No.14816, Private, Arthur John PETTITT
Aged 22
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Rrthur John Pettitt was born in 1894 (3rd qtr 1894 Sudbury 4a:704) son of James and Ann PETTITT (née PAYNE). Some Army records have him as John Pettitt
1901 census...Aged 6, he was at Upper Street, Stanstead with his father James PETTITT [37, horseman on farm; his mother Ann [37]; sisters Adelaide [5], Elsie Ann [3] and Florence May [7 months]. All were born in Hartest. 1911 census...Aged 16, a farm labourer, he was at Shimpling Road, Hartest with his parents; sisters Adelaide, Elsie Annie and Florence May; brothers Cyril Percy [5] and William James [2]. On the pension card his mother was at Hartest Hill. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds
Engaged in the fight for Thiepval, on the 26th September 53 Brigade ( 8th Suffolks on right and 10th Essex on left) with zero hour fixed at 12.35 pm had as their objectives 1st the Schwaben Trench, 2nd Zollern and 3rd Medway Trench and part of the Schwaben Redoubt. "A" and "D" companies were assault companies with "B" and "C" in support. All morning the enemy position was shelled. As soon as the barrage started the whole battalion moved forward, the two rear companies striving to get north of the Hindenburg Trench at the earliest possible moment as that was where the enemy barrage generally fell. This worked well , "C" Coy gaining the original British front line without a single casualty. Within six minutes Joseph Trench had been taken and six minutes later the Schwaben Trench, together with a large number of German prisoners. Within the hour the leading companies had reached and taken their 2nd objective. Here they halted until the assault started on the final objective, not to the liking of the 8th Suffolks. At 2:15 pm the attack resumed and desperate fighting began. After pushing on a further 250 yards the advance was held up by heavy machine gun fire from both flanks. One small party reached a point well in advance of the battalion and started to dig themselves in under heavy fire from Medway and Bulgar Trenches. They hung on until 6:30 pm albeit with heavy casualties. Before midnight the position was consolidated and several pre arranged strong points established. Of the 21 of the battalion killed that day, 14 have no known grave
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