BORN HULL 1889. SON OF JOHN ERENST JOHN PITMAN (1864-1921) & SARAH JANE NAYLOR (1864-1934), OF 317, BOULEVARD, HULL.
HE HAD TWO SISTERS, SARAH JANE & ANNIE. HIS TWO BROTHERS JOSEPH & ABBOTT TAYLOR PITMAN, LIVED AT 342 BOULEVARD.
HE JOINED THE MERCHANT NAVY AGED 17. SAILED WIDELY AND BECAME A SKIPPER IN THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE.
HE MARRIED AT ST MATTHEWS CHURCH, HULL, ON28/11/1916. HIS WIFE ELLEN DICKINSON (1887-1976), LIVED AT 7 MARMADUKE STREET, HULL
HE WAS LOST AT SEA, ON THE LONDON STEAM SHIP “HIGHBURY”, ON 31/05/1917, AGED 28.
HE LEFT £350 IN HIS WILL TO HIS WIDOW ELLEN, AT 7 MARMADUKE STREET, HULL (PROBATE ADDRESS
HIS NAME IS RECORDED ON HULL’S TRINITY HOUSE MEMORIAL & HULL MERCHANT NAVY ROLL OF HONOUR, AND THE TOWER HILL NAVAL MEMORIAL, LONDON.
SS Highbury, built by Bartram & Sons, Sunderland in 1912 and operated at the time of her loss by Britain SS. Co. Ltd. (Watts, Watts & Co. Ltd.), London, was a British steamer of 4831 tons. On June 10th, 1917, Highbury, on a voyage from Antofagasta to Birkenhead with a cargo of nitrate, was sunk by the German submarine U-66 (Thorwald von Bothmer), 150 miles West from Ireland. 40 persons were lost. Note: According to Michael Lowrey, the attack on HIGHBURY was by U-66 on 10th June 1917, 150 miles West from Ireland. This attack got mixed up with the attack on TAPLOW by U-82 on 16th June 1917. Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?150929
