PITCHES, William
No. 18969, Lance Corporal, William PITCHES
Aged 27
7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday 3rd July 1916
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Believed to be the un-named born in Q3-1888, in Hilgay, Norfolk,[Downham 4b:342] 1st son of William and Mary Ann PITCHES (née ARMSBY), later of White Horse Square, Exning. 1891 census...At White Horse Square, Exning were William [2] and his father William [22] Farm Labourer born Exning, and mother Mary A [25] born Hilgay Norfolk. 1901 census...At 3 Stratton Cottages, Exning, were William [12] (now recorded as born Exning) with his parents (father now a tack man in racing stable) and sisters Elsie [7] and Blanche [6] also his brothers Leslie [1] and Clifford [2 months]. All the siblings are Exning born. 1911 census...The family are still at 3 Stratton Cottages, Burwell Road, Exning, but sister Elsie was a housemaid at Rose Hill Farm with the Lloyd family and William junior cannot be found in the census . He married Mabel Elizabeth DEARMER [26-10-1894] later of 38 Thornton Street, Hertford in 1915 in Hackney at St.Michael and All Saints on July 14th, 1915 Their daughter Iris Hope was born on 6-7-1916. The two Exning men mentioned below were Edward DICKER and Ernest HOBBS Contrary to the entry in "Our Exning Heroes", at least, out of the three men, Ernest's body was found later. |
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On July 3rd the battalion, under the command of Major GH Henty, took part in the frontal attack on Ovillers. In this operation the 12th Div. attacked on a two
brigade front, the 35th on the right, with the 5th Berkshire (right) and 7th Suffolk (left)in the front line. The 37th Brigade was on the left. The battalion
attacked in 8 successive waves, the leading ones starting ten minutes before zero hour, which had been fixed for 3.15 am. The first 4 waves penetrated as far
as the enemy's third line, some of them getting into the village itself; but owing to the darkness the succeeding waves lost touch, enabling the Germans to
surge in and cut them off. At the 3rd line of resistance, after very severe fighting, the attack was brought to a standstill, the battalion losing very heavily.
All the company commanders were killed, Major Henty and Lts Bowen,Taylor and Hood being the only officers to come through untouched. Casualties amounted to 470
of all ranks. On record with CWGC there are 159 of the 7th Battalion killed that day. mostly either buried in Ovillers Cemetery or named on the Thiepval Memorial.
Thus, at the battle of Albert, this battalion was almost destroyed. The remnants stayed in the trenches till July 8th William's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Pitches, W. 7th Suffolks William Pitches was educated at Exning School, and joined up in April, 1915, at the age of 26. He was reported missing with two other Exning men, Hobbs and Dicker, on July 3rd, 1916 during the great push on the Somme, and nothing has ever been of him since. In 1915 he married Mabel Dearmer, of Hertford, and leaves a widow and one little girl. After leaving school he was with Mr. Fuller, of Exning, for about six years, and then went as grocer's assistant to places in Newmarket, Southend on Sea, and finally to Cheshunt, where he enlisted. He was very fond of music. His parents live at 3, Stratton Cottages, Burwell Road. |
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