Universities at War

Pitt was born c. 1873 in Leamington, Warwickshire, brother to Horace Pitt. He studied at Edinburgh Theological College in 1896, and at Durham University in 1900, obtaining a Licentiate of Theology. He was made a Deacon in 1898. Ordained Priest by the Bishop of Newcastle on Tyne in 1899, he served his Title as Curate of Amble, Northumberland from 1898 to 1900; St Gabriel, Heaton, Newcastle on Tyne until 1902 and St Mary, Newcastle on Tyne until 1904. He was a Freemason and was Initiated into Lodge of Perseverance No. 1165, District Hong Kong in 1908 and was a member of Navy Lodge No. 2612, London 1909 and United Service Lodge No. 3473, Province of Dorset 1911 whilst serving on H.M.S. Superb. He became a Chaplain to the Royal Navy in 1904, serving on H.M.S. Essex 1904-1906; H.M.S. Duke of Edinburgh 1906-1907; H.M.S. Flora 1907-1909; H.M.S. Superb 1909-1913; H.M.S. Prince of Wales 1913-1914 and H.M.S. Good Hope in 1914. He married Mary Elizabeth Pitt. He was killed during the Battle of Coronel and is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire. His name is also recorded on a memorial in the Church of St Matthew, Portsmouth. H.M.S. Good Hope was an armoured cruiser manned by a crew of reservists and cadets and was the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock commanding a squadron of ageing ships in the South Pacific. She was sunk by the German armoured cruiser Scharnhorst at the Battle of Coronel in the South Pacific. There were no survivors from the 919 officers and crew on board.