Major General Thomas Tait Pitman , CB , CMG , JP (22 December 1868 – 8 March 1941) was a British cavalry officer, who was a general officer during the First World War .[ 1] [ 2]
Personal life
Thomas Tait Pitman was born on 22 December 1868, the son of Frederick Pitman, Writer to the Signet , Edinburgh. He was one of eight brothers, including Frederick Islay Pitman and Charles Murray Pitman . In 1920 he married Violet Mary, only daughter of Sir Michael Lakin, 1st Baronet . He died on 8 March 1941.[ 3]
Military career
Pitman entered the British Army in 1889 and served with the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars for 26 years. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 9 October 1889, was promoted to lieutenant on 6 April 1891, and to captain on 16 April 1895.[ 4] Seeing service in the North West Frontier campaign 1897–98, he then served in South Africa during the Second Boer War , where he was second-in-command of the 5th battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry .[ 5] For his service he was mentioned in despatches (dated 1 June 1902, where he is commended for good service at Brakspruit on 11 April 1902[ 6] ). After the end of the war in June 1902, he left Cape Town in the SS Plassy in August, returning to Southampton the following month.[ 7] On his return he resigned from the Imperial Yeomanry and returned to his regiment.[ 5] [ 8]
By the outbreak of the First World War , Pitman was a lieutenant-colonel commanding the 11th Hussars and took them to the Western Front in August 1914. He was wounded at the Battle of Messines (1914) .[ 9] Later, after being promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general in May 1915, he succeeded Cecil Bingham in command of the 4th Cavalry Brigade (1915–16)[ 10] [ 11] and the 2nd Cavalry Division (1918–19).[ 12]
During the interwar period he then became GOC 48th (South Midland) Division in April 1926[ 13] before retiring from the army in April 1930.[ 14]
Pitman was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1915[ 15] and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1918[ 16] and was mentioned in dispatches six times.[ 3] He was honorary colonel of the 11th Hussars from 17 February 1926 to 9 October 1939.[ 17]
References
Bibliography
Becke, Major A.F. (1935). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1. The Regular British Divisions . London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-09-4 .
External links