Edward Augustus Kime

Name

Edward Augustus Kime
1889

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

14/03/1917
27

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Gunner
39356
Royal Garrison Artillery
21st Trench Mortar Battery

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

ASSEVILLERS NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
XI. A. 3.
France

Headstone Inscription

REST IN PEACE

UK & Other Memorials

Letchworth Town Memorial, Not on the Hitchin memorials*1

Pre War

Edward Augustus Kime was born in 1889 in Spalding, Lincs (baptised 25 May 1890 in Fleet Lincs) to Thomas William Kime, GNR porter, and Emma (nee Pinchbeck).

On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Edith (born 1888) and Edward A were living at 41, Hawthorn Bank, Spalding, Lincs. Thomas William was a shunter Great Northern Railway.

On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Edith , Edward A and Lotty E (born 1892) were living at Grove Road, Hitchin, Herts.

On the 1911 Census Edward (machinist labourer) was living with his uncle Alfred George (licenced victualler) and aunt Charlotte together with Henry August Excell (Charlotte’s brother) at the Angel, Broomfield Essex. Edward’s family of parents, Edith (shop assistant) together with two boarders, William Castleton (bricklayer’s Labourer) & John Rudling (railway labourer) were living at 29, Dacre Road, Hitchin.

 His parents later lived at 4 Ridge Road, Letchworth, Herts

Wartime Service

No Service Record was found for Edward who enlisted as Gunner 39356 in the Royal Garrison Artillery sometime soon after the outbreak of the Great War. He arrived in France on 26 Dec 1915. He may have served with 26 Heavy Battery Battery, in 1st Division, before serving with ‘Z ‘ 1st Trench Mortar Battery which was also allocated to 1st Division.

X.1, Y.1 and Z.1 Medium Mortar Batteries RGA, joined the Division on 16 Mar 1916 (they were equipped with four 2-inch mortars) ; later on 9 Feb 1918, Z was broken up and the batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each. 

In 1916 the Division took part in the Battle of the Somme at Albert( 1-13 Jul), Bazentin (14-17 Jul), Pozieres (23 Jul-3 Sep), Flers-Courcelette (15-22 Sep) and Morval (25-28 Sep). In 1917 they took part in the Pursuit of the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line (11 Jan-13 Mar). During this period Edward was killed in action (suffocation) on 14 Mar 1914 when his detachment were shelled and buried by German shelling.

Additional Information

War Gratuity of £15 and arrears of shared equally between mother Emma, sisters Elsie (Payne), Edith (Morse) and Lottie (Aston).

Edward is also commemorated on a family headstone in Hitchin Cemetery. His part of the inscription reads:

Acknowledgments

Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Janet Capstick, Jonty Wild