Pte 17199 Joseph Percy Kitchen

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: IV.G.19

Joseph Percy Kitchen (known as Percy) was born on 03rd July 1895 at 51 Isaac Street, Liverpool and was the twin brother of John Harold Kitchen, (known as Harold) who were and baptised on 21st August 1895 at St Cleopas Church, Toxteth. Their parents Joseph Farrer Kitchen and his wife Annie (nee Grant) married on 15th June 1887 at St Michael in the Hamlet Church, Toxteth. Joseph was a 23 year old clerk of Moses Street, father John a deceased shipwright, whilst Annie was aged 22 of David Street, father Frederick a book keeper. 

Percy's twin brother, John Harold Kitchen Private 16784 of the 18^th Battalion, was killed in action on 28^th January 1916.

His father Joseph and his siblings have their birth registered in Whitehaven as Farrer.  

In 1901, his father Joseph F. aged 37, a Secretary with the Co-operative Society and born in Whitehaven, lived with his wife Annie aged 36, born in Woolwich, London and their five children at 29 Barrington Road, Liverpool. Percy is aged 5 and his siblings are shown as; Ethel M. aged 12, Florence aged 11, Ada aged 9 and Harold aged 5. 

In 1911 the family had moved to 43 Jermyn Street, Liverpool. His parents Joseph F. aged 47 and a general secretary and Annie aged 46, advised that they had been married for 23 years and have had 8 children, 7 of whom have survived. All seven of their surviving children are in the household:  Ethel Mary aged 22 is a typist, Florence aged 21 is an assistant, Ada 19 has no occupation listed, Joseph Percy aged 15 is employed with a firm of solicitors, John Harold was employed by Messrs. Miller, Beer & Co. Cotton Brokers of Orleans House, Liverpool, Leslie is 9 and at school and Dorothy is aged 5. 

His mother died on 28th March 1914, aged 49. Her death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Saturday 28 March 1914:

KITCHEN March 28, at 43 Jermyn Street, aged 49 years, Annie, the dear and loved wife of Joseph F. Kitchen

Percy enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01^st September 1914, one of the Cotton contingent, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17199. He gave his age as 19 years 60 days, his occupation as clerk and his next of kin as his father, Joseph Farrar Kitchen of 43 Jermyn Street and stated his religion as Wesleyan. He was described as being 5’ 6” tall, weighed 137lbs, 35" chest and had a good physical development. He had a fair complexion, fair hair and blue eyes. His religion was stated as Wesleyan.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He served in France from 07^th November 1915, earning all three medals.

Percy was killed in action on 01^st July 1916 just days short of his 21st Birthday. 

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft: “Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.   

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

Percy was originally buried at Talus Boise Cemetery but after the war he was reburied at Peronne Road Cemetery, France, where he now rests.

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme 1916, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line; it was lost in the German advance of March 1918, and recaptured at the end of the following August.

The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves which now form almost the whole of Plot I. It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:

TALUS BOISE BRITISH CEMETERY, CARNOY, between Carnoy and Maricourt, at the South end of a long copse. It was used in the latter half of 1916 and (chiefly by the 5th Royal Berks) in August 1918, and it contained the graves of 175 soldiers from the United Kingdom and five from South Africa.

There are now 1348, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 366 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,787 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low red brick wall.

On 23^rd July 1916, his father wrote to Army Records asking whether they have any news of Percy as they had heard nothing from him since 26^th June. He adds that the family has made enquiries of local men from the same battalion who have been returned home wounded but without any success.

Percy's loss was the second that the family had endured in 1916 as his twin brother, John Harold Kitchen, Private 16784 of the 18^th Battalion, was killed in action on 28^th January 1916. He now rests at Carnoy Military Cemetery. 

Soldiers Effects to father Joseph F., no Pension record found. 

On 8^th May 1919, his father submits a sworn declaration which states that Percy’s mother, Annie (nee Grant), is now deceased and he lives at 8 Radstock Road with Percy’s 17 year old brother, Leslie and three of his sisters - Florence, 29 years; Ada, 27 years; and Dorothy, 13 years. Another of Percy’s sisters, Ethel Hooper, aged 30 years, lives in Liscard.

Percy is commemorated on the War Memorial at the Methodist Church on Lodge Lane, Liverpool. 

Both Harold and Percy are commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 67 and on the family headstone at Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool:

Also Sydney infant son of Joseph F. and Annie Kitchen who died 29th November 1899 aged 14 months,
Also Annie beloved wife of Joseph F. Kitchen who died 28th March 1914 aged 49 years "Peace, perfect peace"
Also Joseph Farrar Kitchen died 06th September 1944, aged 80 years
In tender memory of J. Harold Kitchen killed in France 28th January 1916 also
J. Percy Kitchen killed in France 1st July 1916 aged 20 years.
Twin sons of Joseph F. and the above Annie Kitchen.  

His father died on 06th September 1944, aged 80 and was buried on the 09th September 1944 at Toxteth Park Cemetery, his address “Heather Brae”, Dewey Avenue, Melling.