Category Archives: Other Regiments

Alexander Gordon Sutton

Alexander Gordon Sutton
2nd Lieutenant
2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade

Division 65

Sutton AG photo

Alexander Gordon Sutton was killed in action on 2 January 1918 aged 19.
He is buried in Oxford Road Cemetery, Ypres. Grave location V. H. 9.

Alexander Gordon Sutton was the grandson of Martin Hope Sutton and the youngest son of Leonard Goodhart Sutton and Mary Charlotte Sutton (nee Seaton). His mother had died in July 1900  probably giving birth to Emily the only girl in the family. The family home was ‘Hillside’ Allcroft Road, Reading.   The 1911 census indicates that Alexander, aged 12 and his brother Noel and sister Emily were at the family home.  The house was run by a team of ten servants.

Like his brother Eustace, Alexander was educated at St. Andrews, Southborough and Repton Schools. He was in training at Oxford with the Officers’ Cadet Battalion and received his commission in October 1917. He joined his battalion on 2 December 1917.

His obituary stated that he was a well known member of St. John’s Church, Reading which he attended with the other members of his family whilst in Reading. He was described as having a thoughtful and reverent demeanor. (St. John’s Church is now used by the Polish Roman Catholic community)

He was the third son of Leonard Goodhart Sutton to be killed in action.

Eric Guy Sutton

Eric Guy Sutton M.C.
2nd Lieutenant
7th Battalion  Royal Sussex Regiment

 

Sutton EG photo

 

Eric Guy Sutton was the grandson of Martin Hope Sutton, one of the founders of the Sutton Seeds business and the second son of Leonard Goodhart Sutton and his wife Mary Charlotte Sutton (nee Seaton). His mother probably died in childbirth in July 1900 giving birth to his only sister Emily May.

He was educated at Rugby where he was a keen rugby footballer. He had always expressed an ambition to enter the Army but after leaving school he decided on a business career. He spent a year in France and six months travelling in America preparing for this and was due to return to Reading in the autumn of 1914.  On the outbreak of war he returned from California and was gazetted into his regiment in September 1914.  In the spring of 1915 he went to the  front and in June he was appointed lieutenant.

Eric Guy Sutton was awarded the Military Cross for “conspicuous gallantry on the night of  September 12th 1915, near Armentieres. With another officer he entered a mine, which was in a highly dangerous state at the time owing to gas fumes following an explosion, in order to rescue a man who had been overcome. Their prompt action undoubtable saved the man’s life.”  He was decorated a Buckingham Palace on 23 February  1916.

On hearing of the distinction awarded to him he wrote:
“On looking back upon the incident it seems a very paltry affair. It was over in a few moments. One of the things prominent in my mind is – How many thousands more, especially in Gallipoli, deserve the honour much more that I do!”

He was killed in action on 8 April 1916 aged 21 and is buried in Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, grave location II. D. 20.

The circumstances of his death were reported as follows:
He was in charge of the Lewis (machine) guns, as he had been for some time,prior to which he had temporary command of his company. At 6.30 p.m. on 8th april 1916 the Germans exploded a mine under part of the Britishd trenches blowing down the parapet and filling parts of the trench, leaving a portion exposed to rifle fire.
It appeard that in order to get his guns into position again he had to cross the exposed portion and examine the crater, and was shot by a sniper in the neck and died instantly.

Employees of the Sutton Seed firm were alerted to the sad news of his death by a flag flying at half mast over the business premises.

Reginald Charles Earle Gatehouse

Reginald Charles Earle Gatehouse
Private CH/19258
“Zeebrugge” Battalion
Royal Marine Light Infantry

Gatehouse pict Gatehouse headstone

 

Reginald Gatehouse was born the 27 August 1897 the eldest son of Earle and Alice Gatehouse of, 6. Clarendon Road, Reading. In 1911 the family were living at 42. Clarendon Road. Earle Gatehouse’s occupation was given as a stableman jobmaster. Reginald then aged 12 and noted as being at school; he had two younger brothers and a baby sister. His maternal grandmother was also living with the family.

The Reading Standard of the 5 May 1918 outlined his service career. Reginald enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in October 1914, at the age of 16 years. After a period of training at Deal and Chatham he was placed on a monitor, the H.M.S. Roberts:

‘He spent 12 months in the Dardanelles, where he had many thrilling experiences and several miraculous escapes. On one occasion twelve of his comrades, who were on his ship at the time, were blown up by a shell, he being the only one uninjured. Later he was sent to Russia for special service and subsequently took part in the shelling of the Belgian coast by monitors’.

We are also told that he had been to France with his officer, who was engaged in a series of experiments and that Reginald had assisted him. We can only speculate on the nature of these experiments.

Five weeks before he was killed Reginald had been home on leave. On his return, preparations were in hand for the forthcoming strike at the German U-boat bases of Zeebrugge and Ostend. Described as a ‘Brilliant Naval Raid’ in the Chronology of War, Peter Liddle is much more circumspect in ‘The Sailor’s War 1914-1918’. German U-boats presented a considerable threat to shipping in the English Channel and in 1918 Vice Admiral Sir Roger Keyes was determined to strike a blow at the German U-boat bases. Unfortunately the raid on Zeebruge did not go quite according to plan.

During the attack Reginald Gatehouse was believed to have been on board HMS Iris, which, with HMS Daffodil, was one of  two Mersey ferries being used in the attack. The HMS Iris came to the aid of the Vindictive and ensured the cruiser reached its objective by ramming it into the Mole at Zeebrugge. However, in the process HMS Iris  drew heavy fire and of the platoon of forty-five men on board only twelve men were able to land.

An official Admiralty report described the raid:

“ with the exception of covering ships the force employed consisted of auxiliary vessels and six obsolete cruisers. Five of these filled with concrete, were used as blockships…and, in accordance with orders, were blown up and abandoned by their crews. Two blockships were sunk in the entrance to the Bruges Canal at Zeebrugge and a third ship grounded on the way in: storming parties landed on the Mole, which was much damaged by the blowing up of a submarine loaded with explosives. A German destroyer was torpedoed and other craft damaged. One British destroyer and two motorboats were lost. At Ostend two blockships were blown up. Storming parties were landed from ‘Vindictive’.”

Everyone concerned wanted to believe that there had been a great victory but in the event the attack was less decisive than was reported to the public. The blockships had sunk but not quite in the correct position and the gallantry of those who lost their lives or were wounded had achieved little. It was not too long before the U-boats were back in operation harassing the channel. However, the depressing events of the German spring offensive on the Western Front meant morale at home and at the front was low, so it was important to put a positive gloss on the Zeebrugge attack and much was made of the ability of the navy to strike decisively at the enemy.

The total casualties for the attack amounted to 16 officers, 86 men killed; 5 officers and 121 men wounded. Young Reginald Gatehouse was amongst the dead. He was 19 years old when killed in action 23 April 1918.

Reginald was brought home for burial, which took place at St. Peter’s Church, Earley. The funeral was a significant occasion and well attended by those who knew him. A picture of the scene at his funeral was published in the local paper.

Gatehouse funeral