Letters home by Robert Sproule

John Charles Kitts (b. 23/11/1879) was a sergeant in the 9th Battalion of King's Liverpool Regiment and a private in the Army Service Corps, service number DM2/117678. John enlisted in the Army Service Corps on 13/08/1915 and was discharged on 29/09/1917 due to ill health. He was taken to Graylingwell War Hospital, Chichester, West Sussex, which used to be a lunatic asylum. He died of acute nephritis as a result of being gassed on 01/10/1917 aged 38. He is buried in Anfield cemetary, Liverpool, grave memorial reference number XVII.C.458. There are in other databases copies of service records from John's time in the Army Service Corps; catalogue reference WO/372/11, image reference 59364. MAB Services Ltd, Eagle House, West Midlands. || Death penny; Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, awarded 01/10/1909, six years before John signed up to the Army Service Corps.

John Kenndy's story: My father John Kennedy joined up as John Fahey with the Leinster Reigment (no. 121176). He was transferred to the Royal Engineers. He used his mother's maiden name because he and his brother could not enlist with the same regiment together. He served in Ypres, was gassed and was given an invalidity pension after this. His index card shows the vistory medal and other medals were forfeited. This may have related to the fact that he signed up with his brother, and was ultimately found out, but we are not sure. I have also provided his discharge papers for the early Irish Free State army. He had been part of the Irish military police - many former soldiers had been drafted in by the government - between 1922 and 1924. He eventually went into pump-sinking, the family business. Charles Kennedy's story: I have also provided items relating to my uncle, Charles Kennedy, brother of John. Charles was born in Ballybrophy, Queen's County c. 1888. We don't know when he joined the army, but he was a career soldier. He had been in Templemore prior to First World War and also fought in the Boer War. He had been a pump sinker, and so joined the army as an engineer (no. 16677). He was sent to France on 3 September 1915 and was wounded. He ended up in Thessalonika/Salonika. I have had heard in the family that he had been in the Dardenelles and was sent to rest up, then was sent on to Thessalonika. He was killed in action during the Salonika campaign on 17 July 1917. He was reinterned to Karasouli Military Cemetery in Thessalonika. I have provided his Widow's Penny and photographs if Karasouli cenetry, including his grave. || Widow's Penny belonging to Charles Kennedy.