John Pattinson was born on the 1^st August 1897, the son of James Pattinson and his wife Margaret (nee Winder), who lived at Howe Green in Hartsop. John was baptised at St Patrick's Church on the 12^th September 1897. Margaret was the third daughter of John Winder whose family had farmed in Hartsop for over a hundred years and were at Howe Green when she married James Pattinson in 1895. James came to live in Hartsop in the early 1890's from Galgate in Lancashire where his father Joseph farmed. It seems as though Margaret's father retired soon after they married and James took over the running of Howe Green farm.

The Pattinson name has deep roots in Patterdale – there are over 256 Pattinson entries in the Patterdale Parish Registers. The most famous of all was probably Lancelot Pattinson, or “Lanty Patty” as he was known, who reputedly lived for a time in a cave near Goldrill Bridge (“Lanty’s Castle”). We can’t be sure if John was related to this character as his father James was born in Witherslack. John would have had no shortage of young Pattinsons around him during his school days in Patterdale, including his younger brother Joseph, born in 1900.

From his service number we estimate that John would have enlisted some time in early 1915 and, as he was only 17 years old, he would have been placed in a Territorial Brigade based in Britain until he was old enough to be posted overseas (at that time the minimum age limit for overseas service was 19 but it was reduced to 18 in May 1916). He therefore became eligible for overseas service in May 1916 and spent some time in Ireland, presumably training, towards the end of 1916. Unfortunately, after heavy losses in France, the Regular 8^th Brigade RFA was broken up on the 21^st May 1916, so it looks as though John had to stay in the Reserve Brigade. A new 8^th Brigade RFA was formed on the 12^th January 1917 but they didn't leave Britain for Mesopotamia until August 1917.