The Battle of Waterloo - by Jan Willem Pieneman

In Remembrance of Field Marshal Steve Kitchen, 1st Earl of Halifax G.C.B.

It is with a heavy heart that news of Steve's passing has been received. Field Marshal Steve Kitchen, 1st Earl of Halifax G.C.B. joined the NWC in October 2003 and the next 18 years was spent with the King's Service in the Anglo-Allied Army (AAA). He was originally assigned to the 2/37th Regiment of Foot, 7th Brigade, 6th Division, II Corps. He would later be assigned to the Waterloo famed 1st/52nd Regiment of Foot (Oxfordshire/Light Infantry), 3rd British Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, II Corps. Finally in February 2015 he would be reassigned to the 3rd (King's Own) Regiment of Dragoons, 1st (Heavy) British Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Corps.

From 2004-2007 Steve quickly ascended the ranks to Brigadier. He would be promoted to Major General in August 2011. The following year in December 2012 would see his promotion to Lieutenant General. Finally in August of 2016 he would attain the rank of Field Marshal.

He had many honors and awards to his name for the years of gaming including the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George Collar for achieving 2,000 points, the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw Grootkruis Sjerp for accumulating a minimum of 900 points and having at least 9 Victory Points and the Militaire Willems-Orde Grootkruis Sjerp for accumulating a minimum of 2,000 points and having at least 20 Victory Points. He also was awarded the Emblema do Oficial Grandioso da Ordem Militar de Cristo (Military Order of Christ Grand Officer Badge) for 15 victories over the French and each of the long service and conduct medals.

Finally he will be posthumously awarded:



The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross Collar (GCB)

He also was given honorary assignment in the Guards with the 2nd Squadron, Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, Household Cavalry Brigade on June 13, 2016. On February 2, 2016 he was issued a Letter of Patent and invested into the Peerage as the Viscount of Halifax. His title would be elevated this past January 10th to the Earl of Halifax.

Steve was a great guy, friend to many in the Club. I had the privilege of knowing Steve for 18 years, having met him in 2003 when we were starting off in the former iNWC. Together for almost 10 years, we worked as webmasters & administrators there. He managed the game forms and the scoring of them for almost all of those years, doing everything "long handed", in the old days before automated systems. He was always precise & consistent and often caught my own mistakes in the admin work we did together. At a time when I was just starting out as a webmaster, he already had very good webmastering skills and taught me a lot.

Steve was a member of four clubs, ours, the former iNWC, the CCC & ACWGC. He joined all of them in either 2003 or 2004 and was an active member in the three around today right up until his passing. He played 297 games and had 15,065 points in all four clubs combined. In the former iNWC he would rise to the rank of Major General and serve as the Commander of the Anglo-Allied Army & the Allied Coalition Commander-in-Chief, serving on the Club Consul, which was a panel of 5 primary club administrators similar to our Club Staff here. In the AWCGC he attained the rank of Lieutenant General and served his whole 17 years in that club in the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV), giving his talents to the most important command he held there as the ANV's Chief of Staff. At the CCC he would be known as Lieutenant General The Viscount Kitchen of Eutaw Springs, DSM and would eventually be the General Officer Commanding the Brigade of Guards.

Steve hailed from the UK, was born in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire. He was a Yorkshiremen through & through. Went to school in the nearby city of Halifax, which is how he chose his nobility title at the NWC. Like a true Yorkshireman, he let me know that no Lancastrian title would do! He was a lifelong fan of the Bradford City Football Club (soccer for us Americans). He also liked photography & was a big fan of trains. For a while the ANV had a address that started with lner2868. He pointed me to this page http://www.railalbum.co.uk/steam-locomo ... -b17-1.htm which Liner 2868 is for Bradford City. Earlier this month Steve passed peacefully at home. He 55 years old. Notice in his local newspaper is viewable at: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... __Kitchen/

Steve was very personable & well liked by all those who played games or interacted with him in the different clubs. He had two primary opponents over the years Dave Miller and Lucas Kling. Together Steve played 120 games with them both.
Official Records for Steve with the King's Service can be viewed here: http://www.wargame.ch/wc/nwc/Army_Webpa ... tchen.html

You'll Be Missed Steve, but we know you're at peace now!

Your Friends at the Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

- A donation has been made in Steve's memory to the Green Howards Museum in Richmond, Yorkshire.

Remembrance Posts for Steve have also been made in the other two clubs:

CCC - http://wargame.ch/board/cc/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10141

ACWGC - http://www.wargame.ch/board/acwgc/viewt ... =4&t=22331