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Remembered Today:

2Lt Henry Bastick Pilgrim - Kensingtons


brummell

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Would anyone with the Kensingtons' regimental history mind looking up young Mr Pilgrim?  He was killed on 1 July 1916 at Gommecourt; the war diary gives some useful detail, but I am curious if the history has anything to add.

 

Thanks in advance if anyone is able to help.

 

 

- brummell

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Yes, I have seen it - sad reading it makes, too.  His mother wrote repeatedly to the War Office as the only one of his effects returned to her was a silver apostle spoon; none of the 'items of value - his field glasses, cigarette case and revolver' were sent to her.  The draft of a reply in the file points out that, as those were items he was likely to be carrying in action and as he was killed by shellfire, they were unlikely to have been recovered; rather stark reading for a grieving mother.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Further to this, could anyone clarify what may have been behind the exhumation of Harry Pilgrim's remains in 1920?  Two exhumation records here:

 

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/322649/PILGRIM, HENRY BASTICK

 

Pilgrim is buried in IV. B. 14.  The grave registration report form has him in 13 in December 1920, but this is struck out and amended to 14, with an unknown British soldier of the Royal Fusiliers added in manuscript in grave 13.

 

However, the exhumation report, which precedes the amendment, states that Pilgrim was exhumed from grave 15 and an unknown Royal Fusilier from 14.

 

My question (apart from how does this square with the grave registration report form), is why might this exhumation have been carried out in the first place?  Nobody else in the other graves in that row appear to have been exhumed.

 

 

- brummell

Edited by brummell
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