Eric Kitchen was born in South Emsall, Yorkshire. and attended Upton Senior Modern School until aged 14, He left school and worked as an apprentice blacksmith until 1943 when he volunteered for the RAF. After his Flt Eng training he was crewed up with Bert Healy at 1667 HCU at Sandtoft before being posted to 100 Sqn. In 1950 he was demobbed and he returned to the mining industry. He past away in 1981 aged 56.