206423 Pte. John Pitt British Army 1/6th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment from:Portobello, Willenhall (d.13th Oct 1915) John Pitt was my Great Grandfather, he was in the Territorial along with his brother prior to WW1. He lived with his wife and 2 kids before the war at his widower brother-in-law's place, who had a young daughter (Simmons family, I can't find anything on the brother?). They served around Hill 60 I believe for a while before moving to Loos.
John's widow remarried an old cavalry soldier after the war and had one son but she never got over the loss of her first husband and cherished his medals, death plaque and few possessions. His widow eventually lived her last years with her first husband's son (my granddad and nan).
She was upset at moving in the 1940s and losing a letter written by one of the few surviving officers from the assault on the Hohenzollern Redoubt. I think he said the usual but something about a trench barricade and Pte Pitt was in a bombing/bayonet party that was holding the Prussians off as long as they could and died bravely. I suppose that's the usual but it was sad both sides had very brave men who ended up killing each other. There were no prisoners or quarter given. I heard later it was one of the bloodiest close quarter battles of WW1 for the Brits on the Western Front, despite the bigger battles of 1916 onwards. Also heard the attack managed to take more of the redoubt than the main phase or any other unit - at least so. I appreciate the bloody casualties of the earlier Sept fighting, especially for the Guards and Highland Divisions. But where is the big historical and national coverage of what these part time soldiers did? I also heard when the Guards finally relieved them they cheered and wept at how few of the 46th Division survived. I believe it was also the largest battle a territorial unit the size of a division had fought in before - up to that time 1915. Sad both sides had very brave men who ended up killing each other.
I lost a load of family in WW1 but few in WW2. Other G. Granddads survived, one served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Somme and beyond in the N Staffs and the Devon and Dorsets. I had one WW2 Gt Uncle (Leading Signalman Harry Barker)who served on the Hood but transferred before it went down. Alas he went down later in a destroyer with all hands - Signalman Henry Barker C/SSX 33062, H.M.S. Veteran, Royal Navy, Saturday 26 September 1942. Age 24. That's for another entry I guess!
|