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2nd Lieutenant Horace Douglas Meadows KEMP
8th (Service) Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment (Pioneers) Date of birth: 6th January 1896 Date of death: 31st August 1916 Died of wounds aged 20 Buried at Botley Cemetery Oxford Plot II Grave 56
Horace Douglas Meadows Kemp was born at Balham in South London on the 6th of January 1896 the fourth son of Frederick Kemp, a posticheur maker, and Alice Minnie (nee Thorowgood) Kemp of “The Laurels”, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath in Sussex. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in News House from September 1907 and in Olds House from September 1910 until July 1912. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps where he achieved the rank of Cadet Officer and attended two annual camps at Aldershot and at Salisbury. On leaving school he went into farming. Following the outbreak of war he enlisted at 66 Victoria Street, London SW as Private 565 in the 19th (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, University and Public School Corps. At a medical examination, which was held the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet six inches tall, that he weighed one hundred and twenty one pounds and that he had a medium complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He applied for a commission on the 21st of November 1914 while billeted at 165 Hook Road, Epsom in an application which was supported by the Reverend Bowlby, Head Master of Lancing College. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment on the 22nd of January 1915 and was posted to the 8th Battalion of his regiment. He embarked for France with his battalion on the 24th of July 1915 on board the Transport "Empress Queen" and landed at Boulogne at 7am the following day. By June 1916 the battalion was engaged in the area of Bray making preparations for the planned British offensive on the Somme. The battalion's four companies were split between bases at Carnoy and Billon and was engaged in cable laying, building shelters, laying railway track and digging new trenches, all the time being subjected to enemy shell fire. Horace Kemp and three other ranks were wounded on the 20th of June 1916. He was evacuated to 21 Casualty Clearing Station with a badly wounded left foot and was admitted to 2 Stationary Hospital at Abbeville four days later. His father received the following telegrams dated the 24th of June 1916:- "Regret to inform you 2/Lt H.D.M. Kemp Royal Sussex Regt was wounded June 21st (sic). Further details wired when received." "2 Lt H.D.M. Kemp Royal Sussex Regiment admitted 2 Stationary Hospital Abbeville suffering from gunshot wound heel. Condition satisfactory. Further reports wired on receipt." On the 28th of June he received a further telegram:- "2 Lt H.D.M. Kemp Royal Sussex Regt should read gunshot wound head not heel-regret error." He was brought to England from Le Havre on the 29th of June on board the SS "Panama", landing at Southampton later the same day. From Southampton he was taken to 3rd Southern General Hospital at Oxford. A Medical Board sat there on the 17th of July 1916 to consider his case:- "He has received a gunshot wound of left foot sustaining a compound fracture of os calcis. He is remaining for further treatment ". On the 10th of August 1916 his father was sent a further telegram:- "Officer Commanding Southern General Hospital Oxford reports today 2Lt H.D.M. Kemp Royal Sussex Regt dangerously ill." His father received a final telegram dated the 3rd of September 1916:- "The Army Council express their sympathy on learning of the death of 2/Lt H.D.M. Kemp Sussex Regt from wounds received in action." He is commemorated on the war memorial at Haywards Heath.

Olds House