Menin Road South Military Cemetery
Menin Road South Military Cemetery 2016
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Arthur Kirkup was born 1882 , in Coundon, the second born son and one of six children, four boys and two girls, of William Kirkup (1856 Evenwood) and Hannah Eltringham (1855 Coldstream). William and Hannah married June 1876 in Teesdale. William by trade was a shoemaker and in 1911 they were living at Jackson Street, Coundon Grange. Arthur in 1901, at the age of 19, was an apprentice colliery man above ground in the Bishop Auckland area but by 1911 had moved into lodgings with the Potter family at 15 Arthur Street, Windleston, Ferryhill, employed as a shifter at the local colliery. Arthur would undoubtedly have know Joseph Robert A. Wharton who lived at number 25, worked at Windlestone Colliery and is remembered along with Arthur and many others on a memorial in St. Aidan’s Church, Chilton.
Arthur enlisted in Ferryhill joining the Durham Light Infantry as Private 53395 and whilst in France was transferred to the 33rd Company Labour Corps as Private 19463. The Labour Corps was formed in 1917 and grew to some 389,900 men, two thirds of whom were working in a theatre of war. The Corps was made up of officers and other ranks who had been medically rated below A1 condition needed for front line duty, many were returned wounded. October 29th 1917, at the age of 35, Private 19463 Arthur Kirkup was killed in action. He is interred at Menin Road South Military Cemetery, grave III H 11. His headstone bears a dedication commissioned by his father and reads, “And Jesus Call Us, To Heaven’s Peace”.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Arthur Kirkup is remembered at Chilton on C107.04, C107.12 and C107.14 (Darlington D40.039) and at Eldon E.60.01
