Lieutenant-Colonel M.B. Jenkins
5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

I find it hard to say how much Jenks will be missed by all of us who soldiers with him over the years. His boundless energy, great sense of humour, terrific skill at all games, so well backed up by his great fighting ability will always be remembered.

(Obituary, Stafford Knot, 1975, 11)

Born on 24 January 1909 Thornbury, Gloucestershire, Malcolm Bromley Jenkins enlisted with the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1926 before earning admission to Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the North Staffordshire Regiment in 1931 and served many years in India. He was active in regimental sports particularly rugby, hockey, and boxing. By September 1939, he was battalion adjutant and then served as a staff officer with the 176th Infantry Brigade.

In 1941, Jenkin was posted to the British Army Staff in Washington, D.C. A month before the United States entered the war, he praised American industrial capacity and remarked, “the American troops are first-class, magnificent. I would give anything to lead American troops.” A year later, he was back in the United Kingdom as second-in-command of the 13th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment then the 1/6th Battalion, North Staffords. In March 1944, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the 5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment in the 59th (Staffordshire) Division.

The division deployed to France in late June but it would be disbanded by August. In February 1945, Jenkins was assigned to take over 1/4th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the 49th Division succeeding Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Arengo-Jones, who had been injured in an accidental grenade explosion. For his “fine powers of leadership” commanding two battalions, Jenkins earned the Distinguished Service Order.

He held numerous postwar appointments, including commanding of his old regiment, the 6th North Staffords from 1951 to 1954. He retired from the army as a brigadier in 1960. He died on 2 October 1975.