| Notes: | MFP. Awarded the British War Medal. He was born in Accrington , enlisted and resided in Clitheroe.
His number on the medal Card is P/1750 which is the number of L/Cpl J Scott, number on medal card is P/1756. Medal card annotated: drowned whilst on route to MEF. Mrs M H Briggs, 45 Waddington Street, Clitheroe applied for his medal. Supplementary medal roll page 18 states: drowned whilst proceeding overseas. MFP. Died at Sea. He was drowned when a former cross channel cargo vessel HMS Hythe which had worked out of Dover for the South East & Chatham Railway Company before the war and had been converted into a naval mine sweeper and used as a ferry. The ship left Mudros Bay on the 29/20,15 sailing for Gallipoli and was in collision with HMS Sarnia at 20.10 hrs off Cape Helles. The Hythe sank drowning 129 men. P/627 Sgt Johnson, MMP, P/1725 L/Cpl Morriss, MFP, P/1755 L/Cpl Venn MFP, P/1760 L/Cpl Porter, were also drowned. They appear to be reinforcements as all their numbers are similar. Army Register of Solider's Effects, 1901-1929, Drowned between Mudros and Helles. 29/1/1916 his widow Mary E received £3-15-00.
Info from Pension Index Cards:- Thomas Pollitt, No. P/1756, L/Cpl, MFP, 28/10/1915 drowned in collision, widow Mary Ella Pollitt, 97 Chapel Street, Church Road, Accrington, Lancashire with children Thomas born 9/2/1910, date of expiry 9/2/1926 and Alice born 9/3/1912, date of expiry 9/3/1938. 8/5/1916 received a pension of 18/6 d per week. Also:- W/8. Widow Brigs, Mary Ellen, husband Pollitt, Thomas, died 28/10/15, MFP, P/1756, L/Cpl, 45 Waddington Road, Clitheroe, Lancs. Also:- CLAIMANT. MPW.5. 11/W/24708, Briggs, Mary Ellen, Man's name Pollitt, Thomas, P.1756, L/Cpl. MFP, relationship to man Widow.
Thomas Pollitt
Extract from the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, 28/3/47. Borough Police Force Comes to an End.
War Losses, three members of the Force have given the lives on active service: Constables Thomas Pollitt and George Henry Venn, who enlisted in the Military Foot Police 23/6/1915 and were drowned on the sinking of HMS Hythe in the Mediterranean on the 28 October of the same year.
Extract from The Scotsman 18 November 1915.
Lost Abroad The Hythe. Drowned: Pollitt, 1756, L/Cpl, T, MFP.
Extract from the Police Review, page 318, 2/7/1915.
THE POLICE AND THE WAR - TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF TWO CLITHEROE CONSTABLES.
In memory of PC's Pollitt and Venn, of the Clitheroe Police, who were drowned in the sinking of the SS "Hythe" last October, portraits of the officers have been hung in the dayroom at the police station
The portraits are framed in carved oak, and appear under the heading, "Clitheroe Borough Police. In Memoriam." Underneath are notes stating that PC Pollit jointed the Clitheroe Force on March 18th 1907; and PC Venn, on April 1st, 1913. The inscription is as follow:-
GREAT EUROPEAN WAR
Both the above officers joined the Military Police Corps on the 22nd June, 1915, and were drowned on the sinking of the SS "Hythe" after collision in the Mediterranean, on the 21st October, 1915.
The deceased officers were lance corporals in the Military Police. The news of their death crated a profound sensation to the town, and was received with very great regret by their colleagues.
Extract from the Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser 20 November 1915.
THE LOSS OF HMS HYTHE - 143 SOLDIERS DROWNED.
Many Sappers formerly stationed in St. Pauls Schoolroom.
The following casualties are reported as a result of the accident to HM Fleet Auxiliary Hythe. Many of the Sappers of the Royal Engineers were formerly stationed in St. Paul's Schoolroom, Sheerness. Unless otherwise stated the men are Privates:- 1st Reserve Regt. of Cavalry attached Military Mounted Police, Cooper, 10810, C. Military Foot Police, Morris, 1752, L/Cpl, H. Pollitt, 1756, L/Cpl, T. Porter, 1760, L/Cpl, M. Scott, 1750, L/Cpl, J. Venn, 1755, L/Cpl, G H. Military Mounted Police. Johnson, 627, A/Sgt, J A.
It was announced by the Admiralty at the end of October that the Hythe, an auxiliary sweeper had sunk during the night of October 28-29 after collision with another of HM Ships off Gallipoli, and the two Army Officers and 143 men were missing in addition to the crew. |
