Kenneth Welsh

Dad's first job was at the Appleton Rum Factory when he was about 17 years old. He knew how to fix bicycles, but heard that there was a job at the rum factory. The day he arrived, the foreman asked if he knew how to fix motors of tractors, and Dad said "yes." He fixed the one that they pointed out, and he had a job.

After two conversations with my dad, Kenneth L. Welsh, October 29, 2005, he said that he was actually in the Jamaica Infantry Volunteers (JIV), a militia unit, which was started at the beginning of the War, The Kingston Infantry Volunteers (KIV) only consisted of Kingstonians, and it was disbanded in 1939 and replaced by the JIV, which could have men from all over Jamaica.

He was a member of the Home Guard from September 1944 until December 1944, when he asked for a transfer to the JIV. (The Home Guard was disbanded in 1946.)

He later joined the Jamaica Regiment, First Battalion. Most of the older men that visited my parents' home are old soldiers, who "never die, they just fade away."

Dad was a sentry at these camps.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0069.html

The West Indies Regiment/Caribbean Regiment went to Italy, then Egypt, then the War ended. (Aston Forrest (a cousin), quoted by Kenneth L. Welsh, June 18, 2006).

Aug. 17, 1951 - Hurricane Charlie, Kingston/Port Royal/Morant Bay damaged. (Source: Important Dates in the History of Jamaica, NATURAL DISASTERS AND EVENTS IN JAMAICA, http://users.pullman.com/mitchelm/jamaica.htm ). During the hurricane, Kenneth "Noble" Welsh, who was driving a jeep, overturned. While he was trapped in the overturned vehicle, he vowed to God that he would not smoke or drink (alcohol) again.

Kenneth met his cousin Phyllis at Aston Forrest's and Cynthia's wedding. (Later she went to England).

Kenneth L. Welsh retired from the regular army, First Battalion, Jamaica Regiment, because he had just started a family--about a year after Gaylia was born. He later went into the reserves, Third Battalion.

Kenneth L. Welsh married Carmen M. Melville were married.

Mom left for the U.S. She was sponsored as a domestic. Dad contacted his Aunts Anita and Emmy to come live with us at Campbell's Blvd.

After Dad left for the U.S., Grandma (Aunt Lue), and Aunts Nellie Melville and Sonia Melville came to live with us at Waltham Park Road.

Dad started his 16-year career as a bank guard at the Bowery Savings Bank in the Empire State Building.

The week that Dad came to take us to U.S., a hurricane came to Jamaica. It bypassed Kingston and it Negril. A day or so later, we (4 children) flew JFK International Airport.

Dad and I vacationed in Jamaica. We stayed at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, briefly, before going to Aunt Cherry's house in Cherry Hills.

Claudie and Louise Welsh used to take train trips to Kingston to go to Kingston Pulic Hospital on NORTH Street. They used to met Daddy (Kenneth) Welsh at a cafe on Princess Street.

Sources: Louise Welsh, April 5, 2009.