Burial of Driver J J Kennell who served with 250 (Airborne) Light Composite Coy, Royal Army Service Corps, and died on 18 September 1944. He was only 19 years old.

The service was conducted by Fr Paul McCourt, CF Chaplain, 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps and was attended by family and local dignitaries.

The service has been arranged by the Ministry of Defence, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission manufacturing and installing the new headstone.

Previously Driver J J Kennell was commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial as missing.

The remains of Driver Kennell were discovered in 2012 at the Ginkel Heath near Arnhem. He was identified by means of a 1944 army dental treatment card. It is led to believe that he was killed in mid-air by German fire whilst descending by parachute. His body was found and buried in a shallow field grave.

John was the son of John and Jeanette Kennell. He liked sports and played football, cricket, swimming, boxing and billiards. His hobbies were reading, travel, history and music. He started work, aged 14, as an office boy, but soon moved into the hardware side of the business, becoming a tinner's improver (mate) until he was called up for national service. He received his basic training with the General Service Corps and was subsequently trained as a driver with the 9th Training Battalion RASC.

He was posted to 230 Divisional Composite Company RASC, but may have been looking for more action; applying for airborne duties, which were voluntary. He was posted to No. 2 Parachute Platoon of 250 Light Composite Company RASC, which was, as part of Operation Market Garden flown in on 18 September 1944. John jumped over Ginkel Heath, near Arnhem but - according to unconfirmed sources - was hit by German fire mid-air whilst descending by parachute. His body was found and buried in an unmarked shallow field grave, where it lain, undiscovered, until 2012.