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Denis Kinnell

1918-2008

Upon leaving school Denis joined the Territorial Army and was called up to the ranks of the Royal Army Service Corps at the start of the Second World War. His was a distinguished war record and he was promoted to the rank of Major by the end of the conflict.

Denis was part of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium and was evacuated from the Bray Dunes at Dunkirk. He was soon recommended for a commission and joined the 8th Army in the Western Desert, serving at El Alamein, and later in Palestine, Syria and Italy.

When the German Forces were forced out of Greece, Denis was drafted there to help to suppress the Communist Guerillas. The British troops were welcomed enthusiastically by the Greeks and Denis was enraptured by Greece and its culture for the rest of his life. He learnt to speak and write Greek fluently and returned many times over the years to visit the friends he made.

In April 1946 Denis was demobbed and after adjusting to civilian life he joined the engineering firm of Dorman Smith which became part of BICC plc during his time with them. In 1952 he became Group Export Manager, travelling extensively in Europe and South Africa where he made many lifelong friends. He was promoted first to Sales Manager and finally to be a Director of the Company in 1958. He retired in 1983.

Denis enjoyed his later years, travelling widely until his mid eighties. He was noted for his humour, loved by his friends and will be greatly missed.

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