Donald Easten

Donald Friswell Easten MC (15 July 1918 – 28 February 2017[1]) was a British Army officer of the Royal West Kents who was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during the defence of Kohima from Japanese attack during the Second World War.

[3] He was commissioned from the Honourable Artillery Company as a second lieutenant into the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment on 14 January 1940, over four months after the outbreak of the Second World War.

On 5 April 1944, as the Japanese Army laid siege to Kohima, his company led the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade convoy as it tried to re-enter the village.

[8] On 9 April 1944, one of Easten's soldiers, Lance Corporal John Harman, was shot while performing actions that caused him to later be awarded the Victoria Cross (VC).

[12] For his previous service with the Royal West Kent Regiment, Easten was belatedly awarded the Efficiency Medal (Territorial) in August 1949.