Valentine Murder 1944

Brookwood Memorial
Brookwood Military Cemetery

Located in Brookwood Military Cemetery is the Brookwood Memorial. The Memorial is an open rotunda of Portland stone.

The Memorial main stone panel carries the inscription

1939-1945

THIS MEMORIAL BEARS THE NAMES OF THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FORCES OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND IN MANY FOREIGN LANDS, IN HOME AND

DISTANT WATERS, IN THE CAMPAIGN OF 1940 IN NORWAY AND IN LATER RAIDS ON THE COASTS OF EUROPE, AND TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED A KNOWN AND HONOURED GRAVE

 

Above this is the inscription which reads

THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS

There is some controversial debate whether some of those who are commemorated there, should have their names erased.

The army commemorates those who have died, who were serving with the army at the time, if the individual commits a serious crime, they were still regarded as serving with the army. For the other armed services, they discharged the individual.

One of those names commemorated on the memorial  is KEMP E. J.

Extracted from another website we can see who Kemp was

Ernest James Harman Kemp

Ernest James Harman Kemp was born illegitimately on the 4^th October 1923, in Gillingham, Kent. He adopted his mother’s name, later claiming that his Father had died when he was aged 4. He lived in New Cross, South London, and worked as a Porter at the local railway station. Kemp enlisted in the Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surreys) on 29^th December 1942, serving at Maidstone, Exeter, Ilfracombe and Taunton. During 1943, he transferred to the Royal Artillery and served at Aberdeen, Cromer, Watford and Woolwich. On 8 February 1944, whilst under military police escort at the dentist Kemp escaped by climbing through a toilet window.

Early on the morning of 22^nd February 1944, a Police Constable called Charles Memory spotted a soldier with a WAAF. Having served in the Army during the First World War, PC Memory noticed that the soldier was wearing a uniform with an impressive collection of medal ribbons, including medals that were issued before the soldier was born. Kemp later admitted that a few days before the murder he had fitted himself with Sergeants Stripes, Commando Titles and Glider Pilots Wings. He then decorated himself with the Military Medal, North West Frontier and Palestine Medal ribbons. After waiting until the WAAF had departed, the constable arrested the soldier and took him to Albany Road Police Station. Chief Inspector Edward Greeno, who was heading the enquiry into LACW Deeley’s murder, was notified of the arrested suspect’s description. The suspect stated that he was Gunner Ernest Kemp. After finding out that Kemp was a deserter, Greeno asked him to account for his actions over the period of 12-14 February 1944. He provided some evasive answers and also failed to account for some of Miriam’s possessions that he had in his rucksack. Greeno asked Kemp to remove his boots, which were the same size as those found near Iris’s body. Kemp was then informed that he was being detained as a suspect in the murder of LACW Iris Miriam Deeley.

 

Iris Miriam Deeley

Iris was born in West Ham, London, the daughter of Donald Alan and Miriam Deeley (nee Cardozo).

Her father had served with the Northumberland Fusiliers during the Great War, seeing service on the Western Front. Iris joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) on 7^th August 1942 and during a posting in Cornwall, became engaged to one of the station’s radar mechanics, Aircraftsman William Quill. After Quill’s commission had been announced, Iris was posted to No.1 Balloon Centre at RAF Kidbrooke (South-East London) while Quill had been posted for a course at No. 7 Radio School, which was located at the Science Museum.

 

On the weekend of 12-13 February 1944, Miriam obtained a weekend pass which she spent with her fiancé at her family home in Wanstead, East London. Her fiancé escorted Miriam back to Charing Cross Rail Station, where she could catch a train to Kidbrooke and re-join her unit. However, when she arrived at Charing Cross, she had missed the last direct train to Kidbrooke. She phoned her unit to notify them that she would be late and boarded a train for Lewisham. On 14^th February 1944, her body was discovered in an allotment alongside the railway at Well Hall Station, the stop after Kidbrooke travelling from London. She had been raped and strangled with her own scarf. After being killed, her body had been dragged some distance where a number of articles were found, together with some large footprints.

Following numerous appeals, witnesses came forward who had seen Miriam with what appeared to be a soldier. A description was circulated describing the wanted person as a talkative soldier with what might appear to be an impressive collection of medal ribbons.

On 18^th April 1944, Kemp’s trial for the murder of Miriam Deeley began at the Old Bailey before Mr Justice Cassels. The Prosecution case was presented by Mr L.A. Byrne and Mr Gerald Howard. Kemp was represented by Mr F.H. Lawson. Kemp pleaded not guilty, and no evidence was presented by the defence. Records show that Kemp had stated that; “a little after midnight I was walking with the girl, and I wished to have intercourse with her. When I threw her to the ground, she told me not to be silly and that if I had any sisters, I would not do this. She continued to struggle, so I pulled both ends of her scarf. She suddenly stopped struggling and I could not feel a pulse. I then undressed her and eased myself upon her body but there was no penetration”. This was a point that medical evidence had found to be true. Although he had murdered her and attempted to have sex, he was unsuccessful, and therefore, had not committed a rape. Kemp showed no remorse for the murder and went as far as stating that; “there was no use crying over spilt milk”.

 

Iris Miriam Deeley grave
City of London Cemetery,
Manor Park

The jury found him guilty of Iris’s murder and added a recommendation of mercy. However, Kemp was sentenced to death by hanging and on the morning of 6^th June 1944, as the world’s eyes turned to the beaches of Normandy, Ernest Kemp was executed at Wandsworth Prison by Albert Pierrepoint. As with all executed prisoners, he was then buried within the prison grounds.

 

Today, the grave of Iris Miriam Deeley can be found in the City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, East London. It is a dark and dismal spot, and rather unkempt. Comparatively, because his body is buried in un-consecrated ground, Ernest Kemp’s name is displayed on the Brookwood Memorial, alongside the names of other servicemen who were executed for heinous crimes and whose bodies also lay within the walls of English prisons.