JH Kittow 10th Battalion DCLI

[Jonathan Kittow]

Hi 

This is my first post so apologies if I am not following any protocols.

im trying to find out whether there is any information on my Grandfather Lt John H Kittow, who joined the 10th Battalion DCLI Pioneers in 1915 but arrive in France until December 1916 and joined the battle in January 1917.

I’m trying to find out whether there is any information on which company or platoon my Grandfather served, as the Battalion records seem to be slim for anyone joining up late and the war diaries contain scant reference.

Any leads or suggestions are gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance and best regards,

Jonathan

[PRC]

Hi @Jonathan Kittow and welcome to the forum :-)

I suspect the kind of paperwork your looking for is exactly the sort of routine admin that usually has not survived. And bear in mind not all officers were assigned to Companies \ Platoon - there were a number of specialist roles that still existed in a Pioneer Battalion along with the more normal ones like the Transport Officer.

Have you seen the surviving officers long papers for John Hugh Kittow at the National Archive? Unfortunately they are unlikely to be digitised any time soon, so it's either a visit to Kew or pay for a copy to be taken. Not something I've ever done myself, but consensus on the forum seems to be not to use the National Archive own copying service - it's expensive, slow, and quality is hit and miss. Private researchers will I'm told usually do a better job.

While it may not reference where he was serving in the Battalion structure it may give some indication of whether he held any specialist roles and also reports on him may be signed off by the person above him - so if he was a Platoon commander then by his Company Commander for example.

The National Archive catalgue reference can be found here https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1100949

The June 1916 British Army List shows Second Lieutenant J H. Kittow on the officer establishment of the 9th (Reserve) Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry with seniority from the 16th November 1915, (see column 1204d about three quarters of the way down) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/107993004

For a Second Lieutenant a seniority date is almost certainly going to be a date of commissioning. He appears in the index of the December 1916 and January 1917 British Army Monthly List but does not appear to be in the relevant place  under his regiment. The section for the 9th Battalion however refers to a separate "fly slip"
December 1916 https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123858919
January 1917: https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103214569

By the time of the January 1918 Monthly Army List it looks like he had been formally transferred to the 10th Battalion rather than being attached from the 9th Battalion. (Column 1204b) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123142725
By now a Lieutenant, he has seniority from the 1st July 1917.

His Medal Index Card shows his two service medals, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal, with the rank of Lieutenant. This would be the highest rank he achieved by the time of the armistice while serving overseas.

It may be a complete red herring but FindMyPast also has two Medical Admission Register (MAR) entries for a J.H. Kittow - I don't subscribe so can't see the details. From the age given in the register they have calculate a year of birth of c1897. There is only one John Hugh Kittow showing up in the GRO birth records for England & Wales, and he was registered with the civil authorities in the Hitchin District in the January to March quarter of 1897 - of course your grandfather could have been born anywhere. The fly in the ointment is that FMP have indexed them as relating to 1916.

Every point of the medical evacuation chain, from the Field Ambulances near the frontline through to Hospitals in the UK, were required to maintain these registers. Post-war a 5% sample were retained for statistical analysis and it is this surviving set that eventually made its' way to the National Archive and thus to the likes of FindMyPast - Forces War Records, now part of Ancerstry, used to do a low quality interpretaion of the data rather than doing a transcript or showing images of the pages.

In the early months of the war then the column relating to Company as well as Battalion was quite often completed, but gradually this dropped out of use. As always it was down to the clerks completing the register and given the volumes passing through it may be understandable that this was skimped on.

Hopefully a forum pal will be able to check those two MAR's out and let us know if they relate to the DCLI man you are interseted in.

Cheers,
Peter

[Gunner 87]

2 hours ago, PRC said:

Hopefully a forum pal will be able to check those two MAR's out and let us know if they relate to the DCLI man you are interseted in.

@Jonathan Kittow

Hello Jonathan, welcome to the forum.

The record Peter refers to list Second Lieutenant J H Kittow. 19 years old, of the 9th DCLI being admitted to the Queen Alexandria's Military Hospital at Milbank on the 06/06/16 with Gonorrhoea, discharged 07/07/16, then readmitted to the same hospital on the 02/08/16 suffering from 'R Hernia' discharged 31/08/16.  As I'm sure you know, from the 01/09/16 9th DCLI were absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 10th Reserve Brigade.

I will send you across the original documents by pm.

Gunner 87

Edited 5 November , 2023 by Gunner 87

[Gunner 87]

J H Kittow also appears in the 'West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser' Tuesday November 25 1915 as to be Temporary Second Lieutenant in the DCLI and 'Western Morning News' Saturday October 20 1917 under Promotions and Appointments Service Battalions July 1 1917 Temporary Second Lieutenant to Temporary Lieutenant.

Full pages sent by pm.

Gunner ...

 

Edited 5 November , 2023 by Gunner 87

[George Rayner]

The Medal Index Card referred to by Peter-courtesy Fold 3

George

[George Rayner]

London Gazette

From FMP

George

[George Rayner]

A medal Roll within Ancestry-but no help with OP enquiry I think

George

 

[Jonathan Kittow]

34 minutes ago, George Rayner said:

A medal Roll within Ancestry-but no help with OP enquiry I think

George

 

 

7 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

J H Kittow also appears in the 'West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser' Tuesday November 25 1915 as to be Temporary Second Lieutenant in the DCLI and 'Western Morning News' Saturday October 20 1917 under Promotions and Appointments Service Battalions July 1 1917 Temporary Second Lieutenant to Temporary Lieutenant.

Full pages sent by pm.

Gunner ...

 

Hi

Gunner, that's great to have these records, many thansk for your help, Jonathan

I had understood he had been admitted to hospital which delayed his enrolment and dispatch to France - I hadn't appreciated the first reason - he never mentioned it, unsurprisingly(?!) although did make some off-the cuff remarks, some of which now make more sense...
Many thanks

 

 

8 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

@Jonathan Kittow

Hello Jonathan, welcome to the forum.

The record Peter refers to list Second Lieutenant J H Kittow. 19 years old, of the 9th DCLI being admitted to the Queen Alexandria's Military Hospital at Milbank on the 06/06/16 with Gonorrhoea, discharged 07/07/16, then readmitted to the same hospital on the 02/08/16 suffering from 'R Hernia' discharged 31/08/16.  As I'm sure you know, from the 01/09/16 9th DCLI were absorbed into the Training Reserve Battalions of 10th Reserve Brigade.

I will send you across the original documents by pm.

Gunner 87