In Remembrance
Several of my family served and died in WWI, with one in WWII.
While there were other family members who served in WWI and WWII,
this page is in remembrance of those family members who served Australia and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
If you want to see my family that fought and returned home go to my In Service page.
LEST WE FORGET!
- WWI
- WWII
- The Ode
Word War I
 Corporal Norman Thomas Pittendrigh (No. 149) 1st Australian Infantry Battalion Great granduncle Norman joined the AIF on 27 August 1914 at the age of 20 years and 10 months, and was part of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He was promoted to Corporal on the beach at Gallipoli on 25 April as most of his group was killed during the landings. Norman was killed between 6 and 11 August 1915 during the battle at Lone Pine. Norman is commemorated on Panel 13 at the Lone Pine Memorial. Click Here to read a letter sent home by Norman not long before he was killed at Lone Pine. |
|
 Private Edmund Pittendrigh (No. 1745) 18th Australian Infantry Battalion Great granduncle Edmund (brother of Norman) joined the AIF on 2 June 1915 at the age of 19 years. He landed at Gallipoli on 22 August 1915 and was killed the same day. Edmund is commemorated on Panel 62 at the Lone Pine Memorial. |
 |
 Corporal Robert Reginald Pittendrigh (No. 896) 13th Australian Infantry Battalion First cousin, 3x removed Robert joined the AIF on 7 September 1914 at the age of 31 years. 13th Battalion landed at Gallipoli Cove in the late afternoon of 25 April 1915. He was promoted to Corporal on 3 May 1915 and worked as a stretcher bearer. Robert was wounded while trying to help save a wounded soldier on 23 August 1915. He died on board the hospital ship S.S. Franconia on 29 August 1915 and was buried at sea on 30 August 1915 (coordinates 37° 42’ North, 4° 11’ East). Robert is commemorated on Panel 36 at the Lone Pine Memorial Read The Last Post Ceremony by the Australian War Memorial. |
|
 Private Claude Wilfred Leo Pittendrigh (No. 2190) 1st Australian Infantry Battalion (Gallipoli) 4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion (France) First cousin, 3x removed Claude (“Leo”) joined the AIF on 14 April 1915 at the age of 33 years. He joined the 1st Battalion at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915, and although he was sent to hospital a few times he departed Gallipoli alive and joined the 4th Machine Gun Battalion in France on 8 June 1918. Claude was wounded by a shell on 9 July 1918 and was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) by the 4th Field Ambulance, and died of his wounds at the CCS. He is buried in the Crouy British Cemetery in Crouy-sur-Somme, France. |
 |
World War II
Able Seaman Alfred David Williams (No. 22178)
HMAS Sydney (II)
First cousin, 3x removed
Alfred (“Sam” or “Duds”) joined the RAN on 6 June 1938 at the age of 20 years. He was assigned to his first ship, HMAS Yarra, on 1 October 1938. He was promoted to Able Seaman while aboard the HMAS Perth on 22 January 1940, and joined the HMAS Sydney (II) on 28 February 1941.
The HMAS Sydney was lost with all hands during a battle with the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran off the Western Australia coast on 19 November 1941.
Alfred is on the Roll of Honour at Newcastle War Memorial, Panel 57, Column 1, and on the HMAS Sydney II Memorial
The honour roll of the 645 crew lost on the HMAS Sydney II can be found on the HMAS Sydney II Memorial website. The names are recorded on the memorial Wall of Remembrance
The HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran English memorial plaque at the foot of the Laboe Naval Memorial, near the City of Kiel in Northern Germany.
Photo from https://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/semaphore-09-21 where the full memorial stone with English and German plaques are shown.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
LEST WE FORGET!
You are visitor number
to this page since January 5, 2024.