Lives of the First World War

known 9th September 1916

Gerald was killed during the successful attack on the German held Village of Ginchy which deprived the Germans of observation posts, from which they could observe all of the battlefield and eliminated the salient at Delville Wood, which had been costly to defend, due to observed German artillery-fire from three sides (see Wallace Hoptroff) and the many counter-attacks by German infantry in July and August. A report in the Kent & Sussex Courier stated: “He had led his men to the attack, and was cheering them over the German parapet when he was struck on the arm and fell. Some of his men rushed to help him, but he jumped up again shouting: “I’m all right. Go on!” and he started firing at the Germans in the trenches with a revolver in his uninjured hand. Soo afterwards he as struck again, this time on the head. He died like a true British officer, and the whole battalion regard him as a hero for the way he led his men on. His Corporal subsequently picked up near the spot a photograph of the young Irish lady to whom he was engaged, but the body was not recovered. His brother, Lieutenant Cecil Pickett [also an Old Skinner], went through the same fighting, and had some marvellous escapes, as he was uninjured except from shell-shock, although his uniform, was torn by bullets. He did not learn of his brother’s death until after the action.”

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