PITTENDRIGH, Robert Reginald
| Service Number: | 896 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bathurst , New South Wales, Australia, 1883 |
| Home Town: | Ashfield, Ashfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clergyman |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Gallipoli, 29 August 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Name listed on Panel 36 of the Memorial. MEMORIAL ID 56802066 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Molong & District Roll of Honour, Molong War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 896, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 896, 13th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 896, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne | |
| 29 Aug 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 896, 13th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 896 awm_unit: 13 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1915-08-29 |
How he died
Printed in the Lithgow Mercury, 15 Nov 1915, was a retelling of the incident that resulted in the death of Cpl. R.R. Pittendrigh:
"...the chaplain (Capt. Gillison) and Corporal Pittendrigh, saw a wounded man under fire and evidently in awful agony. They decided to try to effect a rescue though they knew a machine gun was trained on the trench, and had been warned to beware of snipers. Mounting the parapet, they crawled along some distance towards the wounded man. A couple of bullets zipped by, but they pushed on. More bullets flew, and both the rescuers were wounded.
They tried to regain the shelter of the trench, and Gillison was wounded again, but his companion managed to scramble in.
The chaplain died shortly after, but Corporal Pittendrigh did not succumb for some time."
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/218450693
Corporal Pittendrigh died on board the hospital ship S.S. Franconia on 29 August 1915 and was buried at sea on 30 August 1915.
Submitted 24 November 2023 by Martin Howells
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
PTE. ROBERT PITTENDRIGH
(Lithgow and Molong).
The deceased, who was son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Pittendrigh, of Gurra, near Molong, offered his services as chaplain early in the war, but as there was no opening he enlisted as a private. He was at the first landing at Galllpoli, and fought right up till the time of his death.
Corporal Robert H. Pittendrigh, of the Red Cross Brigade, who died from wounds received at Gallipoli, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Pittendrigh, of Garrah, Molong. Deceased, who was 32 years of age, a native of Bathurst, and was a fully-ordained Methodist Clergyman, offered his services as chaplain early in the war. There being no vacancy he enlisted as a private, and subsequently received promotion. He took part in the famous landing of the Australians at Galllpoli. Deceased at the time of his departure was connected with the Methodist circuit of Lithgow.
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