Fee Manley Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April (edited) Hello Forum members. I am trying to find information about a gentleman, George Pitman. In December 1917 his name was given as the putative father of a child who was subsequently adopted. The child would have been conceived in around April of 1917 in, almost certainly, Cheltenham district. George was 24 in December 1917 and his occupation was "assistant in boot shop" His address was given as 6971 "D" coy. 4 reserve Batt Glos. Catterick Yorkshire, Hippswell camp. (sic) Please see attachment. My questions about George are, Was he in "The Gloucesters"? How can I find out? Did he just work in a boot shop at Catterick camp? How can I find out more about the address given? Any thoughts or suggestions would be very welcome. Cheers, Fee Manley in Bristol Edited 21 April by Fee Manley error in content Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 April Admin Share Posted 21 April Welcome to the forum. I can find no medal index card for George, meaning he did not serve overseas, at least with that number. A minor correction to your post, it’s Batt, (Battalion) not Balt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April Hello Michelle. Thanks very much for that. So, does the number 6971 refer to George personally or is it part of the address? I am completely clueless on this topic! Cheers, Fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 April Admin Share Posted 21 April If I’m reading it correctly, it’s his regimental number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April Right. So that might help locate him. Do you think he was in the Gloucesters, given the address? Sorry to be a pain. Fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 21 April Admin Share Posted 21 April The Long Long Trail doesn’t give a 4th Reserve Battalion of the Glosters. Someone with more knowledge than me will with any luck be along soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April 3/4th, 3/5th and 3/6th Battalions became Reserve Battalions in April 1916 when the 3/4th absorbed the latter and became the 4th Reserve in September 1916 at Lugershall. Moved to Cheltenham in winter 1916-17, Catterick in March 1917, Horton in July 1917 and finally Seaton Delaval in October 1917 for duty with Tyne Garrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April Goodness! Thanks for that. So his battalion was in Cheltenham before moving up to Catterick. Interesting. Do you think I would be able to find out more about him from his regimental number - 6971? Cheers, Fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April A rather lucky find and the first one I looked at, he has a surviving Pension Record. Enlisted with 3/4th Bn Gloucestershire Rgt on 18th March 1916. Sent overseas (Italy) on 9th November 1917 and posted to 1/4th Bn Gloucestershire Rgt, later tranferred to Garrison Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers in Italy. Permenant address given as Convent View, Westbury nr Sherbourne, Dorset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April Oh my goodness!!!! You've found him!!!!! That is just wonderful. Thank you so much. We've been looking for him for a long time. I'm blown away. Fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April If you have access to ancestry I can post you a link to the documents or (I've downloaded them) I can send them to you direct. They're badly fire and water damaged but there is plenty of information to be gleaned from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April Hiya. Yes we're on Ancestry. A link to the documents would be wonderful!! Thank you so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April Happy to help where I can Fee, link to ancestry here. The givaway was the service number you posted above '6971' which can be seen crossed out at the top of the 'Casualty Form - Active Service' (20th page in). J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Manley Posted 21 April Author Share Posted 21 April I can't tell you how delighted I am. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 April Share Posted 21 April I'll have a guess at that one then Fee... I'm sure once you've had a good look through the documents they will summon more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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