Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Joseph Kitchen, a coal miner born 1853 in Blackfordby, Leicestershire and his wife Alice Mary Kitchen (nee Vass, married in the 4th quarter of 1881 in the Wandsworth, Surrey, district), born 1862 in Battersea, Middlesex. Harry was born in the 2nd quarter of 1885 in Blackfordby, his siblings were, Joseph, a schoolboy, born 1883 in Battersea, Alice Mary, born 1889 in Fulham, Middlesex and Edith, born 1891 in Moira, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at Blackfordby, Leicestershire. In March 1901 Harry was absent from the family home at 18, Wood Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, a well sinker, his mother and siblings, Joseph, a sanitary pipe work’s labourer, Alice and Ernest, born 1895 in Ashby de la Zouch, Harry was employed by farmer, Mr. Thomas Radford, as a farm milk boy and was residing as a servant at Hall Farm, Coleorton, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Harry was absent from the family home at Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, a coal miner, his mother and siblings, Alice, a general domestic servant, Ernest, a soap work’s labourer and Emily, a schoolgirl, born 1898 in Ashby de la Zouch, Harry was serving as a Private with the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and was stationed at Tempe, Bloemfonteine, Orange Free State, South Africa. He was the husband of Louise Florence Kitchen.
The War Diary records: 17 Nov-14 – The relief being completed by 3:30am the DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT being on our right and the EAST SURREY REGIMENT on our left, the MANCHESTER REGIMENT being South of the DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT. The line now being held by the regiment was a very extended one – and necessitated all except 2 platoons being in the fire trenches. The German trenches were again very close to our line, being about 300 yards distant on our right and 150 yards on our left. The ground behind our fire trenches was a veritable network of digging, in evidence of the attacks made on the trench on the German position about MESSENES. Again all was quiet with the exception of sniping, up to 9:00am 21st when the enemy shelled our left trench.
On Friday December 11th 1914 The Leicester Journal published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL CASUALTIES.” ROLL OF HONOUR. – Mr. Joseph Kitchen, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, has been acquainted of the death of his son, Private Harry Kitchen, of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, who was killed in action on November 18th. Mr. Kitchen’s younger son, Private N. Kitchen, is in the Leicestershire Regiment.
On Saturday December 12th 1914 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL CASUALTIES.” News has been received by Mr. Joseph Kitchen, of Hilton’s Yard, Ashby, that his son, Private Harry Kitchen, of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, was killed in action on November 18th. Pte. Kitchen was 29, and after serving nine years with his regiment in India and South Africa, he went to Canada about 12 months ago, where he married. When the war broke out he answered the call on reservists and rejoined his regiment, which was ordered to the front. Kitchen was a scholar at the Blue Coat School, under Mr. Morley, afterwards working for Mr. T. Radford, of the Mall Farm, Coleorton. He enlisted when he was 19.