Pauline Priano has submitted the following:
John Sudgrave L’Ecuyer King was one of 4 children, offspring of the Reverend Reginald John L’Ecuyer King born January 13th 1889 in Crook, County Durham and Dorothy Errington Hodgson who was born in Norton, Stockton on Tees, County Durham, July 26th 1894. Dorothy was the daughter of Robert Tyson Hodgson an independent assistant stock and share broker and his wife Flos Edith Kitching.
During WW1 the Reverend King served as Lance Corporal, Inns of Court School of Law Officers’ Training Corps, 1918-June 1919 and married Dorothy in 1921 in the district of Stockton on Tees, County Durham. Their daughter Elizabeth Mary was born May 23rd 1923 and John Sudgrove L’Ecuyer, October 5th 1924, both in the district of Middlesbrough, Judith D., in 1926 and Anne Errington King, July 19th 1933, in the district of Pockington, East Riding Yorkshire. In 1939 they were living at The Rectory, Pockington, where Reginald was Vicar of Seaton Ross and Rector of Everingham & Harswell.
John Sudgrave L. King (15) was a student in 1939 but enlisted aged 18 years in 1942 in York where he was assigned to the General Service Corps. He underwent basic training at Queen’s Barracks , Perth, Scotland and battle training at Kinfauns Castle as part of the Demonstration Platoon. He was transferred to The Back Watch in 1943 then posted to the 1st Tyneside Scottish Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) which was formed in 1940 as Private 14408917 King he joined them at Velindre, Carmarthenshire, Wales.
Private King was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal just before he took part in the Normandy Landings, June 6th 1944 and with his regiment saw action in the Battle for the Defence of Rauray, June 19th-July 2nd 1944 but was hospitalised in August 1944 having damaged his feet and did not take part in the Mezedon Canon battle.
When the 1st Tyneside Scottish was disbanded, August 26th 1944 he was posted to the 5th Battalion Black Watch. Whilst with the Black Watch, Lance Corporal King was wounded for a second time in 1945 at Gennep in the Limburg region, Netherlands, he was hospitalised at Le Havre in France.
September 5th 1945 he transferred to the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders and rose again through the ranks to Corporal then Sergeant. The regiment was en-route to the Far East in 1945 and diverted to Algiers where Sergeant King attended the War Office Selection Board in Cairo and was posted back to the U.K. for Officer Cadet Training Unit at 121 OTCU Alton Towers. Offered a commission, November 30th 1946, with the Gordon Highlanders as number 373428, he spent the rest his service at Retford Barracks, Edinburgh, Scotland, training recruits.
Post-war he was married in 1951 in Howden, Yorkshire East Riding to Brenda. I. M. Denness, with whom he had 2 children, (possibly living therefore details withheld). In 1959 he and his wife were living at 31, Dovedale Gardens, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. John Sudgrove L’Ecuyer King celebrated his 90th Birthday, October 4th 2014, further details as yet unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
