Harrogate Herald - 13th June 1917

Former Harrogate Musician Wounded

Bandmaster R S Kitchen, of the RAMC, is in the Grove House Hospital as a result of an accident. He was in charge of a stretcher party on the Western Front. They were out picking up the wounded. It was a dark night, and the Germans were sending over shells. In the darkness Bandmaster Kitchen fell into a shell hole and injured his leg, which necessitated him being invalided back. Mr Kitchen is the bandmaster of the West Riding Division of the RAMC, and has twenty-three years' service in the Army. He was awarded the long service medal when King Edward was alive, and wears the ribbon. He has long associations with Harrogate. He was solo cornet in the Royal Spa Rooms Orchestra for six years under Sidney Jones. In those days the Royal Spa Band occupied a position in Harrogate similar to that at the Kursaal in these days. It is nineteen years since he was under Sidney Jones. Up to the outbreak of war he was one of the instrumentalists who augmented the Kursaal symphony orchestra under Julian Clifford. He was the trumpet player. After leaving Sidney Jones he went to Scarborough, and later set up in business for himself in Leeds making, selling, and repairing musical instruments, and has two shops in Leeds at the present time. He has been bandmaster of the RAMC, which has its headquarters in Leeds for the past fourteen years. His daughter, who lives with her grandparents, Mr and Mrs Stancliffe, Britannia Lodge, Swan Road, Harrogate, is a promising young vocalist, who should eventually make a name for herself. Mr Kitchen is making a nice recovery.