Raymond Kirk 1921

RAYMOND KIRK  born 1921  in Leicester.

What can i say, Grandad Kirk is my hero. He was always a bit of a 'Arthur Daley' character, pocket full of money, wheeling & dealing down the pub on the black market. He even had a lock up at home full of all sorts of boxes containing who knows what. He had been across Europe in the war with the RAF taking photos of German boat captures, seen Hermann Göring's private seaplane and then liberating Paris ! (according to him). On further research this actually turned out to have some truth to it, as his Squadron 2798 was one of the first British units into Paris, secretly entering Paris with the help of the French underground. You can read more on this in the links to Ray's War Story at the bottom of the page.

Ray was born in December 1921 at 48 Martin Street, Leicester. His father was called Frederick and his mother was called Harriet (formally Blissett), he came from a large family of thirteen children. The house on Martin Street was a small 2 up-2 down terraced house so space was tight with the expanding family, Ray remembered having to sleep top to toe with his brothers. Ray grew up in Leicester in the twenties and  thirties and can remember as a child riding on the trams around Leicester, Ray and his friends would skip off school to run errands for people. A return ticket from Catherine Street or Western Park to the centre of Leicester would cost just a penny. He can always remember having to turn the backs of the seats the other way when the tram turned around so they always faced the way the tram was going.

Quite often he wouldn't be found at School as he would be off making a few bob selling coal to his neighbours, delivered via wheelbarrow. He would buy hot cross buns and hot chestnuts to sell on at a small profit. He would pay tuppence to allow his cart through the toll gate on Martin Street to buy piles of wooden boxes which he then broke up and sold for firewood. His parents then decided to accomodate the growing family they would have to move to a larger house, they bought a house in the Braunstone area, this was two houses knocked onto one. Ray then attended the local school in Braunstone.

When Ray left school he worked as a bicycle delivery boy for 'Coleman and Son', a bespoke tailors in London Road. He later would become a tailor, both working and living for a time with the Coleman family.

When the war broke out he joined the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) set up at Braunstone House and by 1941 he had joined up with the RAF. Ray's RAF records states he enlisted on the 24th February 1941, his home address at the time was 12 Bendbow Rise, Braunstone, his former civil occupation is stated as a tailor bespoke and his RAF occupation is a gunner. 

Initially he worked as a despatch rider and then was put in charge of the stores. Originally billeted in Skegness after enlisting, then he moved to be part of the 51 Group where the 9 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training  School) which was based at Ansty Airfield. Ansty provided a training centre for young pilots, they would be training on planes like the Tiger Moths and Hawker Jets.

From there he moved down to Debdon Airfield in Essex, Debden is an important and historic airfield, being one of the Group No.11 sector airfields responsible for covering the Eastern approaches to London during the Battle of Britain.  Ray's unit became part of the larger allied forces when the Americans joined the war. Along with the American forces his unit was dispatched to mainland Europe in 1944. During the war the squadron was active in several countries such as France, Belgium and the Baltic areas of North Germany. His commanding officer p/o J.Green was awarded the Croix De Guerre medal, this was awarded to honour people who fought with the Allies against Axis forces during World War II.

He married Joan on the 21st of March 1942 at Leicester Registry Office. His address was still 12 Bendbow Rise, Braunstone, Leicester. The marriage certificate giving his Rank as AC 2 and Number 1093901. It notes that his job had been a plasterers labourer. Raymond started his RAF career at the level of AC2 , then he was made up to AC1 and then LAC (Leading Aircraftman), If he had stayed in the army after the war he would of been made sergeant but this wasn't to be as he left and went back to life as a tailor. It is noted on his RAF record that his promotion to LAC was on the 1st August 1942. His RAF record gives his actual release date of the 28th September 1946.

While in the RAF he and Joan had two children. The first was my father, he was born in November 1942 and was named Roger. Ray's job is stated as leading aircraftman on Roger's birth Certificate. The second child was a daughter called Margaret, born in November 1944. 

Ray along with his squadron landed on Omaha Beach in July 1944, they were transported there on the American liberty ship J.D. Ross, the unit came under fire as they landed and were hounded by German aircraft. From there they moved through Europe all the way to Germany. You can read details of his exploits in Ray's War Story link below or order a hard copy of the book via the links at the bottom of the page.

