Born: 7 June 1899, Eccleshill
Died: 12 April 1918
Buried: NKG
Address: 35 Charnwood Road, Eccleshill
Parents: John & Alice, nee Sagar
Spouse:
Siblings: Thomas, Mary, Florrie, Laura
Occupation:
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s; Ploegsteert Memorial
Children:
Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers
Arnold Pitts
Arnold Pitts was born on the 7th of
June 1899 and baptised at ,
ParkLuke’s Church, Eccleshill on
the 19th July 1899, the youngest of
five children of John and Alice, nee
Sagar.
Arnold enlisted on the 12th of July
1917 in the 1st/6th Battalion of the
Northumberland Fusiliers as
Private 60180.
His Regiment was involved in the
Battles of Lys from the 9th of April
to the 29th of April 1918 and
fought in the Battle of Estaires 9th
to 11th April, the Battle of
Messines 10th to 11th April and the
Battle of Hazebrouck 12th to 15th
April 1918.
Arnold went missing on the first
day of this battle and it would be 18
months before he was presumed
dead.
The following is taken from the St
Luke’s Church Magazine of
October 1919.
The Aftermath of War.
We had all hoped that no more
names need be added to the list of
the lads of Eccleshill who had
given their lives in the war. But
alas! It was not so and our
sympathy is with the family of
Arnold Pitts of 35 Charnwood
Road, who, after having been
reported “missing” for seventeen
months, is now reported “killed”.
What the strain of waiting for news
during those long months must
have been, only those who have
endured it can know.
Their sorrow is upon them now
and they have our sympathy in it
but could even the certainty of
their loss (and his gain) be worse
than the previous “hoping against
hope?”
From what we are told of Arnold
the parish is the loser in that he
has been called to the higher
service.”
Arnold was 19 years of age and he
is remembered on the Ploegsteert
Memorial which commemorates
more than 11,000 servicemen who
died in this sector during the First
World War and have no known
grave.
The memorial serves the area from
the line Caestre-Dranoutre-
Warneton to the north, to
Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to
the south.
Most of those commemorated by
the memorial did not die in major
offensives. Most were killed in the
course of the day-to-day trench
warfare which characterised this
part of the line, or in small scale set
engagements, usually carried out in
support of the major attacks taking
place elsewhere.
Arnold left his effects to his father
John who received £7.6.1d on the
28th November 1919 which
included a War Gratuity of £5.0.0d.
.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
