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Pettit, Edward Ronald

Date of birth:
September 26th, 1909
Date of death:
August 4th, 1944
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Cemetery Ranchi
Plot: 5. Row: F. Grave: 2.
Service number:
44155, Royal Armoured Corps
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Edward Ronald Pettit was killed in action on August 4th, 1944. At that moment he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Promotions (known):
1928 - 1929, Gentleman Cadet - Royal Military College, Sandhurst;
August 29th, 1929: 2nd Lieutenant;
August 29th, 1932: Lieutenant;
September 1935: acting Captain;
August 1st, 1938: Captain;
September 7th, 1940: temporary Major.;
April 1944: temporary Lieutenant Colonel.

Career:
August 29th, 1929: 9th Queen's Royal Lancers;
September 28th, 1935: Colonial Service;
September 1935 - March 27th, 1938: ADC, Commander in Chief, Nigeria;
September 1st, 1939: Regimental Duty, 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers, United Kingdom;
December 1940: Squadron Leader, 24th Lancers, United Kingdom;
1942: Second in Command, The Lothian and Border Horse, 36th Yeomanry Regiment, United Kingdom;
October 9th, 1943: 26th Hussars, Meerut, India;
October 1943: Squadron Leader 3rd Carabiniers, Prince of Wales’s Dragoon Guards, Burma;
April 1944: GSO1, AFV, Headquarters 14th Army, India.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Major
Unit:
9th Queen's Royal Lancers, (attd. 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards))
Awarded on:
February 8th, 1945
Recommendation:
"For Conspicuous Gallantry and devotion to Duty. Major Pettits Squadron of LEE tanks was under my command from 13 March 1944 until 7 April 1944, during which period the enemy advanced with tanks, medium artillery, anti-tank troops and infantry in an endeavour to annihilate our forces in the KABAW Valley and to seize the TAMU-PALEL road. Throughout, Major Pettit handled his squadron with great skill and aggressiveness at the battles round WITOK and the withdrawal from that place to the MOREH area. His squadron, led by himself, was largeley responsible for the successful withdrawal without a casualty of a large partion of the infantry and all the guns and also inflicted severe casualties on the enemy infantry. In the tank battle at MANMAW on 20th March 1944, when his squadron knocked out four Japanese light tanks for certain, captured another, and probably damaged two more, his leadership and quick grasp of the situation under close, accurate and heavy fire from the enemy tanks and infantry were main factors in turning an enemy ambush into a decisive victory, and enabled him the next day to push out and rescue a large party of wounded, who had been separated during the withdrawal from WITOK, without a shot being fired.
At the battles of TAMUH and MOREH, and during the withdrawals from MOREH, SIBONG and KHONGKHANG, he was always at the dangerous places watching over the rear parties of the infantry, and in the later stages of the withdrawal when the enemy cut the road behind 80 Indian Infantry Brigade between KHONGKHANG and TENGNOUPAL, his handling of his squadron in conjunction with the infantry enabled the brigade to withdraw with very few casualties. Throughout, he has showed courage and leadership of a very high order."
Military Cross (MC)

Sources

  • Photo 1: Familie
  • Photo: Family
  • - Army Form W.3121 May 1944. Approved by Lieutenant General Commanding IV Corps
    - The London Gazette of 30th August 1929, Issue 33530
    - The London Gazette of 30th August 1932, Issue 33859
    - The London Gazette of 11th October 1935, Issue 34207
    - Supplement to The London Gazette of 2nd August 1938, Issue 34538, dated 5th August 1938
    - Supplement to The London Gazette of 6th February 1945, Issue 36928, dated 8th February 1945
    - Commonwealth Wargraves Commission
    - Regimental Headquarters (HQ) of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers & Greys), RSDG, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
    - Museum of The 9th/12th Royal Lancers, Derby
    - Familyhistory (UK and Canada)

Photo