Arthur Richard Kitchen was born on 4 June 1896 in Paddington, London, the son of Arthur Richard Kitchen (1863-1949) and Eliza Kitchen whose birth was registered Mary Ann Eliza Laws but who was baptised as Mary Eliza Laws (1857-1915) She was known subsequently in all census, marriage and death records as just Eliza. His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1896 in the Paddington Registration District, London.
In the 1901 census he was shown as aged 4 years, living in two rooms at 110 Hall Place, Paddington, with his parents and his maternal aunt, Maria Laws. His father was described as a Great Western Railway's carman.
On the 26 August 1901 he was admitted to the Campbell Street School, Maida Vale, London, where the school admissions register confirms his address remained as 110 Hall Place, Paddington and recorded his date of birth as 4 June 1896..
In October 1910 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in West London.
When the 1911 census return was completed by his father, he was described as an only child, aged 14 years and a Post Office telegraph messenger living in three rooms in 175 Bravington Road, Paddington, with his parents. His father showed himself as a timber merchant's carman.
His mother died in early 1915 and in July 1916 he was promoted to the grade of Postman in West London.
He joined the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) in January 1916, service number 5131, a territorial force regiment. His service number was changed on 1 January 1917 to 372487. He entered France on 4 February 1917. He was serving in his regiment's 2nd/8th battalion when he was killed in action, aged 21 years, on 30 October 1917 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on Panel 150 of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, Vijfwegestraat, 8980 Zonnebeke, Belgium.
His father received his army effects that totalled £4-8s-0d on 30 November 1918 and a War Gratuity of £8-0s-0d on 10 November 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'KITCHEN, A.R.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and as 'RFM. A. R. KITCHEN, P.O.R' on a memorial plaque to members of the Kensington Sorting Office that is located in St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington High Street, London, W8 4LA. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 Memorial website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 214 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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