Harry Richard Piggot

Army, Commemorated name/s, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Harry Piggott
Private 21758
8th Royal Berkshire Regt.

 Division 54

Piggot H graave

 

Harry Richard Piggott is commemorated on a scroll headstone on the grave of his father Richard Piggott and probably also that of his mother Kate.  The 1911 census indicates that he was living at 51, Katesgrove Lane, Reading.His fathers occupation is given as boat man, Harry worked as a labourer at the Brewery and his younger brother as an ironmongers messenger. He was born in July 1892 in Weybridge, Surrey although the rest of his family were born around the Reading area. He married in July 1915 in Reading.

 Harry Piggott was killed on September 3rd 1916 in the battle for High Wood on the Somme.   High Wood was an objective in the early days of the Somme battle.  It escaped capture for many weeks due lethal machine guns and a well fortified trench in the northern part of the wood.   Thousands of men were killed attempting to capture this vantage point from the Germans.  The first major attack was in a well documented night assault, the cavalry were to play a part in one attack but time and time again the Germans made a successful counter attack.   For the 8th Berks. zero hour was noon September 3rd , the signal a mine explosion.  Together with the 1st Camerons the Berkshire boys went over the top, some were killed in their own barrage.  After severe hand to hand fighting the trench was taken but. the Germans once more counter attacked and by 3.30p.m three officers and one hundred men had been killed and the battalion was back at its original starting point.  Again “the hell they called High Wood” was so nearly in the grasp of the British.  It was finally taken on September 15th 1916, the same day that tanks were used for the first time in battle.

 Harry Piggott is buried in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, location X.D.2.  His headstone bears an inscription from his wife.  A picture of Caterpillar Valley Cemetery  appeared on a Post Office Millennium Stamp launched 8th October 1999.

Arthur Pike

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

Arthur Pike
Fitter 87500 “A” Battery
282nd Army Brigade Royal Field Artillery

 Division 68
Extension

Pike A photo

 

Arthur Pike was the son of John and Mary Pike and commemorated on their grave with the words ‘FELL IN ACTION July 30th 1917 and buried at Poperinghe, Belgium.  He is buried in the Gwalia Cemetery, location Plot 1. G. 35.  The grave in the Reading Cemetery is classified as  69B14 according to the  Berkshire Family History Society classification.

 The Gwalia Cemetery was opened at the beginning of July 1917, in the period between the Battle of Messines and the Battles of Ypres.  It lay among the camps in flat country and was used by Infantry units, Artillery and Field Ambulances until September 1918.  The Third Battle of Ypres began on the 31st July 1917.  It is possible that Arthur Pike was killed in counter battery operations prior to the start of the battle. 

George Wilson Pike

Army, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment

George Wilson Pike
Private 35412, Depot
Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 10

CIMG2151

George Wilson Pike  was the  son of John Hawkins Pike and Mary Wilson Pike.  He was found drowned on 26th December 1917, aged 40.  George Pike  is buried in a registered war grave number 8055 and this is marked with a CWGC war pattern  headstone. 

The details of his death were published in  the Reading Standard on 5th January 1918. 

 A soldier for one day – Factory sorter drowned in the Kennet

George Wilson Pike aged 41, single, a sorter in the employ of Messrs Huntley and Palmers was found dead in the River Kennet..

According to the evidence of two witnesses, one his brother and the other a lady friend, the deceased seemed quite cheerful and to them he had made no suggestion of suicide and nothing seemed to worry him.  A letter found on he deceased addressed to Daisy Annie Short, in which was the following: “Goodbye, God always bless you”.  x x x.  Daisy Short in giving evidence said she had known the deceased for two years and had worked with him.  He did not seem worried about going into the army.  She knew him only as a work mate.    Fitted for a uniform and medically examined and attested at the Barracks he had not turned up for a tattoo the following evening, Friday and was reported absent.  Charles Wheatley a labourer spoke of finding the body in the River.  The jury returned a verdict of “Found drowned” there being no evidence as to how the deceased got into the water.