No.17060, Private, Harry PETTIT
Aged 27
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Harry Pettitt was born in Lode (Newmarket Q2-1888 3b:539) son of Frederick and Caroline PETTITT (née LONG).
1891 census...Aged 2 he was at Longmeadow, Bottisham with his father Frederick PETTIT [31] carpenter/joiner, born Bottisham; his mother Caroline [29] born Bottisham Lode; half sister Elizabeth L. LONG [10] born Longmeadow, brothers Sidney PETTIT [6] and William [11 months], both born in Longmeadow . His mother died in 1898 and his father re married to Drusilla COOPER in 1900 (Newmarket Q4-1900 3B:1216) and died in 1907 1901 census...Aged 12, he was at Cranny Drove, Lode, with his father, stepmother Drusilla [40] born Exning; brother William and sister Bertha [8] born Lode. 1911 census...Aged 23, a horse man on farm, he was boarding at Horselode Fen, Chatteris with Robert and Hannah CLARIDGE. This may explain why he is on "Soldiers Died" as born Chatteris. Brother William was lodging in Lode and sister Bertha was a housemaid in London, but Drusilla has not been found. |
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He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds.
Thanks to guidance from the 1914-1918.invision.com forum it appears that : Around daybreak on 1st October the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers were relieving at Big Willie when the Germans attacked, driving parts of 'C' and 'D' Companies back and gaining around 100 yards of the Hohenzollern and Big Willie. Much bombing and counter bombing then took place, the Fusiliers hampered by a shortage of ammunition.They did however manage to push the Germans back about 50 yards late in the evening. In all the day's efforts cost the 2nd Battalion 59 men killed and only three of them have an identified grave, the rest are named on the Loos Memorial
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
