No.12923, Private, Arthur Patrick W KEMP
Aged 35
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Born in 1881 (4th qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:616) son of Arthur and Ellen KEMP (née HUNT). His father died in 1886. His mother married Henry Howard ERITH
in 1889.
1891 census...Aged 9, he was at 56 Rainwater Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his step father Henry Howard ERITH,[30] a moulder born Thetford; his mother Ellen Mahala [29]; brothers Walter[6]and Herbert[4] and half brother Henry Alfred ERITH [8 months. All except his step father were born in Bury St.Edmunds] 1901 census...Aged 19, an iron moulder, he was at 6 Foundry Cottages, Bury St.Edmunds with his step-father and his mother; half brothers Henry [10], Edwin [8] and Ernest [3]; half sisters Ada [5] and Ivy [1]; brother Walter KEMP. 1911 census...Aged 29, an iron turner, he was at 6 Long Brackland, Bury St.Edmunds with his stepfather and mother; brother Walter KEMP; half brothers Henry Alfred ERITH (iron moulder), Edward ERITH [carman] and Ernest Victor ERITH; half sisters Ada Genevieve [15] and Agnes Ivy [11]. His half-brother Ernest Victor Erith died in France on 25th July 1918 see here |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
The 2nd Battalion, Suffolks was in it's assembly area on the night of 1st March near Bedford House on the St.Eloi-Ypres road. They were to try and retake our trenches recently lost to the Germans. The attack started at 0445 'B', 'C' and 'D' companies on the south side of the Bluff. Immediately star shells were sent up by the Germans turning night into day. Our artillery then opened up on their 2nd line, our troops already being through the first line, having taken the enemy by surprise. 'A' company on the left was not so lucky, being caught by a counter barrage before they could leave King Street. By 0700 the lost trenches had been re captured. The ground was in a terrible state, churned up by the barrages and the battalion left the line sparsely occupied while they returned to the assembly trenches. An enemy barrage continued all day, but our artillery countered effectively. A successful operation result in the recapture of all the ground previously lost, but at the cost of 250 casualties out of the 500 employed. It was, incidentally, the first operation when they wore the newly issued steel helmets (the tin hats) CWGC records 53 killed, and only 6 having an identified grave.
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