George Stanley Pittman

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, George died on 13th of July 1916 at the age of 18. 

George was born at Bow, London, on 8 October 1897, a son of George Samuel and Kate Pittman. He was baptised at Bow Road Methodist Church on 19 December 1897 and his family lived at 41 Alfred Street, Bow. By 1901 George’s mother had died. In 1902 George’s father married Eliza Louise Clarke and by 1911 they were living at 21 Royal Avenue, Lowestoft. In 1911 George lived with his uncle and aunt, James and Daisy Anderson, at 77 Ranelegh Road, East Ham. 

George volunteered and enlisted in the Army at the City of London. He joined the 10th Hussars, service number 15254. He was transferred to the Hampshire Regiment and joined the 10th Battalion in Gallipoli on 9 September 1915. At some point he became unwell and was granted a sick furlough, it seems that, thereafter, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion and served with that battalion in France. 

On 10 July 1916 the 2nd Battalion came out of the line and were camped at Mailly-Maillet Wood. During the night of 13-14 July, Captain Arnell and 28 men attempted a raid on an enemy trench near Beaumont-Hamel. The trench was heavily held and the raiding party were spotted when getting through the wire and fired on, and bombed. The party had to retire after 15 minutes leaving Captain Arnell and two men missing and two wounded.

It seems that George was one of the men missing during that raid and it was not until 1917 that it was concluded that he had been killed in action.