John Valentine's Story.
Birkenhead News 26 July 1919
The late Lieut. J. V. Kynaston.
In our last issue we published the photograph together with a few details regarding the death of Lieut. J. V. Kynaston, who was accidently killed whilst motor cycling.
The young officer had a very serious accident about seven weeks ago, and lay in hospital in Salisbury with a fractured skull. However, he made a wonderful recovery, although his memory was somewhat impaired, and his right arm slightly paralysed. He returned to camp, and on the evening of July 15 he left the aerodrome on his motor cycle for the purpose of visiting a neighbouring camp at Stonehenge. The night was dark and wet, and his commanding officer being anxious about him sent the young officer’s orderly in a motor tender to look for him. They came into collision about half a mile from the aerodrome. The driver of the tender felt a sudden shock, and Lieut. Kynaston was thrown clean over the tender and fell some twenty yards behind it. His neck and back and both legs were broken; death must have been instantaneous. His body was conveyed to the Military Hospital at Old Sarum, where an inquest was held on Wednesday, 16th inst, a verdict of course of “Accidental death”, being returned, and the driver of the tender exonerated from all blame. The deceased was laid to rest at the military cemetery at Durrington on Salisbury Plain on Thursday 17th. Six of his brother officers viz. Major Fuller, Capt. Riddle, Capt. Glesson, Lieut. Dowland, Lieut. Berrington and Lieut. Gayton were present, with the Rev. John E. Kynaston as the chief mourner. The chaplain officiated.
Lieut. J. V. Kynaston joined the Army the first week of the war, and was attached to the 4th Cheshire Regt. He was granted a commission in November, 1914, and served in France 1915-16. He was invalided out of the Army, and was for some time engaged in recruiting work in Birkenhead. Being successful in passing a Medical Board, his commission was restored to him, and he entered the Air Force. He soon became possessed of his “wings” as a pilot, and latterly acted as a flight instructor and tester. Educated at St. John’s, Leatherhead, he was 25 years of age, and before joining the Army was with the State Assurance Co., Liverpool.