Arthur Austin Kemp

Rifleman - Service No.395551 - 9th Battalion London Regiment

Arthur Austin Kemp was born on the 8th of August 1899 in Newton Flotman, Norfolk, the son of Arthur George Kemp and his wife Susan (Davey). He was the second of six children born to Arthur and Susan who had married in Bunwell in early 1897. Their first child, Beatrice Elizabeth, was born 20th April 1897 in Bunwell, where they had settled after their marriage, with Arthur working as an agricultural labourer. Within a year the family moved to a cottage in Front Street, Newton Flotman next door to a shop and the Maids Head Tavern, where Arthur found work in the brick works at Swainsthorpe as a brick maker, a trade followed by his father and brothers. Here Arthur Austin was born, followed by sisters Clara Alexandra in 1901 and Nora Phoebe in 1903. Tragically Clara barely made it to her third birthday while Nora only survived for eighteen months. With the family now relocated to Ivy Cottage, Swardeston and Arthur working as a traction engine driver, Susan gave birth to twins, Harry and Maud, on 31st May 1905. Once again tragedy struck and Harry only lived for a very short time leaving the family with just three surviving children from the six to whom Susan had given birth. At some stage Arthur took to market gardening and eventually bought The Gardens, on High Common, from the Cannell family in 1930. It was here that, on 11th April 1949, Arthur George Kemp died, having been widowed some eight years earlier.

Arthur Austin Kemp, for reasons as yet unknown always called "Dick" Kemp, now lived in The Gardens and continued with his market gardening activities while gradually selling off slices of the land to others for, mainly, building purposes. In 1921 Dick had married Maggie Pretoria Kirby, the daughter of Herbert Kirby and his wife Louisa (Goward), from Beetley, Norfolk. The couple had one daughter, Sheila, born in Swardeston in 1931.

In 1918 Arthur Austin Kemp joined the 9th Battalion London Regiment as a rifleman. His service records do not survive but we know he served on the Western Front from 4th April 1918 until 14th November 1919 when he was demobilised. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He died on 24th October 1969 at the age of 70 while his widow, Maggie, survived another 16 years until 1985, when she died at the age of 84.

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