The Pitt family in France, North Africa and Thorpe Malsor

The contributor's grandfather, Peter Gabriel Pitt, was born in 1895. He changed the family name from Klemm to Pitt upon arriving from Germany. He married Mary Caroline Edwards in 1917. He was a materials specialist in the REME 8th Army from 1941. He stayed in France after D-Day, which led to family conflict discussing how he learned French. He served in the Africa campaign and fought at El Alamein. He cleared a minefield and was commended for it.

He served with his son, the contributor's uncle William Ernest Pitt of the 51st Royal Tank Regiment, while in North Africa. William was born in 1920 and was killed on 23 April 1943 in Tunisia. He is buried in the Medjez-El-Bab cemetery.

Following Africa, Peter served through the Italian and German campaigns, but no details about this time are known. He carried a watch throughout the war (pictured).

The contributor's father, Peter George Pitt, was born in 1930 in Romsey. He was evacuated from London at the start of the war to Thorpe Malsor, a small Northamptonshire village. He lived there in a home with other evacuated children. He returned to London at the end of the war but later went back to Thorpe Malsor to marry.

The contributor's mother, Vera Owen, was born in Thorpe Malsor and met the contributor's father there. She remembered being targeted by a German fighter while walking home from school; they lived near a frequently targeted steelworks called Stewart's and Lloyd's.