KITCHEN William Rupert

William Kitchen was born in Blockley in 1883, one of six children. His father Alfred was a labourer, later a stonewaller. He was at home in 1891 and 1901, a pianoforte maker on the latter date (when his younger brother George, also at home, was a piano polisher). He had left home by 1911, when, still unmarried, he was lodging in Kings Heath, Birmingham and working as a milk pasteuriser.

At the end of 1915 William attested in Selly Oak, Birmingham, for military service with the North Staffordshire regiment. A small amount of his military documentation has survived, but mostly in very poor condition and barely readable. This was normal conscription procedure and as a single man he would have expected to be placed in the Reserves and called up in the first half of 1916. However, this did not happen. For reasons not shown in the documentation he was not called until July 1917; possibly due to his being not fit for service since his medical for his attestation in 1915.

He was finally called up to the 5th Battalion of his regiment in July 1917. At the time he was living in Knighton, Shropshire, working as a milk roundsman. Presumably after training, he was posted to France in November of that year, where he joined the 2/6th Battalion in the field. Nothing is known of his service in France until he was reported missing, presumed dead, in March the following year.

The 5th and 6th Battalions of the North Staffordshire Regiment were originally Territorial battalions, which deployed abroad in the spring of 1915. Additional battalions (2/5th and 2/6th) were formed in November 1914 as second line units. They remained in the UK, including Ireland, and eventually deployed to France in spring of 1917. William trained with what must have been a UK element of the 5th Battalion, and then joined 2/6 in the field.

In March 1916, while he was in the Army Reserve, William had married Daisy Brookes in the Leek district of Staffordshire. The couple had one son, born in 1918. After his death his effects were sent to his widow, his accumulated money being split two thirds (£8 7 shillings and threepence) to his son and one third (£4 three shillings and eightpence) to Daisy. There was presumably a will; perhaps this was the subject of the enquiry made in a letter from Daisy to his battalion in July 1919.

From the “burnt documents”
Note: A number of documents have survived but nearly all in very poor condition and largely unreadable. The following is an amalgamation of entries in different defective documents.

At attestation at Selly Oak, Birmingham, 11/12/15:
William Rupert Kitchen, 203785 5th North Staffs Regt, address The Bungalow, Knighton, Salop, height 5ft 5in, weight 124lb, chest 35in, age 32y 11m, Church of England, occupation milk roundsman, next of kin Daisy [rest unreadable], marriage: to Daisy Brookes, spinster, 27/7/16 [location unreadable], [later information: son William Alfred, born 24/3/18 [location unreadable]

Summary of service:
Army Reserve 11/12/1915 – 19/7/1917
Home 20/7/1917 – 11/11/1917
British Expeditionary Force 12/11/1917 – 21/3/1918

Memo:
Barely readable, showing that a pension (?twenty shillings a week?), payable to Daisy

Letter from D Kitchen, Oldershaws Lane, High Offley, Newport, Salop to OIC Records 2/6 North Staffs Regt, Lichfield, dated 9/7/19.  (Reply sent 11/7/19 has not survived):
Would you kindly let me know as soon as possible if my husband (Pte W R Kitchen, 203786, 2/6 N Staffs reported “missing” March 21 1918, now presumed dead) made any [one or two words unreadable] his pay book, and if so, may I have the context of it.

Various:
19/8/21, memo stating that articles of personal property and medals belonging to William to be forwarded to Mrs Daisy Kitchen, Oldershaw Lane, High Ottley, Newport, Salop.
23/12/21, widow Daisy sent receipt for husband’s British and Victory medals.

From Medals Card and Regimental medals roll:
William Rupert Kitchen, 2/6 North Staffordshire Regiment, Private, 203786, awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal

From Soldiers’ Effects:
William Rupert Kitchen, 2/6 North Staffordshire Regiment, Private, 203786, 21/3/18 death presumed, £12 10s 11d to widow Daisy (£4 3s 8d plus £8 7s 3d for child William), plus £5 0s 0d War Gratuity to widow Daisy.

William Kitchen has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on the Arras Memorial.