BORN HULL 03/08/1886. SON OF JOHN THOMAS PRITCHARD (1859-1918) AND MARY JANE ESTHER ANN COULTAS (1860-1934), OF 1 VICTORIA AVENUE, WELLSTED STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS ADDRESS) AND 60 KINGS BENCH STREET, HULL (ARMY ADDRESS). ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN, SON OF A TINSMITH. EMPLOYED AS A BOTTLING STORE LABOURER.
HE ENLISTED IN THE HULL PALS, THE 11TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (EYR), ON 07/09/1914, AGED 28 YEARS AND 1 MONTH. THIS WAS THE DAY AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS GRANDMOTHER, MARY ANN ANDREWS. HE MARRIED CATHERINE CARTLEDGE (1874-1929), AT HULL REGISTRY OFFICE, ON 31/12/1914 (WAR PENSION RECORDS).
HE WAS DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 3.5 INCHES TALL, 130 LBS WEIGHT, 36 INCH CHEST, ‘GOOD’ PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. HE TRAINED WITH THE 8TH EYR AND WENT ABSENT SEVEN TIMES DURING TRAINING IN 1915, FORFEITING PAY ON EACH OCCASION. SPENT 16 DAYS IN NEWCASTLE MILITARY HOSPITAL IN AUGUST 1915, WITH GONORRHEA. HE WAS POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 12/05/1916. TRIED FOR DESERTION, ON 21/01/1917. SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS PENAL SERVITUDE. COMMITTED TO ABANCOURT MILITARY PRISON, ON 17/02/1917. HIS SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED TO 2 YEARS, ON 27/03/1917, DUE TO GOOD BEHAVIOUR. RELEASED FROM PRISON. HE ABSCONDED AGAIN, ON 10/02/1918. A MEDICAL EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT HE HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY, BUT SUFFERED FROM SWELLINGS IN BOTH LEGS (EDEMA). HE WAS RELEASED AND POSTED TO THE 6TH EAST YORKSHIRE BATTALION, ON 25/05/1918. WOUNDED AT SAMBRE.
HE DIED OF WOUNDS, ON 04/11/1918, AGED 32, AT THE 35TH FIELD AMBULANCE HOSPITAL. HIS WIDOWED MOTHER REQUESTED HIS MEDALS AND WAR PENSION. HOWEVER, HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS WIDOW, CATHERINE.
HE STATED IN HIS ARMY RECORDS THAT HE HAD THREE BROTHERS AND A SISTER, WHOSE NAMES AND ADDRESSES WERE UNKNOWN TO HIM? HOWEVER, HE WAS LIVING WITH THEM ALL AT WELLSTED STREET, IN 1911 AND THEY WERE, HAROLD, THOMAS, CLIVE AND ELMA.
