Name
Hugh Cuthbertson
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/04/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
"B" Battery, 275th Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
FOUQUIERES CHURCHYARD EXTENSION
II. E. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey
Pre War
Born in 1890 (registered Q1 1891in Hackney district), Hugh Cuthbertson was the younger son of Edward Hedley Cuthbertson, a stockbroker, and his wife, Alice (née Monro) of 13 Devonshire Place and 67 Portland Place, London. Their marriage was recorded (Q2 1887) in the Hackney registration district.
The family retained a home in London, but Mr Cuthbertson became a significant landowner in Bushey and, from about 1899, the family lived at Bushey House. His father also owned land in Merry Hill, where Hillside House was built as a private residence between 1911 and 1914.
Hugh was educated at Malvern college and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Wartime Service
Hugh left Cambridge when war broke out and enlisted on 8th August 1914 as a Private in the Army Service Corps. He later transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery, serving as a Bombardier, before gaining a commission with the Royal Field Artillery ("B" Battery, 275th Brigade) on 5th Jan 1918. He served as a Second Lieutenant and died on 14 April 1918, aged 27.
He was buried in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension in France. He is commemorated on the Bushey Memorial and at St James’ Parish Church. He is also commemorated on the Malvern College WW1 War Memorial.
The following is an entry in the Malvernian, July 1918:
“Hugh Cuthbertson left a splendid reputation at School as a determined trier and a loyal friend. He had not the natural gift for games of his elder brother Hedley, but won the respect of the House by splendid public spirit. He had left Cambridge when the war broke out, and elected to join the A.S.C. rather than wait for a commission. He served in many ranks in France, and had the Mons Star and Ribbon. Eventually he transferred to the R.G.A., becoming a Bombardier, and later to a Cadet battalion, where he was commissioned in 1918. He had just returned to France, and been in action for a few hours, when he was killed by a shell.”
Additional Information
Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
