PRIVATE EDGAR PITTOCK
SUFFOLK REGIMENT
1884 – 1917
Edgar was the son of Joseph Haste Pittock and Harriet Pittock Nee Pinner and the husband of Agness Miles who he married in 1911 and lived in the street Capel St Mary Suffolk, Edgar was one of ten children all born in Capel St Mary.
His parents Joseph and Harriet were married in Capel Church in 1864, Joseph was employed as an agricultural labourer and died in1908 Harriet died in 1915.
Edgar’s siblings were Charlotte born 1866, George born 1867, Ada born 1869, Alice born1872, William born 1873, Arthur born 1875, Deborah born 1877, Alfred born 1879, Matilda born1882, and Edgar himself born 1884. They were all educated in Capel School. After leaving school Edgar started work as a gardener and went on to become a gamekeeper prior to joining the Army.
Edgar had enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment in July 1915 after a very enthusiastic recruiting meeting in the village, after basic training he was posted to 1st/4th Battalion of the Suffolk’s and went to France with his Regiment on January 18th 1916, he was wounded by shrapnel in July and after 2 months in hospital in France he returned to the trenches where he contracted Pleurisy and Pneumonia and was brought back to England, on January 27th 1917 Tuberculosis set in and he died on May 11th at Ford Military Hospital Devonport.
As he had died in Ford Military Hospital Devonport from disease contracted on active service Edgar was given a full military funeral with honours and is buried in St Mary’s Church Yard Capel St Mary Suffolk.. His body was carried from the Hospital on a gun carriage accompanied by a military band to Plymouth station and brought by train to Capel St Mary station a firing party of the 6th Cyclists Battalion attended the procession to the grave, where three volleys were fired and the Last Post sounded, at the school the flag was flown at half mast and the children stood outside at the salute as the cortege passed.
Edgar is remembered on the brass plaque inside the church his grave is in the north west part of the old burial ground of St Mary’s Church Capel St Mary.
He was posthumously awarded:
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•The British War Medal 1914-1918
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•The Victory Medal 1914 – 1919
His Next of Kin would also have received The Memorial Plaque and Scroll
