No.5893, Private, Lewis Edgar PETTITT
Aged 24
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Edgar Lewis Pettit was born in Great Welnetham (2nd qtr 1891 Thingoe 4a: 783), son of Walter and Anna PETTIT (née DRURY). As ever it can be Pettitt or Pettit.
1901 census...Aged 9, Louis was at 1 Orbell's Cottages. Great Welnetham with his father Walter Pettit [38] a stockman born Bury St. Edmunds; his mother Anna [45]; half brother William DRURY [15] farm labourer, brother Harold [12] and Alfred [5]. All ecept his father were born in Great Welnetham. 1911 census...Aged 19, a domestic groom, he was at Old Farm House, Sicklesmere, Great Welnetham with his parents; brothers Harold Victor (groom) and Alfred Lawrence (farm labourer). The boys now recorded as born Sicklesmere. On the pension card his mother was at Orbell's Cottages, now recorded as Sicklesmere. The records here treat Great Welnetham and Sicklesmere as the same place. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds when resident in Sicklesmere.
4am: Bn led to hollow in open between two hills. 14 casualties from rifle bullets on the way up. 8am: Received orders for the attack. R Bn to be the assaulting unit, supported by Lancs Fusiliers , with R Fusiliers in reserve. Objective Hill 120-150 yards in advance of firing line. 3.40pm: Whole countryside in flames from shells setting fire to gorse. 3.50pm: Received message from Y coy to say that all officers had either been killed or wounded and majority of men. Whole attack disorganised and split up by fires which were spreading in every direction, burning many of our wounded alive. 4.20pm: Lancs Fusiliers ordered to reinforce survivors of the Bn and take them onto Hill 12. Received message Hill 70 captured on our left flank by Royal Inniskillking Fus. 5pm: Lancs Fusiliers unable to advance owing to heavy machine fire. Message received from Captain Wilson that he had a few survivors with him but that the men were all split up into little groups taking cover where they could from the fire and burning gorse. 6.05pm: Some units of the 11th Division suddenly appeared over the crest line of Chocolate Hill behind us and had to be told not to open fire on our backs. 6.50pm: Message received from Capt Murray that he had about 40 men with him in a trench 50 yards in front of firing line. They were ordered back to our HQ by the Bde. 8pm: Survivors of the Bn, numbers 140 formed up in hollow behind Hill 53. Bn strength before the action 717. Throughout the night men continued to come in and by the morning there were nearly 300. Nine officers were casualties.
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