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Note: John Edward was the second son of Daniel and Eleanor and was usually referred to as Jack.
He was educated at Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School which, in the early years of the 20th century was probably a fee paying or public School.
Following his education Jack was destined for a career in Poor Law like his father and older brother, however, that was put on hold when the Great war (First W.W.) broke out. Jack joined what was known as the UPS ( Universities and Public Shools Battalion) usually shortened to the Public Schools Battalion.
This was formed in response to a letter published in The Times on the 26th August 1914, calling for such volunteers. In fact, the response was such that within 11 days 5000 had joined and 4 battalions were formed as part of the Royal Fusiliers - the 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st. The first three went to Epsom for drill on the 18th of September. Because of the educated nature of the volunteers these battalions became a reservoir for commisions and a large number were taken to train as officers.
At length ( November 1915) they were sent to France and learned their paces where a great number of others first took lessons in trench warfare - in the area around the La Bassee Canal. After a short acqaintance with trench warfare the demand for more officers continued and three battalions were disbanded in April 1916 leaving just the 20th. The 20th continued in being until February 1918 and were permanently stationed in France.
On the 4th August 1916 a passage in the Stratford Herald noted that 'News has reached Stratford that Private J.E. Pickett, youngest son of Mr and Mrs D. Pickett, has received a bullet wound through the calf of the leg and a chum writing home to the parents remarks that he last saw him on his way to the dressing station in the rear. Pickett was an old Grammar School boy and voluntarily threw up a Poor Law appointment to join the Public School Battalion better known as the Royal Fusiliers and in which were several of his old school colleagues. After a short period of training Private Pickett proceeded to the front with his battalion and has seen a lot of hand fighting.'
This incident, bearing in mind the time taken for letters to arrive back in England, probably took place in mid-late July and this indicates that it would have been one of the offensives of the long and protracted battle of the Somme. Indeed, the 2oth were onvolved at that time in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge.
The following is an account of that battle.
A subsidiary attack of the Somme Offensive, and having captured Mametz Wood on 12 July, the British moved onwards toward High Wood in a continuation of the push through German lines. The Battle of Bazentin Ridge, which ran from 14-17 July 1916 and comprised part of the second phase of the Somme Offensive, was launched primarily by Reserve Army (twelve battalions) with Rawlinson's Fourth Army providing a further battalion, on a front extending from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit Wood.
Opened at dawn on the 14th (unusually so; Douglas Haig, the British Commander-in-Chief, was suspicious of night attacks), and preceded by a short sharp five minute artillery bombardment - just enough time to send exposed German defenders to their dugouts - the infantry moved forward. A notable success, Bazentin-le-Grand and Bazentin-le-Petit were secured with a matter of hours, with Longueval (skirting Delville Wood) following shortly afterwards.
Having established a position at Bazentin-le-Petit it became apparent to the British that High Wood itself was deserted; a large gap in the German lines was waiting to be exploited. Permission was sought from headquarters to dispatch infantry into the wood. However it was instead decided that here was an ideal scenario for the use of cavalry who could, it was stated, move far more quickly than infantry and may even break right through to Bapaume.
During the delay between the request for an infantry advance into the wood being sent - around 9am - and midday, by which time still no news of a cavalry advance had been given, German defenders were moving slowly back into the wood, effectively plugging the hole in their lines. By the time the cavalry were finally sent forwards, at around 7pm, the Germans had established sufficient defences to be able to decimate the oncoming British with machine gun fire.
Despite the costly failure of the attack upon High Wood, the cavalry nevertheless secured a line from the wood to Longueval. That night the British, under heavy fire, attempted to establish a line inside the wood, in readiness for an attack upon the German forces situated in the north-western half of the wood on the following day.
However British headquarters had resolved instead to launch an attack upon Martinpuich in the north, overlooking the reality that the Germans had not yet been fully cleared from High Wood. Midway between Bazentin-le-Petit and Martinpuich, and clipping the edge of High Wood - where the German troops were still in residence - was sited a formidable German line of defence known as as the Switch Line.
In launching an attack upon Martinpuich the British would find themselves open to enfilading fire from the wood; therefore a simultaneous attack from the western side of the wood, directed at the German position, was launched, repeatedly and without success. The consequences for the attacking 33rd Division towards Martinpuich was devastating.
Later that evening the British withdrew entirely from High Wood.
The 20th were sent to High Wood to su[pport the attack, cleaning up and consolidating in their rear. They organised a front and supply line in the wood from east to west. During the action the Lt.Colonel was wounded along with 7 other officers. 5 officers were killed and in the other ranks 375 men were killed, wounded or missing. Jack was in all probability one of these.
Subsequently, on Friday August 25th 1916 a second passage was published. 'Informal news reached Stratford a few weeks back that Private J.E.Pickett of the 20th Royal Fusiliers Infantry, and the youngest son of Mr and Mrs D. Pickett of this town, was wounded but a letter from Private Pickett shows that he was taken prisoner and is now in Ohrdruf Camp in Germany.'
It is also believed that jack was shot in the neck, the bullet just missing his jugular and, after a too brief period of hospitalisation, he was then sent to work in the salt mines.
After the war he re-entered the Poor Law service and eventually became Secretary of the Turnstall Hospital in Stratford-on- Avon but continued to suffer from a nervous disposition. It was such that for a long time he refused to have a motor vehicle. Having been persuaded to purchase a Standard Saloon Jack did drive until during an incident of indeterminate nature, a gun was discharged near his car and this put him off for good.
Last Known address for Lily was No 1 Scragg Street, Chel. Stoke-on-Trent
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