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William Pitt World War 1 Veteran

... I believe some time in WW1 they formed thr Royal Army Service Corps ...

The RE and ASC were two separate Corps and had certainly been so since before the Second Boer War (my knowledge of military history prior to that is very hazy). The ASC became the RASC in late 1918.
 
I believe that the royal Engineers were responsibile at the outbreak of WW1 for some of the forms of transport, The denotion of "driver" originally ment horse transport, and as the war progressed the need for a dedicated transport regiment became clear hence ASC, the RE were also responsible for erecting telegraph poles and stringing wireing untill a Signals Corps were inorgorated later in WW1.
paul
 
Hi,

I thought I'd try and locate some military records of William Pitt who survived the war, as there are new records on ancestry and its free this weekend (!!). Please see first post on thread for his details and photos. Experts on this forum kindly helped me by suggesting that he served with the ASC , later becoming RASC. This was exciting as we think that his civvie job of carter became a driver in ww1; images from War Horse now ping into my mind . Unfortunately, I don't think I can locate his reg number or see if any of the records, service, pension or medal records belong to him. Any suggestions or advice to how to find his records if they exist?

Best regards and thanks,

Lu
 
The additional electoral roll for 1919 lists william at 9 north western place and gives army details as M/336349, Pte., M.T., A.S.C. and he was there till 1939
 
mikeejee beat me to it!

He was also listed in the 1918 Absent voters list with the same info

Terry

p.s. Going back to original postings, the pictures have gone. So we all agreed the cap badge to be RE so is the picture you have is in fact William Pitt?
If he was born in 1876 he would be 42 years old by the end of the war
 
There is a medal index card for Pte William Pitt ASC M/336349

he was also awarded a Silver War Badge which also gave the following details

Enlisted into A.S.C 24 June 1916 and discharged due to sickness on 28 February 1919
The roll also states that he served overseas.

Terry
 
Hi Lu

In my opinion, and others may give different ones, I believe he must have been a pre-war territorial due to the the Imperial Service badge on his tunic breast pocket. Only Territorials were issued with them in 1914 when the units they served in volunteered for active service. When the Territorial Force was formed in April 1908, men who had signed on for 8 years would have left the army in April 1916. Which William Pitt probably did or was given an option to still serve King and Country re-enlisted into the Army Service Corps on 24 June 1916. The two pictures taken in Italy wearing a pith helmet would be in 1918 when British units were serving there. The guy seated appears to have the ASC badge on his pith helmet.

So maybe somewhere in ancestry there are papers regarding service with the RE.

Terry
 
This is certainly a wonderful piece of detective work. Looking at the records on ancestry, I didn't think that any of the William Pitts in the RE were him. So have I understood this correctly, he was in the RE when he was in the Territorial Force? I've just had a word with my mother, she has no stories about his military service apart from him being gassed and his discharge. Also we don't have any medals or badges for him.
 
My great grandfather William Pitt born 1876-7 in Birmingham served in WW1.
Lived at 9 North Western Terrace, Newton Place, Hockley, B'ham in 1911 with wife Rose Anna and family.
He was a carter.
We have these photos of him in uniform, I was hoping that may help identify his regiment and his service record. We do know that he was gassed whilst serving.
He died in Henley in Arden Hospital 6 Oct 1943, age 66 years.

Any help or guidance would be wonderful,
Many thanks
Lu

:)
Was William Pitt's father a William Pitt whose father was William Pitt? If so we are distantly relaled.
 
It seems that William's father was also William, though the elder William appears to list his father as Thomas when he marries, though it is possible that he was actually illegitimate.
 
Well my great grandfather was Thomas Pitt, son of William Pitt.
Thomas had a brother called William too. He was born in 1850, and died in 1893.
Thomas's brother William had a son called William in 1876.
Thomas's son William was born around 1891 and died in 8th July1955. He was born in Junction Road Handsworth. The Pitts worked together making beds, I think based in number 2 Blake Lane, Bordesley Green.
If he was the son of my great great grandfather then he would have been legitimate, as Thomas married Charlotte who had been a general servant in his dad's house.
 
The William Pitt mentioned above that marries Rose Hannah (Jones) appears to be a the son of William Pitt and Louisa Willis.

William Pitt the elder was born in Ledbury, Herefordshire and was still alive in 1901 so probably two different people.
 
The William Pitt mentioned above that marries Rose Hannah (Jones) appears to be a the son of William Pitt and Louisa Willis.

William Pitt the elder was born in Ledbury, Herefordshire and was still alive in 1901 so probably two different people.
OK, it really doesn't help that victorians called their kids by their own name and their brothers called their kids by the same names too.
 
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