Francis Woodley KENDALL (aka Mike) [1907-1973]

Submitted by David on Fri, 12/10/2021 - 11:19
Names
Given
Francis Woodley
Family
Kendall
Alias / nickname
Mike
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Born
Date
Birthplace (town, state)
Vancouver
Birthplace (country)
Canada
Died
Date
Died in (country)
Hong Kong

Mike Kendall was the head of Z Force in Hong Kong in WW2.

Lots more information about him at http://www.hongkongescape.org/Kendall.htm

Tags

Connections: This person is ...
Spouse of
Beatrice KENDALL (née LAM, aka Betty / San King) [1913- ]
Member of
Z Force [????-????]

Photos that show this Person

Comments

Ancestry Tree

Francis Woodley Kendall born 4 August 1907 Vancouver Canada

1911 Census 1629 Connor Street Vancouver B.C. Canada

Francis Woodley Kendall age 3 living with widowed mother age 32, a brother age 7 and a twin sister age 3. The family was still there in 1921. In passenger lists his occupation is shown as engineer.

(He had an older brother and not a younger one as mentioned in the hongkongescape link)

Post war Kendall remained in Hong Kong and became the Far East Manager for Philippine Airlines and later was involved in the motor car insurance business. He died in Hong Kong in 1973.

Sources: Articles in the China Mail and "Escape from Hong Kong" by Tim Luard.

A search in the government reports shows the following for Kendall:

Notice 823, 19 July 1940: 

It is hereby notified that FRANCIS WOODLEY KENDALL has been re-assigned from the General Group for Essential Services to the Key-Posts Group in the Hong Kong Defence Reserve under the provisions of the Compulsory Service Ordinance, 1939.

R. A. C. NORTH,

Colonial Secretary.

Can anyone explain what it means to be re-assigned from the General Group for Essential Services to the Key-Posts Group in the Hong Kong Defence Reserve?

For anyone researching Kendall, I have a copy of his SOE personnel file, as well as a personal report he wrote about his wartime activities.

Also, please note that his SOE personnel file and the 1937 publication,  The Kendall Family in America, state his date of birth as 22 August 1907. I would expect those sources to be authoritative.

In his personal report signed by Kendall and dated 17 September 1968, he wrote, "I am a Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, and have lived in Hong Kong and South China for the past 35 years." That would place his arrival in Hong Kong sometime in 1933.

Finally, regarding Kendall's death, it was stated in the comments on his wife's Gwulo entry, "Carl Smith Card 115065 recording the death of Francis Woodley Kendall 17 May 1973 refers to his wife as Beatrice and children as  Harry and Vivienne."