Private Frank Pettitt, 15914,York and Lancaster Regiment, 10th Bn.

South Yorkshire Times 8th Dec 1917
 with thanks to the Barnsley Archives

Service Details:
Private Frank Pettitt, 15914,York and Lancaster Regiment 10th Bn. Died of wounds 12th October 1917, Age 33.

Biography:
Frank was born at Handsworth near Sheffield in August 1884. He was the eldest son of Elizabeth and John Pettitt. The family relocated to Hawson Street at Wombwell in the 1890s and a few years later Frank began working at the nearby Cortonwood colliery.  Sadly out of Frank's twelve siblings six died in childhood and his mother also passed away in 1908. But that wasn't to be the end of the families heartache, both Frank and his younger brother Henry would die during the First World War.

Frank enlisted on the 12th October 1914 and joined the 10th Battalion of the York and Lancaster, his neighbour John Haywood would later join the same regiment. On the 12th October 1917 the Battle of Passchendaele took place. Frank's regiment was one of many which took part in the action that day. The army's objective was to break through the German defenses and take Passchendaele Ridge, however, the operation would ultimately fail on this attempt and would cost Frank his life in the process. One of his comrades Sec. Lieut. H. D. Hughes wrote to his family about the circumstances of his death:

"It is with great sorrow that I heard of the death of your brother Frank. I was not with him at the time, but I know he was at his post and doing his duty, and his loss is a great blow to me. He was liked by us all he was buried near Jack (John) Haywood, another of our men from your street, in a cemetery near here. Words always seem useless in a case like this, but I wanted to tell you how we miss him."

The South Yorkshire Times

8th Dec, 1917

Frank was buried at Larch Wood cemetery 2.5 miles south east of Ypres city centre in West Belgium. His neighbour John Haywood died of wounds only three days after Frank and was buried at Bedford House cemetery. Frank was posthumously awarded the British War and Victory medal, and because he had enlisted before conscription he also qualified for the 1914-15 Star. After the war the government commissioned a commemorative plaque known as the 'Death Penny' to be cast in bronze and given to the families of all those who died serving. Frank's plaque was discovered at scrapyard near Goldthorpe in 2015 and has been displayed at several local history exhibition since it's rescue.

Frank Pettitt's Death Penny
Found at Wallis Metals in 2015

Grave:
Larchwood Railway cutting cemetery, Plot V. A. 19, Belgium

Memorials:
Cortonwood War Memorial, Brampton Brierlow, S75 0TU
Wombwell war memorial, Park Street, S73 0HS

Additional Details:
This piece was written in part with information kindly supplied by, and with thanks to the Wombwell Heritage Group.




Sources__________________________________________
South Yorkshire Times 8th Dec 1917
Barnsley Chronicle 4th Sept. 2015 & 11th September 2015
1891, 1901 and 1911 Census
Cwgc.org - Casualty details for F. Pettitt
F. Pettitt's Service record, Soldier's effects & Medal index card
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele