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Wilfred Kitching
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(22 August 1893 – 15 December 1977) was a British
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
officer who was their 7th
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
between 1954 and 1963.


Biography

Born in Wood Green, London, to
Theodore Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Sask ...
and Jane Kitching (née Cranshaw); his father was also a Salvation Army officer. Wilfred attended
Friern Barnet Grammar School The Friern Barnet Grammar School was a small independent day school for boys located on Friern Barnet Road, North London. It was later absorbed into the co-educational Woodside Park School foundation which was later renamed The North London Int ...
. He became a Salvation Army Officer at age 20 in 1914. He would serve over 30 years in corps, divisional and National Headquarters appointments, and the British Territory. He and Adjutant Kathleen Bristow were married in 1929. In 1946, he was sent to serve in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
South as Chief Secretary. He was sent to Sweden to serve as Territorial Commander in 1948. In 1951, he became British Commissioner. The Commissioner was elected General of The Salvation Army by the High Council in 1954. During his years as an officer, he wrote many songs in The Salvation Army song book. In 1961, he was awarded a Hon. LLD in Yonsei,
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and CBE in 1964. He also wrote two books, ''Soldier of Salvation'' (1963), and his autobiography, ''A Goodly Heritage'' (1967). General Kitching retired on 22 November 1963. General Wilfred Kitching died at the age of 84. He is buried in New Camberwell Cemetery.London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer, by Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons


References


External links


Wilfred Kitching at The Salvation Army
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitching, Wilfred 1893 births 1977 deaths English Salvationists Christian writers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Salvation Army officers People educated at Friern Barnet Grammar School