"gunner" Harry A. Kenton, Usmc

[jamesicus]

A close friend of mine, Harry Kenton, now aged 91, has a great personal story relating to WW2.

HARRY A. KENTON, USMC, BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Harry A. Kenton was born in 1914 in Chicago and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1934. After undergoing his initial training at Parris Island, he was assigned first to Haiti and then in 1935 to Tiensing, China, as a consular Guard.


Pvt. Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- 1934

The consular personnel were withdrawn due to the advancing Japanese Imperial army and he was transferred to Coascula, Balboa, in Panama.


Sgt. Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- 1939

Following Pearl Harbor now Sgt. Kenton was transfered to E. Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment, 1st. Marine Division and was assigned to Tutuila, Pago Pago (Pango Pango), Samoa in order to help train the Marine invasion force for Guadalcanal.


Sgt. Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- Samoa, 1942

They were shelled by Japanese submarines and had to prepare a defensive perimeter. During the Guadalcanal landing and fight in 1942 Sgt. Kenton contracted Mosquito borne elephantitis and was transferred to a field hospital. He spent much of the rest of the war recovering in hospital.

At the end of WW2 now G/Sgt Kenton was assigned to Oahu, Hawaii, as a section NCOIC of small arms battlefield recovery and salvage. G/Sgt Kenton went on to serve in the Korean War and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer (Gunner) in 1957.

HARRY A. KENTON'S 1903 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE:

Private Harry Kenton, new USMC enlistee, was issued (as were all US Marines at that time) a 1903 Springfield rifle, serial number 1207769, on 10 April 1934.


Pvt. Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- original issue slip for 1903 Springfield rifle
SN 1207769, 10 April 1934

After the Guadalcanal operation in 1942 the US Marine Corps switched to the US Rifle, cal 30, M1 (Garand). Sgt Kenton (now in the hospital) had previously turned in his Springfield rifle. One day during his tenure as a section NCOIC of small arms battlefield recovery and salvage in Oahu, Hawaii, following the end of the war, a list of recovered rifle serial numbers -- mostly Garands, but including some 1903 Springfields -- came across his desk. Among them was 1903 Springfield rifle number 1207769 -- the very rifle he had been issued in 1934! He immediately sent a crew out to look for it -- and they found it! There was no record of its history during the war. He applied to the USMC for permission to purchase the rifle and was eventually allowed to for $25 (in 1954).


CWO Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- Receipt for purchase of 1903 Springfield rifle
SN1207769 from the USMC

The battered stock was reconditioned and it was eventually fitted with an inscription plate bearing his name and "Guadalcanal 1942" when he retired.


CWO Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- Inscription plate on 1903 Springfield rifle
SN1207769


CWO Harry A. Kenton, USMC -- Serial number on 1903 Springfield rifle
SN1207769

It is now displayed on the wall of his house with a retrofitted bayonet and sling. I am sure there are not many veterans who own the actual rifle they were issued and carried in battle!


CWO Harry A. Kenton, USMC, Retired, -- Photo of the "Gunner" , aged 91, holding his 1903 Springfield rifle, SN 1207769 -- taken in his backyard by me on 30 March 2005

[BrianP]

That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it!

[sappernz]

Fantastic story, thank you.
It reminds me of a story that was in The New Zealand Returned Soldiers Association (RSA) magazine a few years ago. This is true.
A kiwi soldier in North Africa was taking cover during a heavy bombardment when a shell landed directly in font of him and buried itself in the sand. For a nanosecond he waited to be forcibly propelled through the pearly gates but it did not go off. After a few terrified minites of being to scared to move in case he set it off, the bombardment stopped and he was able to get up. He warned those around him about this shell and wondered why he had been so lucky. Another soldier said it was probably AP ( armour Piercing for those that do not know ). Cautiously,and as he admitted stupidly, they scraped the sand away from the shell. Sure enough it was AP but what startled the lucky soldier was the number on the shell base. It was the same as his Army number. He had found the bullet with his number on it. He either shipped it home or carried it back at the end of the war but was photographed with it 50 yeras later showing the shell number and his dog tags number.
I wonder how many soldiers actually knew they already had the bullet with their number on it.

[jamesicus]

Originally posted by sappernz@Apr 1 2005, 03:29 AM
.......... It reminds me of a story that was in The New Zealand Returned Soldiers Association (RSA) magazineX a few years ago. This is true.
A kiwi soldier in North Africa was taking cover during a heavy bombardment when a shell landed directly in font of him and buried itself in the sand. For a nanosecond he waited to be forcibly propelled through the pearly gates but it did not go off. After a few terrified minites of being to scared to move in case he set it off, the bombardment stopped and he was able to get up. He warned those around him about this shell and wondered why he had been so lucky. Another soldier said it was probably AP ( armour Piercing for those that do not know ). Cautiously,and as he admitted stupidly, they scraped the sand away from the shell. Sure enough it was AP but what startled the lucky soldier was the number on the shell base. It was the same as his Army number. He had found the bullet with his number on it. He either shipped it home or carried it back at the end of the war but was photographed with it 50 yeras later showing the shell number and his dog tags number.
I wonder how many soldiers actually knew they already had the bullet with their number on it.

Quoted post

Also a great story, sappernz -- thanks for sharing it. It is so important to insure stories like this are preserved for posterity.

James

[jamesicus]

BTW, another remarkable thing about Gunner Kenton -- at the age of 91 he weighs the same as when he enlisted in the USMC in 1934 -- 140 lbs -- his service uniform still fits him perfectly! He is remarkably bright, alert and fit for a man in his nineties -- and his mind is crystal clear.

He only eats small portions of healthy food -- very little white flour products, refined sugar and fatty or greasy food -- but, he loves a nightly glass of Glenlivet (neat) and an occasional Guinness with lunch!

James

[jamesicus]

FYI -- On Samoa, in preparation for the 1942 landing on Guadalcanal, Marine Corps units were equipped with the following small arms: .30 cal water-cooled machine guns, .30 cal Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR), .45 cal Thompson sub-machine guns, .30 cal M1903 Springfield rifles, .45 cal M1911A1 semi-automatic pistols.

[jamesicus]

As a point of interest Gunner Kenton pointed out that when he joined the Corps in 1934 the total worldwide strength, including officers, was only some 17,000. He was briefly assigned to recruiting duty in 1939 and saved the following memorandum (which was issued in 1939 when war was beginning to envelop much of the world) which set the new goal for USMC enlisted strength at 25,000! Of course, in a few more years the total Corps enlisted strength would be some 250,000!

[Kiwiwriter]

These are both great stories...I'm glad Gunner Kenton was reunited for life with his old rifle. I'm sure it could still fire a shot and he could still get a fine score on the range.

I also like the SapperNZ's story. The Germans sent over a lot of shells that turned out to be duds, and Stephen Ambrose hit upon the reason why, which should have been obvious:

Slave labor made the German shells. So slave labor sabotaged the German shells. They had no vested interest in the shells exploding, just in living, so they would fill the shells with anything but live powder...and the result was duds and misfires.

Still a great story, though.