Name
Bertie Sutton
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/07/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
15667
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PERONNE ROAD CEMETERY, MARICOURT
III.D.37
France
Headstone Inscription
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS
UK & Other Memorials
Tewin Village Memorial, St Peter’s Church Muster Roll, Tewin, Not on the Bygrave memorials, Not on the Hatfield memorials
Pre War
Bertie Sutton was born in Bygrave (nr Baldock), Herts in 1894, the son of Martha and James Sutton and baptised at Bygrave on 14 October 1894.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Bygrave where his father was a horsekeeper on a farm. At the time of the 1911 Census, his father was a boarder living with Albert and Sarah Jowett and their family at 6 Florist Street, Keighley, Yorkshire where he was working as a Metal Furnace Tender at a Textile Manufacturers. His mother was then working as a housekeeper for Arthur Brown (a working foreman) at Attimore Hall, Hatfield, Herts and was living there with Bertie and four of his siblings. Bertie was working on a farm.
His parents later lived at 1 Croft Lane, Norton, Letchworth.
Wartime Service
He enlisted at Bedford and served with the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in France from 26 July 1915.
The Battalion was involved in the fighting at the Battle of the Somme which began on 1 July 1916. On 16 July 1916 the enemy's artillery had been very active throughout the day and at 4.00 pm the battalion cookhouse was shelled. Bertie was one of six soldiers from the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment who were killed. His body was initially buried near where he fell but was exhumed and reburied after the war. He now lies in Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £8 10s and pay owing of £6 4s 9d. Pension cards exist but give no indication of the amount of pension awarded.
His mother ordered his headstone's inscription: "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS" . She was then living at Attimore Hall, Nr Hatfield, Herts.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
