Arthur Joseph Kitchener was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire on Monday, 11th September 1899 and baptised in St John the Evangelist Church in Boxmoor on Friday, 6th October the same year. He was the youngest son and eighth child born to George Kitchener and Sarah South and his siblings were: Lily, Eliza Ann, William James, Phoebe Jane, Florence and Louisa who were twins, Alfred George and Lily. The older Lily was born in 1878 before Sarah married George and sadly, she died when she was only seven years old. Eliza died in 1902 aged twenty-one. When he was born, Arthur’s family lived at Canal Bridge in Boxmoor close the Grand Junction and his father worked as a ‘Bricklayer’s Labourer’. When he started his education in February 1905, he went to the nearby Two Waters British School which he left when he was thirteen in 1912. He went to work but it is not known where he was employed or what Arthur did.

On the outbreak of war, he was still too young to volunteer, but in October 1917, as soon as he was old enough to serve, he went to Watford to attest. He enlisted in the Army and was immediately posted to the 20th Training Reserve Battalion under the Southern Command. The Training Reserve conducted a 24-week course to prepare new and typically young soldiers for overseas service. The course focused on elements such as physical fitness, musketry, anti-gas training as well as squad drilling, night fighting and something called interior economy (kit inspection, care of equipment, fitting of clothes, marching order, etc).

After six months Arthur was ready to go overseas, and he was posted to 2/16th (County of London) Battalion (Queen’s Westminster Rifles) affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC). He arrived in France in May 1918 and was immediately transferred to the 11th Battalion KRRC. He was one of the many new drafts of men received by the Battalion during the summer of 1918 as it was reinforced following heavy losses at the Somme offensive earlier in the year.

Arthur’s first experience of serious action came on the 17th October when the 11th KRRC attacked at what became known as the Battle of Selle, part of the Final Push. For the next six days there was extremely heavy fighting and initially enemy resistance was resolute. However, by sheer weight of numbers this was overcome and ultimately much territory was captured as the Allies advanced. However, this effort was not without high casualty rates and sadly Arthur was one of the soldiers wounded early in the attack. He had been taken down the line to 10 Casualty Clearing Station for treatment but to no avail and he succumbed to his wounds.

Arthur died on Monday, 21st October 1918.

He is Remembered with Honour in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, where he is interred in Grave XXXV. A. 51. The inscription on his headstone, requested by his mother Sarah, reads: “THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD”.

He was only 19 years old when he died.

Arthur was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.