Lives of the First World War

Private Edgar Kibby, 3rd Field Bakery, Royal Army Service Corps, died of pneumonia at a Casualty Clearing Station in Cologne. Edgar Kibby was born in Acocks Green in 1885. He was the second of three children born to parents William (a baker) and Emily (née Luke) who had married in Birmingham in 1882. William’s father, Charles, had also been a baker. Edgar’s elder sister, Agnes Emily, died in 1890, aged seven. Edgar followed in the family tradition and was working as a baker and confectioner at the time of the 1911 census, living in Birmingham with his youger sister, 19-year-old Gladys, who was assisting him in the bakery. Their mother had died in 1909, and their widowed father, listed as a baker, was visiting relatives in Sutton Coldfield at the time of the 1911 census. Edgar volunteered for war service, joining the Army on 6th November 1915 and serving in France from February 1916 with the 54th Field Bakery. He was promoted Corporal on 24th June 1918 and was awarded 14 days leave in September/October 1918. Following the Armistice in November 1919, it seems that Edgar’s unit moved into Germany as part of the army of occupation. He died at 1:50am on 14th February 1919 at 64 Casualty Clearing Station, which was situated in Cologne from December 1918. The cause of death was given as pneumonia due to active service conditions. He is buried at Cologne South Cemetery and is commemorated locally on war memorials at Hockley Heath. His father was living in Small Heath and his sister in Sparkbrook, so the connection of Edgar Kibby with Hockley Heath isn’t known. If you have any further information, please let us know. Tracey. Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Librarian

Created by: , Helen29195