After Leaving the RAF Ray found a job working at Clitheroes as a buyer & seller, this was a shop at 49 Uppingham Road, Leicester.  This sold tailoring and general goods.

Leicester was changing and expanding rapidly during this time. The New Parks was a brand new estate built at the end of the war  to accommodate Leicester's expanding population. Ray & Joan moved to 50 Keightley Road, New Parks estate with his young family. Later they then organised a house swap with another family on the same street and  moved to 69 Keightley Road where Ray acquired a shop. This sold tailoring and general goods, he even mended shoes as well, a trade he taught himself.  I always remember it having lots of  cabinets full of every different coloured cotton thread you could imagine and the storage sheds at the back would be full of shoes and other goods. He would load up the minibus on the Friday night ready for the Derby market the next day. There was also a second shop kept for a time at Bloxham Road.

Ray and Joan then had two boys. John was born in March 1948 and Armand, who was born in February 1955. They were later joined by a sister called Melanie, she was born in January 1961. Ray eventually retired and the shop was sold and together with Joan they moved to Newport Street, Leicester, where they enjoyed a long and happy retirement.

Ray passed away in 2017 at the grand old age of 95. A much loved husband, father and grandfather.

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RAYMOND KIRK  born 1921  in Leicester.

Born.  December 1921  at  48 Martin Street, Leicester. 

Census 1939.  Raymond Kirk. dob 13 Dec 1922

            Profession - Taliors Assistant

            Address - 12 Bendbow Rise, Leicester.

            Civil Parish - Leicester 

            Living With Father Frederick A Kirk . dob 03 Mar 1889

            Profession - Textile Machinery Filler (Married)

            Mother Harriett E Kirk, dob 19 Mar 1889

            Profession - Unpaid Domestic Duties (Married)

            Frederick A Kirk. dob 23 Dec 1912

            Profession - Engineers Labourer Heavy Work

            Vera M Kirk (later Wood). dob 07 Aug 1918

            Profession - Lockstitch Mchr (underwear)

            Charles Kirk. dob 29 Mar 1920

            Profession - Garage Hand

            Roland Kirk. dob 29 Jan 1924

            Profession - Errand Boy Hosiery

            Terrence B Kirk. dob 13 Sep 1832

            Profession - At School

            Dorothy A Kirk (later Hurst). dob 03 Dec 1918

            Profession - Unpaid Domestic Duties (Married)

 RAF.   24th February 1941 - 28th September 1946

Marriage.  21 Mar 1942  Raymond Kirk Age 20. 

             A/C 2 1093901 Royal Air Force (prev' Plasterers Labourer).

             Residence - 12 Bentbow Rise, Leicester.

             Father - Frederick Alfred Kirk.  Engineer.  

             To Joan Almond Age 21.  Housekeeper.

             Father -  Henry Almond .  Tyre Vulcaniser  

             Residence - 29 Raven Road, Leicester        

             at Leicester Register Office

             Signed by Ray Kirk and Joan Almond

             Presence of - H Almond and W Merrill

Died.   12 Mar 2017, Leicester.

Cremated. 12 Apr 2017, Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester.

Children of JOAN ALMOND and RAYMOND KIRK are:

    i.     ROGER KIRK

           b Nov 1942, Leicester

    ii.    MARGARET KIRK

           b Nov 1944, Leicester

    iii.   JOHN KIRK

           b Mar 1948, Leicester

    iv.   ARMAND KIRK

           b Feb 1955, Leicester

    v.    MELANIE KIRK

           b Jan 1961, Leicester

Go to Ray's Wartime Story

Go to Associated Wartime Images - Raymond Kirk (1921)

Go to Ray's Father - Frederick Alfred Kirk (1888)

Go to  Ray's Wife - Joan Almond (1921)

Go to Ray's Brother - Alf Kirk (1916) Wartime Story

Go back to the Kirk Family Tree Page

To order a hard copy of the details of his war time experiences in my book "Ray's War - Vol II".

Just click here to view  'Ray's War' from Publication & Links page.

More general photos of Ray can be found under

Frederick Kirk Images & Joan Almond Images