE WHERE I LIVED IN DAVIDSON ROAD, OLD SWAN.
ONE DAY A SERGEANT MAJOR ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE. KEN HAD BEEN CONFINED TO BARRACKS, THE CAR USED BY KEN FOR HIS OFFICER AND FOR COLLECTING POST ETC. HAD BEEN MISSING THE EVENING PREVIOUS AND KEN HAD BEEN QUESTIONED HE HAD SAID THE HE HAD BEEN AT OUR HOUSE (ON FOOT) HAVING WALKED ME HOME FROM MY WORK AT THE SHOP. MY FATHER HAD TO VOUCH THAT THIS WAS TRUE. THEN MY FATHER TOLD KEN THAT HE WAS NEVER TO ARRIVE AT OUR HOUSE OTHER THAN ON FOOT OR BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
KEN HAD TOLD THE TRUTH AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS EVER FOUND OUT WHO HAD USED THE CAR.
AFTER KEN LEFT LIVERPOOL WE KEPT IN TOUCH AND HE SPENT HIS ARMY LEAVE'S WITH MYSELF AND FAMILY IN LIVERPOOL. IN MARCH 1942 WE MARRIED IN ST. ANNES CHURCH, STANLEY, LIVERPOOL. OUR WARTIME HONEYMOON WAS SPENT IN LLANDUDNO, NORTH WALES. KEN HAD BEEN GIVEN THREE WEEKS LEAVE BECAUSE WHILE ON DUTY HE HAD A FALL, WHICH HAD CAUSED A BROKEN COLLARBONE.
I RETURNED TO WORK AND KEN BACK TO HIS UNIT WHICH WAS THEN AT BROADSTAIRS KENT. I WAS THEN WORKING AT THE R.O.F. FACTORY IN THE 'REGISTRY' DEPT. WHICH I WILL WRITE OF LATER. WHILE KEN WAS STATIONED AT BROADSTAIRS HE TOOK ILL AND WAS IN HOSPITAL FOR SOME WEEKS SUFFERING WITH A DUODENAL ULCER WHICH LED TO HIS ARMY DISCHARGE. THIS WAS IN SEPTEMBER 1943.
KEITH HAD BEEN BORN IN DECEMBER 1942 WHILE I WAS LIVING WITH MY PARENTS IN DAVIDSON ROAD
Spouse: Mary (Mollie) Dalrymple (Married 14-Mar-1942)
Children: Allen Keith Ely, Malcolm Walter Ely
Married at St. Anne's, Stanley, Liverpool.
Some text from Mollie:
I MET KEN EARLY IN 1940. THE SECOND WORLD WAR STARTED ON SEPT. 1939. I WAS AT THAT TIME EMPLOYED AS MANAGERESS BY A MR. FERENSIDE IN HIS SHOP AT CHILDWALL FIVE WAYS. THE SHOP WAS A SWEETS, TOBACCO AND NEWSAGENT.
KEN WAS STATIONED WITH THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENT ON THE CHILDWALL ESTATE (THE SHOP AFTER THE WAR WAS BOUGHT BY THE BANK WHICH WAS NEXT DOOR TO THE SHOP). THE SOLDIERS, OF WHICHEVER REGIMENT STATIONED THERE WOULD FREQUENT THE SHOP. KEN OF COURSE WAS ONE OF THEM. AT THE TIME HE HAD A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER (was fed up – sic.ed). HE HAD, BY ALL ACCOUNT, JUST RETURNED TO THE UNIT AFTER A MONTH OF DETENTION IN THE ARMY DETENTION BARRACKS AT SHEPTON MALLET IN SOMERSET.
THE STORY GOES THAT AS A BATMAN/DRIVER FOR ONE OF THE OFFICERS AND HAD CHARGE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. A SOLDIER IN THE SAME HUT AS KEN WAS EXPECTING HIS WIFE TO ARRIVE AT LIME STREET STATION, PLUS BAGGAGE ETC. AND HE ASKED KEN IF THEY COULD USE THE VEHICLE TO MEET HER. THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS WAS AN OFFENCE AGAINST ARMY RULES TO DO THIS.
DURING THE RETURN FROM LIME STREET STATION THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF PETROL. KEN PHONED THE BARRACKS AND THE 'RED CAPS' ARMY POLICE ARRIVED AND KEN WAS PUT ON A 'CHARGE' A CHARGE MORE SERIOUS BECAUSE HE HAD LEFT HIS RIFLE IN THE LOCKED VEHICLE. NEVER-THE-LESS, ON HIS RETURN TO HIS UNIT HE STILL HAD THE BATMAN/DRIVER JOB.
BEFORE THE COMPANY MOVED FROM LIVERPOOL TO BARRACKS IN SURREY/HAMPSHIRE KEN WAS OFTEN AT THE HOUSE WHERE I LIVED IN DAVIDSON ROAD, OLD SWAN.
ONE DAY A SERGEANT MAJOR ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE. KEN HAD BEEN CONFINED TO BARRACKS, THE CAR USED BY KEN FOR HIS OFFICER AND FOR COLLECTING POST ETC. HAD BEEN MISSING THE EVENING PREVIOUS AND KEN HAD BEEN QUESTIONED HE HAD SAID THE HE HAD BEEN AT OUR HOUSE (ON FOOT) HAVING WALKED ME HOME FROM MY WORK AT THE SHOP. MY FATHER HAD TO VOUCH THAT THIS WAS TRUE. THEN MY FATHER TOLD KEN THAT HE WAS NEVER TO ARRIVE AT OUR HOUSE OTHER THAN ON FOOT OR BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
KEN HAD TOLD THE TRUTH AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS EVER FOUND OUT WHO HAD USED THE CAR.
AFTER KEN LEFT LIVERPOOL WE KEPT IN TOUCH AND HE SPENT HIS ARMY LEAVE'S WITH MYSELF AND FAMILY IN LIVERPOOL. IN MARCH 1942 WE MARRIED IN ST. ANNES CHURCH, STANLEY, LIVERPOOL. OUR WARTIME HONEYMOON WAS SPENT IN LLANDUDNO, NORTH WALES. KEN HAD BEEN GIVEN THREE WEEKS LEAVE BECAUSE WHILE ON DUTY HE HAD A FALL, WHICH HAD CAUSED A BROKEN COLLARBONE.
I RETURNED TO WORK AND KEN BACK TO HIS UNIT WHICH WAS THEN AT BROADSTAIRS KENT. I WAS THEN WORKING AT THE R.O.F. FACTORY IN THE 'REGISTRY' DEPT. WHICH I WILL WRITE OF LATER. WHILE KEN WAS STATIONED AT BROADSTAIRS HE TOOK ILL AND WAS IN HOSPITAL FOR SOME WEEKS SUFFERING WITH A DUODENAL ULCER WHICH LED TO HIS ARMY DISCHARGE. THIS WAS IN SEPTEMBER 1943.
KEITH HAD BEEN BORN IN DECEMBER 1942 WHILE I WAS LIVING WITH MY PARENTS IN DAVIDSON ROAD.
Kenneth's Heritage
Parents: Samuel Charles Ely, Edith Anne Roffe
Siblings: Muriel Edith Ely